Quarantine · food · plants · animals · soil · outdoor gear

Papua New Guinea Biosecurity | Food, Plant & Animal Arrival Checks

Papua New Guinea protects its agriculture and environment through quarantine and biosecurity controls at the border. Travellers should expect to declare food, plant material, animal products and other quarantine-sensitive items, and should clean outdoor equipment before packing if it has been exposed to soil, seeds or organic matter.

Check what to declare Prepare outdoor gear
DeclareFood
DeclarePlants & seeds
DeclareAnimal products
CleanSoil from gear

The central rule

Declare first; let the border officer decide

PNG Customs' current border guidance is straightforward: travellers must declare food, plants and animal items. Customs also warns that quarantine-sensitive goods may be treated or destroyed at the traveller's expense.

Older and current Customs declaration forms give useful examples of the types of products border officers are interested in: meat, milk, baby food, confectionery, herbs, fruit, seeds, wooden articles, bamboo, soil, animal products, biological specimens and equipment associated with animals or agriculture.

Best practice: if you are unsure whether an item falls under quarantine control, declare it. A truthful declaration lets the officer assess the item; failing to disclose a controlled item can create a more serious problem.

Biosecurity matrix

What travellers should do with common items

Category Traveller action Examples
Fresh fruit & vegetables Declare Fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs
Seeds & planting material Declare Seeds, bulbs, flowers, straw, mushrooms
Meat & dairy Declare Meat, sausages, ham, poultry, milk, butter, cheese
Packaged food Declare Tinned food, packaged snacks, baby food, spices
Wood & bamboo Declare / inspect Wooden articles, bamboo, plant-fibre souvenirs
Animal products Declare Feathers, skins, hair, eggs, biological material
Soil Declare Loose soil or soil stuck to equipment
Outdoor equipment Clean thoroughly Boots, tent pegs, trekking poles, camping equipment

This table is a traveller-preparation guide, not an import permit. Whether an item can actually enter PNG depends on its origin, composition, condition, permits and the decision of the responsible border/quarantine authority.

What the official material does not support

Avoid exaggerated “zero tolerance” claims

Not every food item is automatically banned

Official declarations ask travellers to report food; they do not state that every commercially packaged food product is prohibited.

Not every bag is documented as dog-screened

I could not verify an official rule stating that 100% of arriving passenger luggage is always subject to both X-ray and detector-dog screening.

Not every contaminated boot is “confiscated for days”

Soil is a quarantine concern, but the official material supports inspection, treatment or destruction—not a universal multi-day chemical-sterilisation outcome.

Trekkers and campers

Clean equipment before you leave home

Boots

Remove mud from soles and seams

Scrub the tread, welt and stitching. Dried mud can still contain soil, seeds and plant material.

Poles & pegs

Clean contact surfaces

Wash trekking-pole tips, tent pegs, gaiters and other items that have been pushed into soil.

Camping gear

Empty and brush everything

Check tent floors, groundsheets, pack pockets and camping equipment for seeds, leaves, insects or soil.

This matters particularly for travellers arriving for the Kokoda Track, Mount Wilhelm or other wilderness trips, where equipment may have been used recently in farms, forests or trekking environments overseas.

Wooden souvenirs

Wood is not automatically prohibited, but it can be a quarantine concern

Customs declaration material specifically includes wooden articles and bamboo among plant-related items of quarantine interest. Wood may contain bark, soil, insects, larvae or fungal contamination.

If you are carrying a wooden object into PNG, declare it when required and keep it clean and free of obvious insect damage or organic contamination.

Animal and biological material

These categories deserve special care

Animal products

Customs material lists feathers, hair, skins, hatching eggs and related animal products among quarantine-controlled items.

Biological specimens

Vaccines, cultures, blood and other biological specimens appear in official declaration guidance and may require permits or additional controls.

Equipment associated with animals

Equipment used with horses or other animals is specifically mentioned because it can carry soil and disease material.

PNGDAC

The digital arrival declaration is now part of pre-flight preparation

The PNG Digital Arrival Card replaced the traditional paper arrival card from October 2025. It is part of PNG's e-Border system and collects travel and declaration information before arrival.

A later ICSA notice dated 6 August 2026 instructs international airlines and check-in personnel that all travellers must complete the PNGDAC before a boarding pass is issued.

The PNGDAC is not a visa. You must still hold the correct passport and visa or entry permission for your trip.

Medicines

Medication is mainly a Customs issue, but clear labelling still helps

Original packaging

Keep prescription medicines in clearly labelled pharmacy packaging where practical.

Carry documentation

Bring a prescription or clinician's letter for important medicines, controlled drugs, injections or unusually large personal supplies.

Controlled medicines

PNG Customs specifically warns travellers to report medicines containing narcotics or tranquillisers in applicable border declarations.

Malaria prophylaxis is a health-planning issue rather than “biosecurity contraband.” Keep legitimate personal medication identifiable and check Customs requirements if the drug is controlled.

What may happen at inspection

Border officers can assess quarantine-sensitive goods

Inspection

An officer may inspect declared goods or baggage when an item presents a Customs or quarantine concern.

Treatment

Customs states that quarantine items of concern may be treated at the traveller's expense.

Destruction or refusal

Goods that cannot safely enter may be destroyed or otherwise refused entry in accordance with the applicable border process.

Packing workflow

Prepare your bags before airport day

1

Empty outdoor equipment

Remove soil, leaves, insects and seeds from boots, bags and camping gear.

2

Separate food

Keep food products together so they can be declared and inspected easily.

3

Identify plant material

Check souvenirs, handicrafts, seeds, herbs, wood and bamboo before packing.

4

Identify animal products

Look for feathers, hides, shells, biological products and animal-derived foods.

5

Complete PNGDAC honestly

Use the digital arrival declaration before check-in and answer relevant questions accurately.

6

Declare uncertainty

If you are unsure whether an item is controlled, disclose it and ask the border officer.

Biosecurity FAQ

Common questions before packing for PNG

Do I have to declare all food?

PNG Customs' border guidance says travellers must declare food items. This allows quarantine officers to decide whether the product can enter.

Are fresh fruit and vegetables allowed?

Fresh plant products are quarantine-sensitive and must be declared. Do not assume they will be admitted without inspection or any required permission.

Can I bring packaged snacks?

Packaged food is not automatically exempt from quarantine control. Declare it when required; ingredients and country of origin can matter.

Can I bring wooden carvings?

Wooden and bamboo articles are specifically listed among plant-related quarantine items. Declare them if required and keep them clean and free of soil, bark pests or organic contamination.

Do I need to clean my hiking boots?

Yes. Soil is specifically identified as a quarantine concern. Scrub boots and other outdoor gear thoroughly before packing.

Will dirty boots automatically be confiscated?

Official material supports inspection and possible treatment or destruction of quarantine-risk goods, but it does not establish one universal outcome for every dirty pair of boots.

Is every bag X-rayed and checked by sniffer dogs?

I could not verify an official rule stating that every arriving passenger bag is always subjected to both methods. Travellers should nevertheless expect that baggage can be screened or inspected.

Is PNGDAC the same as a quarantine permit?

No. PNGDAC is a digital arrival declaration and border-facilitation system. It does not replace permits that may be required for controlled imports.

Related VisaPNG guides

Complete your arrival preparation

EEntry RequirementsBorder, Customs and arrival rules. IImmigration ClearanceWhat happens after landing. PPacking GuidePrepare trekking and island gear. KKokoda TrackTrek planning and gear preparation. MMount WilhelmHighlands trekking preparation. NVisa & Entry NewsCurrent PNG border updates.

Before packing

If in doubt, declare it

Clean outdoor equipment, separate food and natural-material products, complete the PNGDAC before check-in and disclose quarantine-sensitive goods at the border. The responsible officer can then decide whether inspection, treatment or permits are required.

Review entry rules Open packing guide

Official sources

Primary border guidance used for this page

PNG Customs — Prohibited & Restricted Items: https://customs.gov.pg/border/small_crafts PNG Customs — Traveller Concessions: https://customs.gov.pg/border/concessions ICA — PNG Digital Arrival Card: https://ica.gov.pg/dac/png-digital-arrival-card ICSA — Mandatory PNGDAC Notice, 6 August 2026: https://ica.gov.pg/public-notices/2026/mandatory-completion-of-png-digital-arrival-card

VisaPNG is an independent visa and travel-support website. It is not the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority, PNG Customs Service or the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority. Biosecurity officers may apply current permit, inspection, treatment or refusal rules to specific goods at the border.