PNG holiday and social-visit eVisa

PNG Easy Visitor Permit

Papua New Guinea's Easy Visitor Permit is the main online visitor route for eligible passport holders travelling for holidays, sightseeing, recreation or visits to friends and relatives. The 30-day and 60-day classes look similar, but they have different passport eligibility and extension rules.

Compare 30 vs 60 days Check eligible passports
  • 30-day and 60-day classes are separate visas
  • Both classes are single entry
  • No paid employment
  • US$50 online lodgement fee; no Migration Service Fee

What this permit is for

Use the Easy Visitor Permit for genuine temporary visits

ICA's live eVisa system describes both Easy Visitor Permit classes as visitor visas for holidays, sightseeing, social or recreational reasons, and visits to relatives and friends.

Both classes expressly prohibit paid work. A short stay does not make employment, contracted labour or technical work permissible under a visitor permit.

Tourism and work are different immigration purposes. If you will perform paid work, business activity, journalism or specialist duties, use the visa class that permits that activity.

30 days vs 60 days

The two Easy Visitor Permit classes are not interchangeable

The main differences are passport eligibility, stay period and extension treatment.

Easy Visitor Permit

30-Day Route

ICA currently lists the 30-day class as an online-only visitor visa for eligible passport holders. It is valid for a single entry and a 30-day stay from arrival.

  • Single entry
  • 30 days from arrival
  • No paid work
  • No Migration Service Fee
  • US$50 online lodgement fee
  • No extension of stay
Easy Visitor Permit

60-Day Route

ICA currently lists the 60-day class for eligible passport holders and describes it as a single-entry visa allowing a 60-day stay from arrival.

  • Single entry
  • 60 days from arrival
  • No paid work
  • No Migration Service Fee
  • US$50 online lodgement fee
  • Extension may be possible in limited situations

Eligible passports

ICA uses different passport lists for the 30-day and 60-day classes

Do not assume the class is assigned purely by a simple “EU / non-EU” or “high-tier passport” rule. ICA publishes specific eligible-passport lists.

30-day examples

ICA's current 30-day list includes Australia, India, Russian Federation, Vietnam and other countries. Some passports on this list are marked as also eligible for the 60-day class.

60-day examples

ICA's current 60-day list includes Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and many other listed passports.

Eligibility can overlap

Some passports qualify for both classes. Do not assume a passport on the 30-day list is automatically restricted to 30 days if ICA also marks it eligible for 60 days.

Australia and United States

Both passports need class-specific checking

Australia appears on ICA's current 30-day Easy Visitor Permit list. The United States appears on the current 60-day Easy Visitor Permit list, and ICA's 30-day table also marks the United States with an asterisk indicating that holders may apply for the 60-day class.

Use the live portal class options shown for the passport you actually hold instead of relying on an old bilateral-agreement summary.

Application requirements

The current ICA core checklist is simpler than many third-party guides suggest

ICA's live eVisa class instructions currently tell Easy Visitor Permit applicants to complete the online application, pay the online lodgement fee and provide a copy of the passport biodata page.

Passport

  • Use the passport you will travel with
  • Meet current PNG passport-validity rules
  • Provide a clear biodata-page copy
  • Check name and passport number before submission

Application

  • Complete the online form
  • Select the correct Easy Visitor Permit class
  • Review travel dates
  • Keep the application reference

Supporting travel evidence

  • Keep return/onward travel evidence available
  • Keep accommodation or host information available
  • Provide extra evidence if ICA asks for it
  • Keep submitted copies for your records

Passport validity

Do not calculate six months from your planned departure from PNG

Current ICA visitor guidance uses the intended entry/travel point as the relevant reference for passport validity, rather than a blanket six-month-from-exit rule.

The current Easy Visitor Permit class text itself focuses on a valid passport biodata page. Check ICA's current general entry guidance before travel because passport-validity rules can change independently of the eVisa application form.

Do not add a universal two-blank-page requirement without current ICA support. The live Easy Visitor Permit instructions reviewed for this page do not list two blank pages as a class-specific application requirement.

File preparation

Avoid inventing technical upload rules

Use clear digital documents and sensible filenames, but current public ICA Easy Visitor Permit guidance does not support a universal rule banning spaces, hyphens or symbols, nor blanket 500 KB and 2 MB limits for every upload.

Readable passport

The whole biodata page should be visible and the passport number, name and expiry date should remain legible.

Live portal limits

If the current upload field displays a format or size restriction, follow that live requirement.

Simple filenames

Clear filenames are useful for your own organisation, but do not present underscores as an immigration rule unless ICA actually requires them.

Application workflow

The Easy Visitor Permit is an online application route

1

Check the passport list

Confirm whether the 30-day class, 60-day class or another visitor route is available.

2

Complete the online application

Enter the applicant details using the passport as the primary reference.

3

Upload the passport biodata page

ICA's current Easy Visitor Permit checklist specifically requires this core document.

4

Pay the online lodgement fee

Review the total shown by ICA before authorising payment.

5

Keep the receipt and reference

Save the transaction and application records in case follow-up is needed.

6

Wait for the decision

Do not treat payment confirmation as permission to travel.

7

Verify the grant

Check passport details, class and stay period against the intended trip.

8

Prepare for arrival

Complete the current PNG arrival requirements and keep the approval accessible.

Fee structure

No MSF, but online lodgement attracts US$50

ICA's live eVisa text currently states the same basic fee structure for both Easy Visitor Permit classes.

US$0 MSF No Migration Service Fee for the Easy Visitor Permit.
US$50 Online lodgement fee for applications submitted via the eVisa portal.
PGK conversion ICA says relevant fees are converted into Papua New Guinean Kina before finalisation.
Live total The portal provides the amount payable before payment details are entered.
Do not describe the permit as simply “a US$50 visa.” The class itself has no MSF; the US$50 is the online lodgement fee.

Payment

Do not publish USD-only or card-brand-only rules without current support

ICA's live class text says the online fee is expressed in US dollars and converted into PNG Kina before application finalisation.

Check the portal total

Use the amount presented by ICA at checkout.

Use the payment options offered

Do not assume Visa and Mastercard are the only accepted methods unless the current checkout says so.

Save proof of payment

Keep the receipt with the application reference and approval records.

Single entry

Leaving PNG ends the use of a single-entry permit

Both Easy Visitor Permit classes are single-entry visas. Once the holder has used the permit to enter PNG and later departs, the same single-entry permission should not be treated as reusable for a second arrival.

If your itinerary includes a side trip to Australia, Solomon Islands or another country and then a return to PNG, check the immigration permission required for that second PNG entry before booking the side trip.

Single entry is not the same as “visa instantly void the moment you board an outbound aircraft.” The practical rule is that the used single-entry permit does not authorise another entry after departure.

Extensions

The 30-day and 60-day permits have different extension rules

This is one of the most important distinctions between the two classes.

30-Day Permit

No extension

ICA's current live class text expressly states that an extension of stay is not permitted.

60-Day Permit

Limited extension possibility

ICA's current live class text says that in limited situations an extension may be permitted and directs applicants to contact ICA about individual eligibility.

Do not publish “Easy Visitor Permit is always non-extendable.” That is correct for the 30-day class, but not for the current 60-day class in all circumstances.

No paid work

Do not use a visitor permit as a route into employment

ICA expressly prohibits paid work on both Easy Visitor Permit classes.

Business meetings

If the visit is for genuine commercial meetings or negotiations, review the Business Visa route instead of assuming visitor status is suitable.

Technical assignment

Paid hands-on work can require Restricted Employment or Working Resident permission.

Long-term employment

Use the employment pathway before travel rather than expecting the visitor permit to convert automatically inside PNG.

After approval

Verify the grant before you build the trip around it

Check the traveller's name, passport number, Easy Visitor Permit class, entry conditions and permitted stay against the passport and itinerary.

Keep the original approval available offline. A printed backup can be useful, but current public ICA material reviewed for this page does not support a universal rule that a colour paper copy is the only form airlines or border officials will accept.

Verify eVisa decision Print a travel copy Travel with eVisa

Arrival preparation

Complete the current arrival requirements separately from the visa

Visa approval

  • Keep the decision accessible
  • Check passport details
  • Know the permitted stay
  • Know whether the trip involves a second PNG entry

PNGDAC

  • Complete the current Digital Arrival Card requirement
  • Use the official ICA arrival-card process
  • Keep confirmation accessible
  • PNGDAC does not replace the visa

Travel evidence

  • Onward / return itinerary
  • Accommodation or host details
  • Visitor-purpose evidence if requested
  • Customs / biosecurity declarations

Common Easy Visitor Permit mistakes

Most errors come from treating both classes as the same visa

Mistake Better approach
Assuming every passport is automatically assigned 30 or 60 days by a broad nationality tier Use ICA's live eligible-passport lists for the exact class.
Calling both permits non-extendable 30-day is non-extendable; 60-day may be extendable in limited situations.
Counting passport validity from departure Use current ICA entry-validity guidance rather than a six-month-from-exit formula.
Adding mandatory hotel and return-ticket uploads to every application The current core Easy Visitor Permit checklist specifically requires the passport biodata page; extra evidence can still be requested.
Inventing filename and file-size restrictions Follow the live portal upload controls.
Calling the visa fee US$50 The MSF is zero; the US$50 is the online lodgement fee.
Calling payment USD-only ICA converts the USD-equivalent fee into PNG Kina before finalisation.
Claiming colour printing is universally mandatory Carry a print backup without presenting an unsupported hard-copy-only rule.

Related visitor guides

Visitor Visa Broader temporary-visitor rules and eligibility. Tourist Visa Holiday-focused visitor planning. Eligible countries Review passport eligibility for online visitor routes. Length of stay Understand 30-day and 60-day stay limits. eVisa fees Separate the visa MSF from online lodgement charges. How to apply Move from eligibility through application and approval.

Need the 30-day or 60-day route?

Check the passport before starting the application

The Easy Visitor Permit class is determined by the current ICA eligibility list, and some passports can appear in both routes. Confirm the class before paying or building an itinerary around a stay length.

Check visitor eligibility Pre-application checklist

Official references

Use the live ICA class before lodging

Passport eligibility, fees and extension rules can change. VisaPNG is an independent planning resource and is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority.

ICA Easy Visitor Permit classes: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/evisa/visaclass ICA Visitor Visa: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/visit/visitor ICA Visa on Arrival: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/visa-on-arrival ICA PNG Digital Arrival Card: https://ica.gov.pg/dac/png-digital-arrival-card VisaPNG information sources