How to travel legally from Bougainville to Solomon Islands

Over the years there have beeen posts asking how to do this.
It is fairly simple to cross with locals in an outboard boat (sometimes referred to as a banana boat), from Bougainville to either Choiseul or the Shortland Islands. However in the last couple of months, two foreigners have been arrested in separate incidents in Choiseul after making the crossing without border clearance. Someone who made the crossing legally to Shortlands recently has passed on this advice about where to acquire the right paperwork for both Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
aAcquire a letter of approval from Papua New Guinea immigration and citizenship service authority. Contact Sylvester Vakore, Officer In-Charge PNG Immigration, Bougainville Office on +675 7009 8883 or email svakore@immigration.gov.pg to arrange. Ensure you allow plenty of time to receive this letter, at least 4-weeks is highly recommended.
Acquire a letter of approval from Solomon Islands immigration division in Honiara. Contact Benzily Kasutaba on +677 61011 or email bkasutaba@commerce.gov.sb to arrange. Ensure you allow plenty of time to receive this letter, at least 4-weeks is highly recommended.

thanks - do you know what happened to the arrested visitors ?

There hasn't been any more on local news, but they were most likely deported, back to Papua New Guinea.

Hi @ozziegiraffe, thanks for this very useful information. I was looking for info only on the PNG forum, I hadn't seen this post before.

I'll try to do the crossing in the end of August, from PNG to Solomon. I am going to email those two people now.

By the way, I found this note on UK travel advice:

<< You must provide notice of your intention to visit the island to the Bougainville Provincial Administration (telephone: +675 973 9798), and contact the Administration again upon arrival. >>

I guess that, if I get the approval email from PNG and Solomon government, doing such a phone call becomes superfluous (I'll still do it just in case). Anyway, do you know anything about it?

Thanks
Adriano

I got this answer from Sylvester Vakore:

<<
Firstly, let me inform you that the border between PNG (Bougainville) and Solomon Islands is not an authorized port of entry and exit by foreigners. Only people who are allowed to cross over are Traditional Border Crosser from both Bougainville and Solomon Islands.

All foreigners wishing to enter Solomon Islands from Buin are asked to go back to Port Moresby and exit to Solomon Islands. Those who crossed over from Solomon Islands into Buin are refused entry likewise those crossed over from Buin.

Currently am making repatriation arrangements for a German National who defied my instructions and crossed over from Arawa into Solomon Islands at Taro Island and was apprehended by authorities and sent back to Bougainville.

Therefore, to avoid such inconveniences I would advise that you exit through Port Moresby to Solomon Islands.
>>

And here comes Benzily Kasutaba:

<<
With regards to your request, Solomon Island Immigration has refused your request to travel via SI/PNG Border to Shortland Island. We are not encouraging the International Traveller to using SI/PNG Border as there normal routes for travel. Only Border Inhabitant are allowed to travel via SI/PNG Border under Section 6(4) in Immigration Act 2012.

Therefor you are advice to travel from Port Mosesby directly to Honiara International Aiport has per approval for International Travellers.

Failer to comply to this instraction are subjected for prosecution.
>>

So, conclusions:

(1) Definitely, at the moment, there is not a legal way to cross PNG-Solomon.
(2) Whether there is a way to do it and escape controls can be questioned; probably it's easier to escape controls if you cross to Shortlands; but both sides seem to be getting a bit stressed lately. From their answers, I think that both Solomon and PNG officers are receiving foreigners sent back from the opposite country and they are very stressed having to deal with their cases, including possible repatriation.

I think that, at the moment, the risk of getting caught, and having to pay an undefined amount of money on fines and repatriation, is becoming higher than the benefit of crossing to Solomon without coming back all the way to Port Moresby. At least, the risk is too high for my case because PNG - Solomon are just a small part of a long trip in which I am investing a lot of money.

I agree with you. The information I posted came from another travel site, posted in a Solomon Islands tourism forum.
At the moment, Bougainville is seeking complete independence from PNG. Twenty years ago, when there was civil unrest in Bougainville, foreigners crossing the border caused major issues for diplomats from both sides.
The German national appears to be one of the illegal crossers reported in Solomon Islands media.
Solomon Islands does not have enough border security personnel to permanently staff the crossing, either to Shortlands or Choiseul.
For now the wise move for foreigners would be to avoid that border.

Just have all your documents pined in a file. Go and watch Thanksgiving day parade https://thanksgivingdayparade2018.com/ without any issues.

How is this relevant to the topic of the post?

It looks like there will be new border posts in South Bougainville soon. I don't know if this might ease the arrival / departure of tourists, or if it still is something only for locals.

Border centres to be built in South Bougainville
PNG Customs will build two new border processing centres in South Bougainville.
“Development that is expected to happen in the electorate because we have an international sea border,” South Bougainville MP Timothy Masiu said.
The location of the two centres, one in Kangu, Buin, and another in Koromira, Central Bougainville, were marked out earlier this week with a groundbreaking ceremony.
Masiu said the establishment of the centres were an important milestone in the development of South Bougainville.
“I am very happy because this border has been an issue that I have constantly raised in Parliament,” he said.
He said there was no doubt that Buin and South Bougainville would one day become the major economic hub and business centre for the Bougainville region because of the international border and its strategic location to international trade routes.
Customs Chief Commissioner Ray Paul said the border processing Centre development is a major step forward in establishing proper border surveillance and monitoring that has been lacking since the border was drawn up 200 years ago
He said that this will also serve as the stepping stone for international trade that would contribute to economic growth in South Bougainville.
Paul said the establishment of the processing centre has been overlooked for many years and Tuesday’s groundbreaking signals the beginning of development and other spin off activities to take place in Kangu, Buin and South Bougainville.

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