Declarations · concessions · biosecurity · currency · medicines

Papua New Guinea Customs on Arrival | Traveller Declarations

After immigration and baggage collection, arriving passengers must comply with Papua New Guinea Customs declaration rules. The practical principle is simple: declare reportable goods truthfully, keep receipts or supporting documents where useful, and do not assume food, medicines, valuables or new goods are automatically exempt.

What to declare Check allowances
New goodsK1,000 adult allowance
Alcohol2.25 litres
Currency/valuablesDeclare K20,000+
Baggage checksRisk/declaration based

Customs vs PNGDAC

Do not confuse immigration's digital card with the Customs declaration process

The PNG Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC) is part of the immigration/e-Border process and, under the August 2026 ICSA directive, must be completed before a boarding pass is issued.

PNG Customs' current airport-arrivals guidance separately describes an Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) used for Customs declarations. Travellers should therefore follow both the live digital immigration instructions and any Customs declaration form or questions issued for their flight.

If the airline or border authorities replace the paper Customs workflow with a digital declaration in the future, follow the current form presented for your journey rather than relying on an old screenshot or blog.

What to declare

Declare items that Customs or biosecurity needs to assess

Biosecurity

Food, plants and animal products

PNG Customs tells travellers to declare all food, plant and animal items. Items of quarantine concern can be inspected and may be treated or destroyed.

New goods

Goods above your concession

New articles, gifts or other goods above the traveller concession should be declared so Customs can determine whether duty or GST is payable.

Valuables

Currency and valuables at K20,000+

Covered currency and valuables with a combined value of K20,000 or more require a Cross-Border Movement of Currency and Valuables report.

Medicines

Prescription and controlled drugs

Customs strongly recommends declaring prescription drugs and specifically warns about medicines containing narcotics or tranquillisers.

Restricted goods

Weapons, controlled drugs and regulated imports

Some goods are prohibited outright; others require permission from another PNG authority before importation. Never assume a foreign licence automatically authorises entry into PNG.

Commercial items

Goods for sale or business use

Commercial goods are not covered by normal traveller concessions and may require formal import procedures, supporting invoices and a Customs broker.

Biosecurity

Clean trekking and outdoor equipment before packing

Boots and hiking gear

Remove mud, seeds, plant fragments and visible organic matter from boots, tent pegs and other outdoor equipment before travel.

Declare if uncertain

If equipment is contaminated or you are unsure whether an item creates quarantine concern, declare it and let the inspecting officer decide.

No automatic “chemical sterilisation” rule

Current Customs guidance says quarantine-risk items may be treated or destroyed. It does not support claiming that every dirty boot is automatically confiscated for chemical sterilisation.

Duty-free concessions

Current traveller allowances published by PNG Customs

Category Current published concession Important detail
New goods — adult (18+) K1,000 Does not include the separate alcohol or tobacco concession
New goods — child under 18 K500 Family monetary concessions may be pooled, subject to Customs rules
Alcohol 2.25 litres Separate from the monetary new-goods allowance
Tobacco 200 cigarettes OR 250 g tobacco OR 50 cigars Alternative allowances, not cumulative

Source conflict warning: some older or general PNG Customs pages still display different figures, including 2 litres of alcohol, 250 cigarettes, or other monetary limits. For this page, the dedicated current Traveller Concessions page is treated as the primary source. Travellers close to a limit should recheck Customs immediately before departure.

Currency and valuables

K20,000 is the current reporting threshold

What triggers the report

The Cross-Border Movement of Currency and Valuables form is required when covered assets have a combined value equivalent to K20,000 or more.

More than physical cash

The official form covers currency, monetary instruments, precious metals and precious stones, and explains that personal jewellery can be included in the total declared value.

Penalties for non-reporting

PNG Customs warns that failure to report, or providing false or misleading information, can lead to significant fines and possible imprisonment.

The threshold is a declaration requirement, not simply a statement that carrying more than K20,000 is automatically prohibited.

Baggage inspection

Customs uses declarations and officer assessment

PNG Customs' current international-airport guidance says arriving passengers present their declaration for assessment and that baggage may be selected for inspection based on the declaration or the Customs officer's assessment.

That supports a risk-based inspection process. It does not support stating that 100% of luggage receives a manual search, X-ray scan and sniffer-dog check.

Customs may also examine baggage for specific reasons or at random. Pack so that food, medicines, high-value equipment or items requiring explanation are easy to show if requested.

Specialised travel gear

Cameras, dive gear and outdoor equipment

Cameras

Personal equipment vs new merchandise

Used personal cameras and laptops are treated differently from newly purchased commercial goods. Keep purchase records for unusually valuable or newly acquired equipment if Customs asks about ownership or import value.

Dive equipment

Clean and dry gear before travel

Ordinary personal dive equipment is not automatically prohibited, but clean it thoroughly and declare any food, biological material, compressed-gas items or regulated components separately where required.

Drones

Customs clearance is not flight permission

Bringing a drone through Customs does not by itself authorise drone operations in PNG. Aviation, security, landowner and protected-area rules may apply separately.

Prescription medicine

Keep medicine identifiable and supported by documentation

Original containers

Customs advises travellers carrying medicines containing habit-forming drugs or narcotics to keep them in their original containers.

Doctor's prescription

Carry a prescription or medical letter explaining that the medicine is required under a physician's direction.

Declare prescription drugs

PNG Customs' current drugs guidance strongly recommends declaring prescription drugs even when the traveller believes they are legal.

Restricted and prohibited imports

Some goods need permission before they ever reach the airport

PNG's prohibited-import regulations contain a long list of controlled goods. Depending on the item, authorisation may come from Customs, the Department of Health, police, civil aviation or another competent authority.

Examples include controlled drugs, firearms and ammunition, certain medicines and other regulated goods. If your item is unusual or professionally regulated, check permission requirements before packing it.

Before you land

A simple Customs preparation checklist

1

Separate declarable items

Pack food, medicines and documentation where they can be reached without emptying your entire suitcase.

2

Clean outdoor equipment

Remove soil, seeds and plant matter from trekking shoes, camping gear and sporting equipment.

3

Add up new-goods value

Know whether purchases and gifts exceed the current traveller concession.

4

Count alcohol and tobacco

Check quantities against the current dedicated Customs concessions page.

5

Calculate currency and valuables

Prepare the CMCV declaration if the covered combined value reaches K20,000 or more.

6

Answer honestly

If uncertain whether something should be declared, declaring it is safer than giving a false or misleading answer.

PNG Customs FAQ

Common traveller declaration questions

Is every bag automatically X-rayed and searched?

No official source reviewed for this page says that every bag receives a manual search, X-ray and sniffer-dog inspection. PNG Customs says baggage may be selected for inspection based on the passenger declaration or an officer's assessment.

What is the current adult new-goods concession?

The dedicated current Traveller Concessions page lists K1,000 for travellers aged 18 and over.

How much alcohol can an adult bring duty free?

The current dedicated Customs concessions page lists 2.25 litres. Some older/general Customs pages show 2 litres, so recheck the live concessions page if you are close to the limit.

How many cigarettes are allowed?

The current dedicated concessions page lists 200 cigarettes, or alternatively 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars. Older Customs pages may display 250 cigarettes, which is why the dedicated current concessions page should be checked before travel.

What is the currency declaration threshold?

The current CMCV reporting threshold is K20,000 or more in covered currency and valuables, not K10,000.

Should I declare hiking boots?

Clean them thoroughly before travel. If they contain soil or other biological contamination, declare the issue and follow biosecurity instructions.

Should prescription medicine be declared?

PNG Customs strongly recommends declaring prescription drugs and advises travellers with medicines containing habit-forming drugs or narcotics to carry a doctor's prescription and keep the medicine in its original container.

Does completing PNGDAC replace Customs declarations?

No. PNGDAC belongs to the immigration/e-Border process. PNG Customs currently publishes a separate passenger-declaration process for goods and concessions.

Related VisaPNG guides

Complete your border preparation

EEntry RequirementsPassport, visa and arrival overview. IImmigration ClearanceWhat happens at passport control. OOnward TravelDeparture evidence and trip planning. PPacking GuidePrepare outdoor and travel gear. KMoney in PNGCash, cards and Kina planning. NVisa & Entry NewsFollow current border-policy changes.

Arrival preparation

When in doubt, declare the item

PNG Customs requires truthful declarations. Clean outdoor gear, keep medicine documents ready, know the value of new goods and valuables, and review the current concessions immediately before travel if your quantities are close to a published limit.

Review entry requirements Final travel checks

Official sources

Primary Customs and immigration references

PNG Customs — International Airport Arrivals: https://customs.gov.pg/border/int_airports PNG Customs — Traveller Concessions: https://customs.gov.pg/border/concessions PNG Customs — Currency & Valuables Reporting: https://customs.gov.pg/border/cross_border_mvmt PNG Customs — Drugs & Illicit Substances: https://customs.gov.pg/border/drugs PNG Customs — Import Procedures & Restricted Goods: https://customs.gov.pg/trade/info ICSA — Mandatory PNGDAC Notice: 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 Papua New Guinea Customs Service, the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority or a biosecurity authority. Customs officers and other competent authorities make the final decision on goods presented at the border.