Travel Advice Update 16th February 2022

1. Tourists may now travel to PNG;

2.  Pandemic Approvals are no longer required to enter PNG;

3. All persons must be fully vaccinated to travel to PNG, unless they are under 18 years of age or are a citizen of Papua New Guinea. A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have had the recommended number of doses for the vaccine as listed in Schedule 2, within the past 6 months; or they have had the recommended number of doses for the vaccine, as listed in Schedule 2 and they have had a booster vaccine;

4. All persons traveling to PNG must have a valid COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their original port of departure. Children aged 5 years and under are exempted from being tested;

5. All people arriving into PNG will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival;

6. If a person has within the last three months tested positive for COVID-19, a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner from their country of departure, certifying that the person is no longer infectious for COVID-19 shall be accepted but the individual must still be tested prior to leaving their port of departure within 72 hours and be tested on arrival;

7. There shall be no quarantine for any person, except for persons who test positive on arrival who shall be quarantined for 7 days; and

8. It is the responsibility of travel operators to make sure that a person has the necessary documents to board an aircraft/vessel to travel to PNG.

Outbound 

• At the time of check-in, all departing passengers will be tested for COVID-19. 
• Outbound passengers must also have in hand the Medical Certificate for COVID-19 PCR Test - the test must have been taken 7-days prior to travel. 
• Passengers traveling Port Moresby to Australia do not require approval from the Controller's Office, however, will undergo strict quarantine measures from the Government of Australia. 
• Passengers must check the COVID-19 travel measures and documentation imposed by the countries and regions they are flying to. 
• Visit Air Niugini's COVID-19 Travel Advice page for the full document list. 

Reference Links: 

• For a detailed information on flight requirements, visit the Air Niugini Travel Advice page. 
• See: National Pandemic Act 2020 No. 2 International Travel Measures (effective 13th May 2021) 

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

• No person may fly if they are symptomatic for COVID-19;
• All travelers must have their temperature checked by airline staff and no person may travel if their temperature registers at or over 37.5C (except for medievac and emergency flights); and
• All passengers must complete a National Department of Health form which is to be submitted to Provincial Health Authority on arrival.
   

Changes to the social measures include:

• Public gatherings are restricted to 100 people, however religious gatherings, schools, educational institutions, markets and shopping centers and political gatherings are exempted from the gathering restrictions but must comply with Niupla Pasin;
• All organisations, including religious and political organisations must develop standard operating safety procedures for COVID-19;
• No sale of alcohol on Friday, Saturday or Sunday nationwide will continue to apply; and
• COVID-19 restrictions no longer apply to public transport.

Reference Links: 

• For a detailed information on flight requirements, visit the Air Niugini Travel Advice page. 
• See: National Pandemic Act 2020 No. 3 Domestic Travel Measures (effective 13th May 2021) 

STAY HEALTHY WHILE TRAVELLING 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the latest advice for Papua New Guineans considering travel overseas?

• You should exercise extreme precaution when traveling outside of Papua New Guinea.  

What precautions should I take?

• Everyone should practice good hygiene and other measures to protect against infections. These measures include:
  • Washing your hands;
  • Covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing;
  • Avoiding contact with wild or farm animals.

What symptoms should I watch out for?

• The COVID-19 virus can cause a range of symptoms, ranging from mild illness to pneumonia. People may experience:
  • Fever;
  • Flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and headaches;
  • Difficulty breathing in some cases.
• If you become unwell and suspect you may have symptoms of novel coronavirus, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible or call 1800-200. 

Where can I get more information about the COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea?

• For information on Papua New Guinea's COVID-19 National Pandemic Response, visit National Control Centre for COVID-19 or call 1800200 or email: ​[email protected]   
• For the latest health and travel advice issued by the World Health Organization visit here.
• For the latest information about the coronavirus in Papua New Guinea visit the Papua New Guinean Government’s Department of Health.
• If you have urgent questions about the coronavirus you can contact the
  • National Control Centre for COVID-19 on hotline numbers: 1800-200 or +675 7196-0813 

^{Image: Papua New Guinea health worker at the COVID-19 screening section at the Jackson's International Airport, Port Moresby. Credit: PNG Department of Health}