PNGDAC · official cost · payment safety
The official Papua New Guinea Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC) is free of charge. PNG Immigration does not charge an application fee, processing fee or government service fee for submitting the official digital arrival declaration.
Official PNGDAC cost
No government application or processing fee.
The Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority states on its official PNG Digital Arrival Card page that the system is free of charge.
PNGDAC is an arrival declaration used in border processing. It is not a visa and it does not replace any visa or Entry Permit your passport may require.
What the official service covers
Enter your personal, travel and declaration details in the official PNGDAC system and submit them for border processing.
After submission, keep the confirmation accessible so it can be presented with your passport when requested.
ICA provides an update function for changes such as flight details, travel dates, accommodation or personal information.
Third-party websites
The official PNGDAC itself is free. You do not need to pay ICA simply to submit the arrival card.
A third-party company may charge for form-filling assistance, checking or customer support. That charge is a private service fee, not a PNG government fee.
Be cautious if a website presents a private charge as though it were a mandatory government PNGDAC payment or falsely implies official status.
A paid website is not automatically fraudulent merely because it charges for assistance. The important distinction is whether it clearly identifies itself as a private service and makes clear that the official PNGDAC itself is free.
Before entering card details
Confirm whether you are using an official PNG Immigration service or a private commercial assistance website.
The official PNGDAC charge is zero. Any payment request should explain what separate private service is being sold.
PNG visa and Entry Permit applications can carry government fees. Those are different from the free arrival card.
PNGDAC contains passport and travel information. Avoid sharing those details with an unknown operator without understanding who controls the data.
If details change after submission, ICA provides an official update process. Do not pay another site merely to correct information you can amend through the official system.
Keep a screenshot or PDF of your confirmation so poor airport connectivity does not create an avoidable check-in problem.
PNGDAC vs visa fees
PNGDAC is a free passenger-arrival declaration used for border processing.
PNG visas and Entry Permits determine whether you are authorized to enter for a particular purpose and period. Their fees vary by class.
Paying a visa fee does not replace PNGDAC, and completing PNGDAC does not grant a visa.
Current 2026 rule
ICA's 2025 PNGDAC material still mentions self-service kiosks at Jacksons International Airport as part of the original rollout.
On 6 August 2026, ICSA instructed international airlines, ground handlers and check-in personnel that all travellers must complete PNGDAC before a boarding pass is issued.
Complete the free PNGDAC online before airport check-in and keep the confirmation accessible.
Submission timing
ICA's traveller guide says PNGDAC information can be submitted three days in advance of arrival, while the ICA homepage describes online submission as available up to 72 hours before arrival.
Because boarding-pass enforcement now applies before departure, submit within the permitted window and before final airline check-in.
PNGDAC fee FAQ
It is free. ICA explicitly states that the PNGDAC system is free of charge.
No official PNGDAC processing fee is listed by ICA.
No government PNGDAC payment is required because the official service itself is free.
It may be selling private assistance. Its charge is not the official government PNGDAC fee.
No. Some may be legitimate private services. The concern is misleading claims that a private service fee is a mandatory government charge or that the site is official when it is not.
ICA provides an official update function and describes the PNGDAC system itself as free of charge.
Older ICA guidance describes kiosks as part of the PNGDAC system, which ICA says is free. However, the 6 August 2026 directive requires completion before boarding-pass issuance, so travellers should not rely on arrival kiosks.
No. PNGDAC is free, while visa fees are separate and depend on the visa or Entry Permit category.
Related VisaPNG guides
Before submitting
Use the official PNGDAC service, complete the declaration within the allowed pre-arrival window, save your confirmation, and keep visa charges separate from arrival-card costs.
Official sources
VisaPNG is an independent visa and travel-support website. It is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority. The official PNG Digital Arrival Card is free of charge.