Travel Tips
Languages
The official languages are English, Chamorro, and Carolinian, but Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages are also spoken at most tourist-oriented businesses.
Time Zone
GMT + 10
Postal Services
U.S. Postal Service
Electricity and voltage
110/220v 60Hz
Helpful numbers
Emergency 911, Phone directory information 411
Business hours
Government offices and organizations, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on weekends and national holidays.
Visa Requirements
Entry requirements for the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are the same as for any U.S. destination. The U.S. Visa Waiver Program applies. For further details, visit www.travel.state.gov. In addition, a special Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program allows visa-free entry from additional countries: Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong (HK Special Administrative Region [SAR] passport or HK Identification card is required), Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom. Under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, travelers from these countries, for a maximum of 45 days, seeking admission to the CNMI must possess a valid, unexpired machine-readable passport and must not have previously violated the terms of any prior admission to the U.S. ESTA is not a requirement for these travelers.
Gratuities
Similar to the mainland USA, 10-15% is welcomed for restaurant servers, depending on the service. We suggest $1.00 per bag for bellhops as well as $1.00 per day per person for housekeepers.
Credit Cards
Amex, Visa, MasterCard, JCB and Discover are welcomed.
Departure Tax
Departure tax is included in your airfare.
Banking
Bank of Guam
Bank of Hawaii
Bank of Saipan
Bank Pacific
Cititrust Bank
First Hawaiian Bank
General banking hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm; Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Medical Facilities
There are several general practitioners and specialists on the island as well as a main hospital and some private clinics. No vaccinations are required unless the visitor is arriving from an endemic area. Recompression chambers are available by air ambulance at nearby Guam. Pharmaceutical services are widely available.
Personal Safety
Saipan is a relatively safe destination, but exercise normal precautions; i.e. don't leave valuables unattended in rental cars or on the beach. Place your valuables and travel documents in your room safe. Keep your guest room doors and windows locked, especially at night and when you are not in the room.
