Holiday visitor route

Papua New Guinea Tourist e-Visa

For a holiday, sightseeing trip, cultural visit or time with friends and relatives, Papua New Guinea normally uses the visitor-visa framework rather than a separate visa labelled only “tourist.” The main online options are Easy Visitor Permit classes, and the correct class depends on your passport and intended stay.

Compare tourist options Check eligibility
  • Designed for genuine holidays and temporary visits
  • Easy Visitor Permit classes are single entry
  • 30-day and 60-day classes are not identical
  • Paid employment is not permitted on Easy Visitor Permits

What counts as a tourist visit?

Tourism sits inside PNG's broader Visitor Visa category

ICA says the Visitor Visa is for individuals and groups entering Papua New Guinea for holidays, sightseeing, social or recreational reasons, or to visit relatives and friends.

The applicant must be a genuine visitor and intend to leave Papua New Guinea at the end of the permitted stay. Depending on the circumstances, ICA can ask for evidence supporting the application.

Tourist status does not authorise paid employment. If the trip involves paid work, contracted technical activity, journalism, commercial filming or another specialist purpose, check the relevant visa category instead.

Easy Visitor Permit options

Tourists can fall into different visitor classes

The stay period is determined by the class you qualify for, not by a generic tourist-visa label.

Visitor route

30-day Easy Visitor Permit

ICA's eVisa system lists a 30-day visitor class for eligible passports. It is single entry and intended for genuine temporary visits.

  • Single entry
  • 30-day stay from arrival
  • No paid employment
  • No extension for this class
  • Online lodgement fee applies
Visitor route

60-day Easy Visitor Permit

ICA also lists a separate 60-day Easy Visitor Permit for eligible passport holders. Its eligibility and extension conditions differ from the 30-day class.

  • Single entry
  • 60-day visitor route
  • Eligibility limited to listed passports
  • No paid employment
  • Check the current class-specific extension rule

Eligibility

Do not assume every tourist must obtain the same eVisa before travel

ICA still operates Visa on Arrival for a defined list of countries and territories, while other travellers use an electronic or paper visitor-visa route. VOA eligibility can also depend on passport type.

Easy Visitor Permit

Eligible passport holders can use the eVisa system for the visitor class made available to them.

Visa on Arrival

VOA is available only to passports and passport types on ICA's current list. It should not be treated as a universal fallback.

Paper / alternative route

ICA's Visitor Visa page says travellers who are not eligible for the applicable VOA/electronic route may need to lodge using the available paper process or another instructed channel.

Visa on Arrival vs eVisa

These are separate eligibility questions

ICA's current VOA list includes countries such as Canada, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Solomon Islands, the United Kingdom and several Pacific territories. Some entries are restricted to particular passport types.

ICA also expressly notes that mainland New Zealand, France and the United States are not currently eligible for VOA. That does not mean those passports are necessarily excluded from an Easy Visitor Permit route.

Visa on Arrival guide eVisa eligibility Nationality requirements

Pre-application checklist

Prepare what the actual visitor class asks for

A good tourist application starts with a passport that meets the entry rule, a clear biodata-page copy and travel information that makes sense for a temporary visit.

Passport

  • Use the passport you will travel with
  • At least six months validity from intended entry
  • Clear biodata-page copy
  • Passport number and identity details readable

Travel plan

  • Intended arrival date
  • Expected length of stay
  • Accommodation or host details where requested
  • Onward or return evidence if ICA requests it

Visitor purpose

  • Genuine tourism or social visit
  • Intention to leave after the stay
  • No paid employment
  • Supporting evidence available if requested
Use six months from intended entry, not departure. ICA's current visitor guidance uses the entry point as the relevant passport-validity reference.

Return ticket and accommodation

Keep travel evidence ready without pretending every file is universally mandatory

ICA can request evidence that you are a genuine visitor and intend to leave Papua New Guinea at the end of your stay. That can include travel or accommodation evidence depending on the case.

Avoid stating that every applicant must upload a fully paid return ticket and hotel receipt in exactly the same way. Follow the live requirements of the visitor class shown in the application.

Do not create fake bookings. If the live form asks for evidence you do not yet have, resolve the actual requirement rather than fabricating an itinerary or accommodation record.

File preparation

Readable files matter more than invented portal restrictions

Prepare clean digital copies with the full document visible and text readable. Use simple filenames that help you recognise each file, especially when applying for more than one traveller.

No universal filename ban

Current public ICA guidance reviewed for this page does not establish a blanket rule banning spaces, hyphens or apostrophes in every tourist-visa filename.

No universal 500 KB / 2 MB rule

Follow any file-size restriction shown by the live upload field instead of relying on an old generic limit.

Legibility first

A smaller file is not useful if the passport number, photograph or supporting text becomes unreadable.

Stay and re-entry

Easy Visitor Permits are single-entry permissions

If you leave PNG during the trip, do not assume the same single-entry permit can be used again for a later return.

30-day class Single entry and 30-day stay from arrival.
60-day class Single-entry visitor route for eligible passport holders.
Side trip Leaving PNG can end the use of a single-entry permit; check the return route before booking.
Purpose Visitor status remains for tourism/social travel, not paid work.

Extensions

Do not apply the 30-day no-extension rule to every visitor visa

ICA's 30-day Easy Visitor Permit class does not allow an extension of stay. However, ICA's broader Visitor Visa guidance says extension eligibility can vary according to the visa type and the traveller's circumstances.

If your travel plans change, check the class printed on your approval before assuming either that an extension is possible or that it is prohibited.

eVisa extension Visa extension rules Overstaying guidance

Application workflow

Apply in a way that matches the live ICA process

1

Check the visa route

Confirm whether your passport uses an Easy Visitor Permit, another visitor application route or current VOA eligibility.

2

Prepare the passport and travel evidence

Gather the biodata page and any supporting information the live visitor class requests.

3

Complete the form accurately

Use the printed passport biodata fields as the primary reference and follow the portal's date and name fields.

4

Review the live fee

Check the amount displayed by ICA before payment rather than relying on an old static figure.

5

Pay and lodge

Complete the payment/submission flow and keep the official receipt and reference.

6

Wait for the decision

Some visitor applications may be automatically granted, while others can require further consideration.

7

Verify the approval

Compare the grant details with the passport before treating the application as finished.

8

Prepare for arrival

Complete PNGDAC and keep travel documents accessible for airline and border checks.

Fees

Do not describe the tourist eVisa as simply “US$50”

ICA's eVisa class pages distinguish the Migration Service Fee from the online lodgement fee. Some Easy Visitor Permit classes currently have no MSF but still attract an online lodgement fee, and ICA converts relevant USD-equivalent visa fees into PNG Kina before finalisation.

Class fee

The Migration Service Fee depends on the visa class and may be zero for some Easy Visitor Permit categories.

Online lodgement

An online lodgement fee can still apply even where the visa class itself has no MSF.

Final payable amount

Use the amount shown by the live ICA system before entering payment details.

Card and payment preparation

Avoid adding unsupported card-brand or direct-USD rules

The draft's “Visa or Mastercard only” and “all charges are billed directly in USD” claims are too rigid. ICA's current online materials say USD-equivalent visa fees are converted into PNG Kina before the application is finalised.

Use the current payment screen, make sure your card can complete the transaction shown, and retain the receipt afterward.

Pay visa fee Submit application Payment help

After approval

Save the original decision and verify it before travel

ICA's eVisa workflow can issue an Authority to Travel for automatically granted applications. Check the passport number, name, visa class and stay conditions against the passport you will use for the trip.

Keep the original digital approval available offline and carry a printed backup if useful. Current public ICA material does not support a universal claim that only a physical colour copy is accepted at airline check-in or PNG border control.

Do not edit a government-issued PDF. If the approval contains a material error, raise it with ICA instead of changing the document yourself.

PNGDAC and arrival

Complete the PNG Digital Arrival Card before boarding-pass issuance

ICA's 6 August 2026 directive makes the PNG Digital Arrival Card mandatory for all persons travelling to Papua New Guinea and requires completion before a boarding pass is issued.

PNGDAC

Complete the digital arrival process before check-in according to the current ICA instructions.

Passport and visa evidence

Keep both accessible throughout airline check-in and immigration processing.

Customs and biosecurity

Declare controlled food, plant, animal and other goods honestly through the applicable arrival/declaration process.

Printed copy

A clear printout can help when a phone battery fails, mobile data is unavailable or an airline agent wants an easy-to-read copy. Keep the original digital file too.

Current public ICA guidance reviewed for this page does not establish that digital copies on smartphones are never recognised, or that every tourist must present a colour printout.

Print eVisa Receive eVisa decision Travel with eVisa

Common tourist-visa mistakes

Avoid carrying visitor myths into the application

Mistake Better approach
Assuming every tourist must obtain an eVisa before travel Check current VOA eligibility and the Easy Visitor Permit route for the exact passport.
Counting six months from departure Use ICA's passport-validity rule from intended entry.
Publishing one universal 30- or 60-day rule Check the actual Easy Visitor Permit class and passport eligibility.
Calling all visitor permits non-extendable The 30-day class is non-extendable, while broader visitor extension rules vary by visa type and circumstances.
Inventing filename and file-size restrictions Follow the live upload controls shown by ICA.
Calling the tourist visa simply “US$50” Separate the Migration Service Fee from the online lodgement fee and use the live total.
Claiming a printed colour approval is mandatory Carry a paper backup, but do not present an unsupported hard-copy-only rule.

Related holiday-visa guides

Visitor Visa Broader temporary-visit rules for tourists and social visitors. Easy Visitor Permit Detailed 30-day and 60-day class guidance. eVisa eligibility Check which visitor class your passport can use. Visa fees Understand MSF, online lodgement and the live payable total. How to apply Follow the application from eligibility through approval. Before you travel Prepare flights, accommodation, entry documents and arrival logistics.

Planning a holiday?

Check the exact visitor route before paying

Confirm whether your passport uses the 30-day or 60-day Easy Visitor Permit, another visitor application route, or current Visa on Arrival before you prepare documents or lodge an application.

Check tourist eligibility Pre-application checklist

Official references

Use current ICA visitor rules before travel

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

ICA Visitor Visa: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/visit/visitor ICA Visit categories: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/visit ICA eVisa classes: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/evisa/visaclass ICA Visa on Arrival: https://ica.gov.pg/visa-information/visa-on-arrival ICA mandatory PNGDAC notice: https://ica.gov.pg/public-notices/2026/mandatory-completion-of-png-digital-arrival-card VisaPNG information sources