Find the correct visa class
Search the ICA visa classes using your nationality and purpose of travel. Confirm whether the class is online and review the exact required documents before starting.
Choose the class, register, upload, pay and wait for ICA's decision
How to Apply for a Papua New Guinea eVisa | Step-by-Step
Papua New Guinea's online eVisa process is managed by the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA). The current official workflow is straightforward: identify the correct visa class and its requirements, register with an email address, complete the application, upload the documents required for that class, pay the applicable fee, and receive your receipt and decision by email.
1. Choose classCheck eligibility and documents first.
2. RegisterUse a working email address.
3. Upload & payClass-specific evidence and fee.
4. Watch emailReceipt, authority to travel or decision.
Official ICA workflow
The online application has four main stages
Search visa type & requirements
Register & enter application
Upload documents & pay
Receive confirmation / decision
Start with the visa class:
the documents, fee, stay period, extension rules and even whether the application can be lodged online depend on the exact visa category.
Step-by-step
How to complete the PNG eVisa application
Register your email
ICA's workflow states that applicants register by providing an email address and confirming that it is correct. Use an address you actively monitor.
Enter the application details
Complete the personal, passport, travel and declaration fields required by the selected class. Compare important identity details directly with the passport before moving on.
Upload the required evidence
Upload only the documents required by that visa class or requested by ICA. Requirements differ significantly between visitor, business, employment, entertainer and other classes.
Review the fee and pay
Once the application details and uploads are complete, review the fee shown by the portal. ICA states that payment must be completed before the application is automatically submitted.
Check your email
ICA sends a receipt email after payment. Automatically granted applications receive an authority-to-travel email; applications needing further consideration receive the final decision later by email.
Documents before you apply
There is no single universal document pack for every PNG eVisa
The safest way to prepare is to open the exact ICA visa class first. The live portal tells applicants which documents are needed before the application can be lodged.
Passport biodata page
The current Easy Visitor Permit 30 Day instructions require a copy of the valid passport biodata page.
Corporate evidence
Business classes can require the passport biodata page, PNG invitation letter, employer sponsorship evidence, return travel and other class-specific documents.
More extensive evidence
Work, restricted employment, official and specialist classes may require sponsor, medical, character, employment or institutional documents.
Correction to the supplied draft:
current ICA public guidance does not establish that every eVisa applicant must upload a passport-style photo, three months of bank statements, confirmed hotel bookings and a fully paid return ticket.
Passport preparation
Check validity and copy identity details carefully
Six-month validity
ICA's current FAQ says the passport must be valid for at least six months from the intended date of entry.
Use the passport you will travel with
Keep the application identity aligned with the physical travel document.
Check names carefully
Enter names according to the passport and the live form fields rather than using nicknames or shortened versions.
Check passport number
Compare every character and watch for similar-looking numbers and letters.
Keep biodata copy readable
Avoid glare, blur or crops that make passport details difficult to inspect.
Do not invent MRZ rules
The current public ICA guidance reviewed here does not state that every accented name must always be replaced by the MRZ transliteration.
Registration
Use an email account you can access throughout the application
ICA's workflow specifically asks applicants to register by providing an email address and confirming that it is correct.
That email matters after payment because ICA uses email for the receipt and for either the authority-to-travel document or the later final decision.
Good practice:
check the spelling of the email twice and monitor spam or junk folders after lodgement.
Completing the form
Treat consistency as a quality-control task
Personal details
Check spelling, date of birth and nationality against the passport.
Passport details
Recheck passport number and expiry date before moving to payment.
Travel purpose
Choose the visa class that matches what you will actually do in PNG.
Travel dates
Keep the intended stay compatible with the class's permitted stay period.
Health / character questions
Answer truthfully and provide further evidence if ICA requires it.
Previous immigration history
Disclose previous refusals, deportations or other matters where the form asks.
Upload rules
Use the live upload field—not a recycled universal file specification
File format
Use the format accepted by the current portal field.
File size
Follow the size limit displayed by the live application if one is shown.
Image clarity
Keep passport and supporting-document text readable.
Do not overcompress
A technically small file is not useful if ICA cannot read it.
Class-specific uploads
Do not fill slots with irrelevant documents just because another visa website lists them.
ICA requests
If ICA later asks for additional evidence, respond with the specific document requested.
Payment and submission
Payment is the step that triggers automatic submission
ICA's portal workflow states that after the details and required documents are complete, the visa fee must be paid before the application is automatically submitted.
The 30-day Easy Visitor Permit currently has no Migration Service Fee, but applications lodged through the eVisa portal attract a US$50 online lodgement fee. Other visa classes can carry a separate Migration Service Fee in addition to the online fee.
Always check the total shown by the portal:
fees differ by class and ICA displays the amount before payment.
Receipt and decision
Do not confuse the payment receipt with visa approval
ICA separates the two events. The receipt email confirms the fee payment. Approval is confirmed by the authority-to-travel document or a later final-decision email.
Keep both records. A successful payment does not by itself prove that the Entry Permit has been granted.
Processing time
Do not promise a universal 48–72 hour decision
The current official eVisa workflow reviewed for this guide does not publish one universal processing time for every class. Some applications may be automatically granted, while others require further consideration.
Automatic grant
ICA states that an authority-to-travel document is emailed where the application is automatically granted.
Further consideration
Other applications require manual or additional assessment before the final decision is issued.
Apply with time to spare
Because processing depends on the visa class and individual file, avoid making travel plans around an unofficial guaranteed turnaround time.
After approval
Check the authority-to-travel document before departure
Name
Check that the approved identity corresponds to the passport you will use.
Passport details
Review the passport information shown on the approval where applicable.
Visa class
Confirm that the granted class matches the intended purpose of travel.
Stay conditions
Check validity, single/multiple entry and permitted stay.
Keep accessible
Carry an accessible copy of the approval for airline or border checks.
Do not invent a paper-only rule
The current official sources reviewed here do not say that smartphone copies are universally rejected or that a colour printout is mandatory in every case.
Digital Arrival Card
PNGDAC is a separate mandatory pre-arrival requirement
ICA's public notice dated 6 August 2026 makes the Papua New Guinea Digital Arrival Card mandatory for PNG citizens, permanent residents and all foreign nationals travelling to PNG.
The notice instructs airlines and check-in personnel to ensure travellers complete the Digital Arrival Card before a boarding pass is issued.
Timing note:
ICA's homepage says travellers can submit the Digital Arrival Card online up to 72 hours before arrival. That is different from saying it must be completed “within 72 hours before departure.”
Easy Visitor Permit example
What ICA currently asks for on the 30-day visitor route
| Item | Current Easy Visitor Permit 30 Day position |
|---|---|
| Application route | Online only |
| Migration Service Fee | No MSF |
| Online lodgement fee | US$50 |
| Core supporting document stated by ICA | Copy of valid passport biodata page |
| Entry profile | Single entry |
| Stay period | 30 days from arrival |
| Paid work | Prohibited |
| Extension | Not permitted |
Application misinformation to avoid
Do not present unofficial workflow advice as ICA policy
“Every file must be under 10 MB”
No universal eVisa-wide limit is established in the current public material reviewed. Use the live upload field.
“Every applicant needs a white-background photo”
Not a universal requirement stated for every visa class. Follow the selected class.
“Three months of bank statements are mandatory”
Not for every visitor application. Financial evidence may be class-specific or requested depending on circumstances.
“A fully paid return ticket is always mandatory”
ICA says return-travel evidence may be requested in some circumstances; certain classes specifically list it.
“Names must always use MRZ transliteration”
The public ICA eVisa guidance reviewed here does not publish this as a universal rule.
“Approval always takes 48–72 hours”
ICA distinguishes automatic grants from applications requiring further consideration; do not promise a fixed universal processing window.
“Only Visa or Mastercard can be used”
Use the payment options actually presented by the live gateway rather than inventing a universal brand list.
“You must print a colour copy because phones are never accepted”
Carry your approval accessibly, but current official sources reviewed here do not publish that universal paper-only rule.
“PNGDAC is within 72 hours before departure”
ICA's homepage says up to 72 hours before arrival; the mandatory notice says complete it before boarding-pass issuance.
Final pre-lodgement check
Review the application before payment triggers submission
Correct visa class
Purpose, eligibility and stay period all match your trip.
Passport valid
At least six months from intended entry.
Identity details checked
Name, nationality, passport number and expiry date are accurate.
Required evidence attached
Use the live class checklist rather than a generic pack.
Email correct
You can receive the receipt and ICA decision messages.
Fee reviewed
Confirm the final amount before authorising payment.
PNG eVisa application FAQ
Common application questions
What is the first step?
ICA's online workflow starts with searching for the visa type required and confirming the eligibility and document requirements.
Do I need an account?
ICA's workflow says applicants register by providing an email address and confirming it before entering the required application details.
When is the application actually submitted?
ICA states that once the details and required documents are complete, the fee must be paid before the application is automatically submitted.
What happens after payment?
ICA sends a receipt email. Automatically granted applications receive an authority-to-travel email. Applications needing further assessment receive a later final decision.
Do all PNG eVisas require the same documents?
No. Documents vary by visa class. Check the live class requirements before preparing the file.
When should I complete PNGDAC?
ICA makes PNGDAC mandatory before boarding-pass issuance, and its homepage says the card can be submitted online up to 72 hours before arrival.
Related eVisa guides
Prepare each stage of the application
eVisa RequirementsDocuments and eligibility.
Passport RequirementsValidity and biodata evidence.
Photo RequirementsPrepare a clear applicant image if requested.
eVisa PaymentFees, receipts and payment checks.
eVisa StatusFollow the application after lodgement.
eVisa RejectionProblems and next steps.
Start with the correct visa class
A clean application is one that follows the live ICA requirements
Avoid adding unnecessary documents or following old third-party checklists. Confirm the class, copy your passport details carefully, upload what ICA actually requests, review the fee and keep the receipt and decision emails.
Official-reference policy
The live ICA class is the final application checklist
VisaPNG is an independent information and visa-support website and is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Authority. Eligibility, required evidence, fees and portal fields can change by visa class.
PNG ICA — Live eVisa Classes & Application Workflow: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/evisa/visaclass
PNG ICA — Official Website: https://ica.gov.pg/
PNG ICA — General FAQ: https://ica.gov.pg/faq
PNG ICA — Mandatory PNGDAC Notice: https://ica.gov.pg/public-notices/2026/mandatory-completion-of-png-digital-arrival-card