Visa classes and conditions

Papua New Guinea Entry Permits

Papua New Guinea's immigration system uses Entry Permits to define why a non-citizen may enter, how long they may stay, whether they may work, and what conditions continue after arrival. The familiar word “visa” is used throughout ICA's website and eVisa system, but the legal and administrative framework repeatedly refers to Entry Permits.

Compare permit classes Check permit conditions
  • Visitor, business and employment permissions are different
  • Study, specialist and dependent permits have separate rules
  • Extensions and status changes are class-specific
  • First use and long absence are governed by separate six-month rules

What “Entry Permit” means

The permit is the immigration authority to enter and remain under stated conditions

ICA uses Entry Permit terminology across its visa forms, extension processes, dependent rules, change-of-status guidance and re-entry policy. The permit is therefore more than a PDF approval: it is the immigration basis on which a non-citizen enters or remains in Papua New Guinea.

The exact conditions come from the permit class. A Visitor permit may allow tourism but forbid work; a Business permit covers commercial purposes; a Working Resident permit is tied to employment; a Student permit is tied to study; and specialist or dependent permits have their own evidence and conditions.

Do not assume every visa class has the same stay, extension or status-change rules. The correct policy comes from the Entry Permit class actually granted.

Permit map

PNG Entry Permits are organised by purpose, not by one universal tourist/business/work template

VVisitorHoliday, recreation and family visits. BBusinessSingle- and multiple-entry commercial routes. WEmploymentPaid work and sponsor-led residence. SStudentFull-time study at recognised institutions. XSpecialistSpecial Exemption, sport, film, entertainer and other classes. DDependentFamily members linked to a principal permit holder.

Visitor permits

Short-stay visitor permissions are built around genuine visitor activity

ICA's visitor framework covers holidays, sightseeing, recreation and visits to friends or relatives. Work is forbidden under the Visitor class.

Easy Visitor 30 days

ICA's live eVisa class currently provides a single-entry 30-day online visitor route for eligible passports, with no paid work and no extension of stay for that class.

Easy Visitor 60 days

ICA also publishes a separate 60-day online visitor class with its own eligible-passport list and conditions.

Visa on Arrival

Certain passports and passport types may obtain visitor or other eligible permission on arrival under ICA's current VOA framework, which is separate from eVisa eligibility.

Visitor permission does not authorise employment. Business, paid work, research, professional sport, filming and other regulated activity may require another class.

Business permits

Single-entry and multiple-entry business are different products

Do not represent every business permit as “12 months / 60 days per visit.”

Short-Term Single Entry

One business visit

ICA's business framework includes a single-entry class for short-term commercial purposes, with its own eligible passports, evidence and fees.

Short-Term Multiple Entry

Recurring commercial travel

ICA's multiple-entry class is designed for repeated business visits. ICA's current class rules distinguish this route from labour or employment and state that it is not available on arrival.

Business permission is not an employment permit. Where the activity becomes labour, employment or hands-on specialist work, check the appropriate work class.

Working Resident

Paid employment uses an employer-led Entry Permit route

ICA's modern Sponsor Portal merges the work-permit and Working Resident visa process into an employer-led online workflow. Paid employment therefore sits outside the ordinary Visitor and Business visitor framework.

Employment permits can be issued for longer periods and are linked to employer and work-permit conditions. ICA's Change of Status guidance also shows that some Working Resident holders may change employer or employer name in-country where the published conditions are met.

Employment permission is tied to the employment basis. A job offer alone does not convert a Visitor or Business permit into a Working Resident permit.

Student permit

Full-time study uses a dedicated Student Entry Permit

ICA requires people undertaking full-time studies at a recognised educational institution in Papua New Guinea to use the Student visa route rather than Visitor status.

Purpose

Full-time recognised study.

Evidence

Institutional and sponsorship documentation applies.

Extension

ICA publishes a dedicated Student Permit extension checklist.

Specialist Entry Permits

PNG has targeted classes for activities that do not fit ordinary tourism, business or standard employment

Special Exemption

Covers approved paid or unpaid activities such as certain foreign-official, diplomatic, aid, volunteer, missionary, research and teaching work.

Restricted Employment

Used for certain short-term specialist employment and technical skills under specific employment conditions.

Entertainer

Performance, commercial filmmaking and other entertainment activity use specialised classes rather than Visitor status.

Sportsperson

Professional sporting activity can require its own visitor/specialist class.

Non-commercial filmmaker

ICA separates qualifying non-commercial film activity from ordinary tourism.

Occupational trainee

Workplace-based training can use a targeted occupational training route.

Dependent Entry Permits

Family members do not simply inherit the principal applicant's permit

ICA states that dependent family members—including spouses, unmarried children under 18 and ageing parents—must make separate applications for Entry Permits.

Dependent conditions are linked to the principal permit. ICA says that when a principal Entry Permit ceases, the dependent Entry Permit generally ceases at the same time.

Each family member needs the correct immigration basis. A child studying abroad and returning only for breaks may need a Visitor Entry Permit rather than a dependent permit.

Universal permit logic

Five conditions matter across the Entry Permit framework

1

Purpose

Use the class that matches what you will actually do.

2

Stay

Remain only for the period authorised by the permit.

3

Entry count

Single-entry and multiple-entry permits have different travel effects.

4

Work rights

Visitor and business permissions do not automatically authorise employment.

5

Ongoing eligibility

Changes in sponsor, employment, marital status or other circumstances can affect the permit.

Extensions

Extension eligibility is class-specific

ICA says Entry Permit extension applications must be lodged well in advance of the current permit's expiry and can be granted only while the holder is physically in PNG. ICA also states that there is no grace period.

Visitor

ICA publishes a Visitor Permit extension checklist, while some specific visitor classes—such as the live 30-day Easy Visitor class—state no extension is allowed.

Business

ICA publishes a Business Permit extension checklist, but its current Business EXT 2 checklist marks Short-Term Single Entry and Short-Term Multiple Entry as not extendable in-country.

Working / Student / Specialist

ICA publishes dedicated extension checklists for Working Resident, Student, Entertainer and Special Exemption permits.

Do not use one universal extension statement across all permits. Read the class-specific rule and current checklist.

Change of Status

PNG allows limited in-country status changes, but not for every permit holder

ICA's current Change of Status framework allows certain dependent spouses, people whose marital status changes, Working Resident holders changing employer, and related defined categories to apply while in PNG.

ICA also states that persons outside its listed COS categories must leave PNG and apply for the appropriate Entry Permit from abroad. In its marital-status guidance, it specifically says short-term entrants such as visitors and business persons are not eligible for that COS process.

Do not publish “no in-country status conversion exists.” The accurate rule is that COS exists for limited categories and conditions.

Entry and re-entry

ICA uses two separate six-month rules

One governs first use; the other governs long absence.

First use

Enter PNG within six months of issue

ICA says an Entry Permit becomes invalid if the holder does not enter PNG within six months of the permit being issued.

Absence after use

Six months or more outside PNG

Existing Entry Permit holders other than Permanent Resident Entry Permit holders must make another Entry Permit application before returning after an absence of six months or more, with new health and character checks.

Permanent Resident Entry Permit holders are expressly excluded from ICA's general six-month absence policy.

Where Entry Permits matter at the border

ICA lists four designated international ports of entry

Jackson's International Airport

Port Moresby.

Daru

Designated international port.

Wutung (Vanimo)

PNG–Indonesia land-border crossing.

Kagamuga Airport

Mt Hagen.

ICA says visitors or businesspersons entering through other ports must already hold a valid Entry Permit.

Digital Arrival Card

PNGDAC is separate from the Entry Permit

ICA's 6 August 2026 notice makes the PNG Digital Arrival Card mandatory for PNG citizens, permanent residents and all foreign nationals.

The notice requires completion before boarding-pass issuance. ICA's homepage also says the card can be submitted online up to 72 hours before arrival.

PNGDAC does not grant permission to enter. It is a mandatory border-facilitation requirement used alongside the passport and the applicable visa or Entry Permit.

Common Entry Permit mistakes

Avoid turning one class rule into a rule for the entire system

Incorrect claim Better current wording
All Visitor permits are 30 or 60 days with the same conditions. ICA has several visitor routes with class-specific eligibility and conditions.
Every Business permit is 12 months / 60 days per visit. ICA has single-entry and multiple-entry business classes with different rules.
Every Business permit is extendable or every Business permit is non-extendable. Use the current class and Business EXT checklist; current short-term classes are marked not extendable in-country.
Working Resident always requires a separate paper work permit first. ICA's Sponsor Portal now merges the work-permit and Working Resident visa workflow.
All status changes are forbidden inside PNG. ICA permits limited in-country COS categories; others must leave and apply from abroad.
Every long-term permit automatically cancels after six months outside PNG. ICA's general six-month absence policy excludes Permanent Resident Entry Permit holders.
PNGDAC is the Entry Permit. PNGDAC is a separate mandatory border card.
Every immigration breach automatically causes permit cancellation, fines and deportation. Those powers and consequences exist in the wider framework, but actual outcomes depend on the breach and ICA action.

How to use the Entry Permit framework

Start with the activity, then check the class conditions

1

Define purpose

Tourism, business, employment, study or specialist activity.

2

Identify the class

Use ICA's current visa class that matches that purpose.

3

Check passport eligibility

Online, VOA and specialist lists can differ.

4

Check stay and entries

Single, multiple, 30-day, 60-day and longer permissions are class-specific.

5

Check work rights

Do not assume a visitor/business class authorises employment.

6

Check extension / COS

Read the class-specific ICA rule before relying on an in-country change.

7

Enter within the valid window

ICA's general rule requires first entry within six months of issue.

8

Complete PNGDAC

Before boarding-pass issuance.

Related policy guides

VVisa TypesCompare purpose-specific classes. ?Who Needs a VisaPassport and purpose guide. eeVisa Eligible CountriesOnline passport eligibility. EVisa ExtensionClass-based extension rules. !Prohibited ActivitiesWork and status limits. RImmigration RulesVisitor compliance framework.

Choose the permit from the real activity

Do not apply from the visa name alone

Check purpose, passport eligibility, stay length, work rights, extension conditions and whether any change of status can be made in-country before lodging.

Check visa route Compare visa types

Official references

Use the current ICA permit class and policy pages before applying

Entry Permit classes, extension conditions, status-change rules and application channels can change. VisaPNG is an independent planning resource and is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority.

ICA Immigration & Entry Permit Information: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/immigration-and-entry-permit-information ICA eVisa Classes: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/evisa/visaclass ICA Entry & Re-entry Requirements: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/entry-and-re-entry-requirements ICA Change of Status: https://ica.gov.pg/change-of-status/general-information ICA Designated Ports: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/designated-png-international-ports-of-entry ICA Dependent Family Members: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/dependent-family-members ICA Mandatory PNGDAC Notice: https://ica.gov.pg/public-notices/2026/mandatory-completion-of-png-digital-arrival-card VisaPNG Information Sources