Currency conversion
ICA quotes Migration Service Fees from a USD base. The portal displays the converted amount before payment.
Visa fees · online lodgement · receipts · VARN · failed payments
VisaPNG Payment Help | Receipts, Charges & Transaction Issues
A Papua New Guinea visa application is not submitted for processing until the required payment step is completed. This guide explains what the government fee actually consists of, what to look for on your receipt, how to recover from a failed payment, and when a refund may or may not be available.
Easy Visitor MSFNil
Online lodgementUS$50
ReferenceVARN
AmexNot permitted by ICA guidance
Government charges
Understand the difference between MSF and online lodgement
Papua New Guinea immigration payments can contain two different components: the Migration Service Fee (MSF) for the visa class and an Online Lodgment Service Fee (OLSF) when an application is registered through the electronic portal. The OLSF is currently listed as US$50.
| Visa route | Migration Service Fee | Online lodgement | Typical online total before conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Visitor Permit — 30 days | Nil | US$50 | US$50 equivalent |
| Easy Visitor Permit — 60 days | Nil | US$50 | US$50 equivalent |
| Business — Short-Term Single Entry | US$190 | US$50 | US$240 equivalent |
| Business — Short-Term Multiple Entry | US$350 | US$50 | US$400 equivalent |
| Restricted Employment Visa | US$350 | US$50 | US$400 equivalent |
Do not treat this table as a substitute for the portal total. ICA publishes fees in USD equivalents, but its own online materials have used different settlement currencies at different times. The payment screen shown immediately before you authorize the transaction is the amount that should control your payment decision.
Why the charge may look different
The base fee and the card-statement amount are not always identical
Card issuer fees
Your own bank may add a foreign-transaction or currency-conversion charge. That fee is set by the card issuer, not PNG Immigration.
Statement descriptor
ICA's payment-gateway terms say online visa payments may appear on a credit or debit card statement under the descriptor PNG Consulate General.
Card acceptance
Use a payment method supported by the live gateway
ICA's 2025 visa-information booklet states that payments can be made through the electronic gateway and that EFTPOS payments use credit card or Visa debit card. It expressly says American Express is not permitted.
The public ICA sources I reviewed do not clearly support the stronger claim that the portal “exclusively accepts Visa and Mastercard” in every channel. For that reason, this page does not hard-code Mastercard as the only other acceptable network.
If your card is rejected, first check what brands the live payment page displays and whether your bank allows international online transactions.
Failed transaction
Use this sequence before paying a second time
Do not click Pay again immediately
A slow gateway response does not necessarily mean the transaction failed. Repeated clicks create a risk of duplicate authorization attempts.
Check the card account
Look for a posted or pending payment. A pending authorization can exist even if the browser never reached a receipt page.
Check your email
The official eVisa process says a receipt email is sent after the visa fee is paid. Search inbox and spam folders before attempting another payment.
Sign back into the portal
Check whether the application now shows as submitted, in progress, paid or associated with a VARN.
Contact your bank if the card was declined
Ask whether the bank blocked an international or online transaction, whether 3-D Secure/OTP failed, or whether there is a card limit.
Only retry when status is clear
Make a second payment only after confirming that the first attempt did not register and did not create a usable receipt or application reference.
Common causes
Why a legitimate card can still fail
Bank security block
A bank may decline an unfamiliar overseas e-commerce payment even when the account has sufficient funds.
OTP authentication failure
ICA's payment guidance shows card authentication using one-time passwords. An incorrect, expired or undelivered OTP can stop payment.
Insufficient available balance
The converted transaction amount or your bank's own fees may leave the card with too little available credit or cash balance.
Expired or restricted card
Check expiry date, online-payment settings and international-payment restrictions before another attempt.
Browser/session expiry
A long-idle application session can expire before payment. Sign in again instead of relying on an old payment tab.
Gateway outage
ICA has experienced payment-gateway transition outages in the past. If the whole service appears unavailable, check ICA public notices before repeatedly retrying.
Receipt and VARN
Save the evidence that proves your application entered the system
ICA's eVisa page states that a receipt email is sent once the visa fee is paid. Its Sponsor Portal payment guide also shows that, after payment, a Visa Application Reference Number (VARN) is displayed and emailed to the registered address.
A VARN is the reference you should quote when contacting immigration about an application. Keep it together with the receipt, applicant name, passport number and visa class.
In ICA's employment-payment example, the confirmation email itself is described as a tax invoice and receipt.
Duplicate charge
If you see two payments, document them before disputing anything
Compare transaction status
Determine whether both entries are fully posted or whether one is only a temporary pending authorization.
Match the receipt
Check whether the portal produced one application/VARN or two distinct paid applications.
Keep screenshots
Save the portal status, receipts and card transactions before contacting ICA or your bank.
Avoid an immediate card chargeback while the immigration transaction is unresolved. First establish whether the payment was duplicated or merely authorized twice, and contact ICA when the payment is tied to an active visa application.
Refunds
“Non-refundable” depends on which fee you mean
Online Lodgment Service Fee
ICA's payment-gateway terms state that the US$50 OLSF is non-refundable.
Unsuccessful application
ICA's current visa-information booklet says the visa fee is not refundable if the visa application is unsuccessful.
Limited MSF refund cases
The payment-gateway disclaimer separately says a Migration Service Fee may be refunded in very limited circumstances and that requests must be made to ICA.
The safest wording is therefore: do not expect a refund simply because a visa is refused or travel plans change. The online-lodgement fee is expressly non-refundable; an MSF refund exists only in limited circumstances under ICA's own gateway terms.
When the payment amount surprises you
Stop before authorizing if the visa class or total looks wrong
Do not pay first and try to correct the visa class later. If the portal is showing a Business, Restricted Employment or other category that you did not intend to apply for, return to the application summary and verify your selections.
Fees can be substantially different between routes. For example, the current fee schedule distinguishes an Easy Visitor online lodgement from Business Short-Term Single Entry and Multiple Entry applications.
If the amount still does not match the published visa category, contact ICA before finalising payment.
Safe troubleshooting
What VisaPNG should and should not ask for
Error wording
Share the exact error message, visa class and general payment stage when asking for troubleshooting help.
Full card data
Never send a full card number, CVV/CVC, online-banking password, PIN or one-time password to VisaPNG or through a support message.
Receipt screenshots
If sharing a screenshot for technical help, redact card numbers, home address, passport number and any security code.
Payment help FAQ
Common payment and receipt questions
Is the Easy Visitor eVisa government fee US$50?
The current ICA fee schedule lists the Migration Service Fee for Easy Visitor 30-day and 60-day permits as nil. Online applications are generally charged the US$50 Online Lodgment Service Fee, which is why the online amount is commonly US$50 equivalent.
How much is the Business Short-Term Multiple Entry application?
The current schedule lists a US$350 Migration Service Fee. If lodged through the online eVisa portal, the US$50 online lodgement fee is additional, making the base online fee US$400 equivalent before any card-issuer charges or conversion.
Can I pay with American Express?
ICA's visa-information booklet says American Express transactions are not permitted.
Does ICA accept Mastercard?
The current public sources reviewed for this page do not clearly state a universal “Visa and Mastercard only” rule across every payment channel. Use the card brands displayed by the live official gateway.
What is my VARN?
It is your Visa Application Reference Number. ICA guidance shows that it is displayed after payment and emailed to the registered address for relevant applications.
I paid but did not see a receipt. Should I pay again?
Not immediately. Check the card account, email inbox/spam and official application portal first. Retry only when you have confirmed the original transaction did not register.
Are visa payments refundable?
The online lodgement fee is expressly non-refundable. ICA also says unsuccessful visa applications do not receive a fee refund. Its payment-gateway terms allow an MSF refund only in very limited circumstances.
Why is the amount on my card different from the USD fee?
The ICA fee is based on USD equivalents but the gateway can convert it for settlement. Your bank may also apply its own currency-conversion or foreign-transaction charge.
Related VisaPNG help
Continue your application safely
Payment problem?
Confirm whether the transaction registered before trying again
Check the official portal, your receipt email, VARN and card account first. If you still have an error, record the exact message and contact ICA or your card provider without sharing passwords, CVV codes or one-time authentication codes.
Official sources
Payment guidance used for this page
ICA — Migration Service Fees: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/migration-service-fees
ICA eVisa — Payment Gateway & Refund Terms: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/global/disclaimer
ICA eVisa — Visa Classes & Submission Process: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/evisa/visaclass
ICA — Visitor Visa: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/visit/visitor
ICA — Business Visa: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/conduct-business/business
ICA — Online Services: https://ica.gov.pg/
VisaPNG is an independent visa and travel-support website. It is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority, a payment processor or a bank. Always authorize payment only on an official ICA payment screen and rely on the amount displayed there before submitting your card details.