Individual passport
Each child should travel on their own valid passport. ICA's general entry guidance requires passports to have at least six months of validity from the intended date of entry.
Family travel · child visas · PNGDAC · health · consent documents
Travelling to Papua New Guinea With Children | Entry Preparation
Travelling to Papua New Guinea with children or infants requires careful document preparation, but not every family needs the same paperwork. Each child must travel under the correct passport and immigration arrangement, and the family's PNG Digital Arrival Card details must be completed before airline check-in.
Passport6+ months validity
Entry permitSeparate application where required
PNGDACApplies to every traveller
Family submissionGroup PNGDAC supported
Core child documentation
Start with what PNG Immigration actually requires
Separate entry-permit application where applicable
ICA states that dependent family members, including unmarried children under 18, must make separate applications for an Entry Permit.
For short visits, the relevant visitor or visa-on-arrival route depends on nationality and circumstances.
Family PNGDAC submission
The PNG Digital Arrival Card applies to all persons travelling to PNG. ICA's online guidance supports both individual and group submissions, which is useful for parents travelling with children.
Travel itinerary
Keep the family's confirmed flights, accommodation and contact information available. ICA may request supporting evidence depending on the visa class and circumstances.
Birth and relationship documents
A birth certificate can be a useful supporting document when family names differ, one parent is absent, or a guardian is travelling with the child.
Custody or consent evidence when relevant
Carry documents that explain who has authority to travel with the child if the family situation is not obvious from the passports.
Important distinction
PNG visitor rules do not publish a universal notarized-consent formula
Birth certificate
ICA uses birth certificates in several PNG passport and dependent-permit contexts, but its public visitor-entry guidance does not state that every visiting foreign child must carry an “unabridged” birth certificate.
One-parent travel
I could not verify a blanket PNG rule requiring every one-parent traveller to produce a notarized consent affidavit dated within three months.
Transit and airline rules
Your airline, departure country or transit country can impose child-consent requirements that are separate from PNG Immigration. Check those rules before travel.
Practical approach: when a child travels with only one parent or with a guardian, carry a signed consent letter, a copy of the absent parent's ID where possible, the child's birth certificate, and any custody/death/adoption documents that explain the legal relationship. These are prudent supporting documents, not a claim that one exact notarized format is universally mandated by PNG.
Children and visas
Do not assume a child is covered by a parent's permit
ICA's dependent-family guidance is explicit that dependents—including unmarried children under 18—must make separate Entry Permit applications.
That does not mean every tourist child automatically owes the same fixed fee or uses the same visa class. The correct visa, documents and fee depend on the child's nationality and the exact category shown by the ICA visa system.
Avoid writing “every infant must pay a $50 eVisa fee.” The official portal calculates requirements and fees by nationality and visa class, and the current visitor page directs applicants to the Migration Service Fee schedule rather than publishing one universal child-tourist charge.
PNGDAC for families
Use group submission instead of creating unnecessary duplicate workflows
Children are included
The 6 August 2026 ICSA directive applies to all persons travelling to Papua New Guinea. That includes children and infants.
Families can be submitted together
ICA's PNGDAC how-to page supports both individual and group submission through the website, allowing family details to be managed in one workflow.
Complete it before check-in finishes
The current airline directive says PNGDAC must be completed before a boarding pass is issued. Keep the family confirmation accessible offline.
ICA's 2025 traveller guide says the PNGDAC can be submitted within 72 hours before and including the day of arrival. The later August 2026 notice makes pre-boarding completion mandatory, so families should complete it before airport check-in rather than relying on arrival kiosks.
Different family situations
Prepare documents that explain the child's legal travel relationship
Both parents travelling
Keep passports, family booking information and a birth certificate copy available if surnames differ or relationship evidence could be useful.
One parent travelling
Carry a signed consent letter from the non-travelling parent where available, plus contact details and a copy of supporting ID.
Guardian or relative
Carry written parental authority and documents showing the guardian's identity and relationship to the child.
Sole custody
Bring the court order or other official evidence that explains sole parental responsibility.
Deceased parent
A death certificate can help explain why consent from the other parent is unavailable.
Adopted child
Carry adoption or custody orders that establish the accompanying adult's legal authority.
Family health
Prepare for malaria, routine vaccines and limited remote care
Risk exists below 2,000 metres
CDC currently reports malaria transmission throughout PNG in areas below 2,000 metres. A clinician should choose age- and weight-appropriate prevention for each child.
Check routine vaccinations
CDC advises international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles and specifically notes an early MMR dose for infants aged 6–11 months travelling internationally.
Route-dependent certificate
Children aged one year or older need a yellow-fever certificate when arriving from a risk country, including certain airport transits longer than 12 hours in a risk country.
Medicines
Use child-specific doses, not adult packing lists
Bring enough regular prescription medicine for the whole trip, ideally in labelled original packaging, plus the prescription or a clinician's letter for important medication.
For malaria prevention, do not copy an adult drug name and dose from a travel page. The appropriate medication depends on a child's age, weight, medical history and itinerary.
A practical family kit can include oral rehydration solution, age-appropriate pain/fever medicine, dressings, thermometer, insect repellent suitable for the child's age and any regular medication.
Travel safety with children
Reduce unnecessary transport and timing risks
Pre-arranged airport transfer
Arrange transport before landing, particularly if arriving after dark or carrying child seats, prams and multiple bags.
Do not invent a “fortified hotel” rule
Families should choose reputable accommodation with suitable transport and security, but there is no immigration rule requiring children to stay in heavily guarded compounds.
Avoid unnecessary night travel
Build itineraries around daylight arrivals and transfers where practical, especially outside familiar urban areas.
Arrival preparation
Organise the family's documents so one adult can access them quickly
Passports together
Keep all family passports in one secure document organiser until immigration is complete.
Visa evidence
Save every child's visa or entry-permit confirmation offline and carry printed backups where practical.
PNGDAC confirmation
Keep the family group confirmation or individual confirmations readily accessible.
Consent/custody file
Keep birth, consent, custody or guardianship documents together rather than buried in checked luggage.
Health certificates
Carry any required yellow-fever certificate and important prescription documentation in hand luggage.
Transfer contact
Save the driver's name, phone number and accommodation address offline before departure.
Long-term dependents
Resident families use a different immigration framework
ICA defines dependent family members to include a spouse, unmarried children under 18 and ageing parents. Dependents seeking to reside in PNG use separate dependent-permit arrangements rather than simply travelling under the principal holder's document.
Children who study abroad and only return to PNG during study breaks are specifically told by ICA to apply for a Visitor Entry Permit for each visit rather than relying on a dependent permit unless they meet the residence criteria.
Family entry FAQ
Common questions when travelling with children
Does each child need their own PNG visa or Entry Permit?
ICA states that dependent family members, including unmarried children under 18, must make separate Entry Permit applications. For short tourist visits, the exact route depends on nationality and visa eligibility.
Does every child need a separate $50 eVisa fee?
Do not assume so. The official eVisa system calculates the applicable visa class and fee. ICA does not publish a universal rule saying every child tourist must pay a fixed $50 fee.
Does every child need PNGDAC?
The PNGDAC rule applies to all persons travelling to PNG. Families can use the online group-submission function rather than necessarily managing completely separate workflows.
Is a notarized parental-consent affidavit mandatory?
ICA's public visitor guidance does not publish a blanket requirement in that exact form. However, consent and custody documents are sensible when one parent is absent or a guardian is travelling with the child, and airline/transit-country rules may require them.
Should I carry the child's birth certificate?
It is a useful supporting document, especially where surnames differ, one parent is absent, or guardianship needs explaining. It is more accurate to describe it as prudent supporting evidence than as a universally published PNG tourist-entry requirement.
Does an infant need a passport?
Children should travel on their own valid travel document. Check the passport and visa requirements that apply to the child's nationality.
Do children need malaria medicine?
Malaria risk exists across much of PNG below 2,000 metres. A travel-medicine clinician should determine whether prophylaxis is appropriate and prescribe the correct medicine and dose for the child's age and weight.
When does a child need a yellow-fever certificate?
Travellers aged one year or older need a certificate when arriving from a country with yellow-fever transmission risk, including qualifying airport transits or layovers longer than 12 hours in a risk country.
Related VisaPNG guides
Prepare the family's full trip
Family entry preparation
Prepare one complete family file before airport day
Check each child's passport and immigration route, submit the family PNGDAC, keep consent or custody evidence where relevant, and review age-specific health requirements before departure.
Official and health sources
Primary references for child and family preparation
ICA — Dependent Family Members: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/dependent-family-members
ICA — Visitor Visa: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/visit/visitor
ICA — PNGDAC How-to Guides: https://ica.gov.pg/dac/png-digital-arrival-card-how-to-guides
ICSA — Mandatory PNGDAC Notice: https://ica.gov.pg/public-notices/2026/mandatory-completion-of-png-digital-arrival-card
ICSA — General FAQ: https://ica.gov.pg/faq
CDC — Papua New Guinea Traveler Health: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/Papua-New-Guinea
VisaPNG is an independent visa and travel-support website. It is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority, an airline, a border authority or a medical provider. Family-document requirements may also be imposed by your airline, departure country or transit country.