Change in Visa rules?!?!

Hi all,

I have read on several sites that tourists (short stay, 30 days) now need a visa BEFORE arriving in PNG. However I have also read conflicting information - can anyone provide some clarity?

I have booked a flight to arrive on Port Moresby on 1st March, 2015. I am on a long trip and will not return to either of my countries of citizenship (UK & Australia) before I arrive in PNG.

Any help greatly appreciated

Helen
UK and Australian passport holder

Oddly enough, it looks like Australians need a visa before entry, but maybe not UK citizens. The site isn't all that helpful but a further Google might help. http://www.papuanewguinea.travel/PassportVisaInfo

It do not think that its that odd. As a holder of a PNG passport, you need a visa to visit Australia. That's how it is. But you do not need a visa to enter the UK as a short term visitor. Many countries do their regulations according to what their own citizens would need in the respective other country.

Hi wksamoa, the only reason I thought it was odd is that Australian passport holders were exempt from the visa rule, but I now see that that has been rescinded. Probably a tit for tat reaction to PNG passport holders needing visas for Australia (same as the tit for tat arrangement between Canada and Brazil). Another oddity (for me anyway), is that there is no listing for Canadian passport holders anywhere on the PNG official site, Canada doesn't appear on their list of countries for any kind of visa. I got my visa at the Australian Consulate in Vancouver, which was a good thing because I landed in Vanimo from W. Papua and would not have been allowed in if I didn't have it, however I would have been able to get one at the airport in Port Moresby, had I entered the country that way. Have no idea now what a Canadian passport holder has to do nowadays, that was back in 1994. Visa regulations keep changing.

Its definitely a tit for tat regulation. The website cited above is not an official one. The official list of countries eligible for visa on arrival in PNG, including Canada, is published here
http://www.immigration.gov.pg/images/documents/VOA%20Eligible%20Country%20List%20Public%20Notice%2031032014%20v2%201.pdf

For entering Australia, as far as I know, every visitor who is not from New Zealand will need a visa. There is a convenient online registration process for passport holders of many countries, including Canada (but not PNG). http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/601.aspx . Within a few hours you get a reference number, valid for one year, multiple entries and stays up to 3 months.

I am happy to see my country is on the eligible list, but I think it is worth knowing that visa on arrival may only be available to those entering by air and maybe by sea at bigger ports.
The website doesn't specify this, but at least in the past, those entering by land from Indonesia did need visas in advance.

The official website (http://www.immigration.gov.pg/visa/25-designated-png-international-ports-of-entry.html) states the following ports of entry for visa on arrival:
- Jackson's International Airport;
- Daru;
- Wutung (Vanimo); and
- Kagamuga Airport, Mt Hagen.

I have never been there but according to the map, Wutung (Vanimo) is where the land crossing is. They might mean the Vanimo airport though instead. So for entering by land I would not trust on visas on arrival. And neither by sea.

Wutung is definitely the land crossing point and if visas are available on arrival there, that's great.
But they may indeed mean Vanimo airport which only receives the odd charter from abroad these days.
Surprised that Rabaul is not on the list.

Well, looks like my feeling was right on both scores.

Check this page:
http://www.immigration.gov.pg/visa/visa-all/34-general-information-for-intending-visitors.html

It specifically says visa on arrival is only available at the airports of Port Moresby and Rabaul.

Too bad - visas on arrival at Wutung would be great, especially as the PNG consulate in Jayapura is unpredictable and often difficult.

Thanks for the link, wksamoa, unfortunately the 'link within the link' won't load, nor can I copy it, so I'll type it manually later on. I forgot to mention that even though I had my PNG visa before I entered the country from W. Papua; flew into Vanimo then had to pay for it after landing. At that time it was only 10 kina, and it was only by good fortune that I happened to have 20 kina with me that I got in Vancouver beforehand. Usually not available here, so I lucked in on that score as well. Otherwise I would have been turned back, even though I had the (unpaid) visa.

I found the site but can't find any list of countries anywhere. I must be blind :-(

I gave this link
http://www.immigration.gov.pg/images/documents/VOA%20Eligible%20Country%20List%20Public%20Notice%2031032014%20v2%201.pdf

Its a pdf-document and the list is at the very bottom of it, as it says in the text. Don't use the back-link in the upper part of the document, just scroll down to the bottom and you will find Canada :-).

Sigh, if it was a snake it would have bit me (apologies to Grammarly :-)) Thanks wk, I found it. D'oh me.

I didn't know Grammarly, so I googled it. Somehow I landed on that Google+ site https://plus.google.com/+grammarly/posts

Amazing. Watsoff - you made my day.

Thank you
Werner

LOL, you're welcome.

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