Moving to Papua New Guinea
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Papua New Guinea, in one place.
MelanesiaThinking about moving to Papua New Guinea?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Papua New Guinea at a glance
How long can you stay in Papua New Guinea?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 60 days
UK passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 60 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 60 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa on arrival
- Stay
- 60 days
Australian passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 30 days
Indian passport- Rule
- e-Visa
- Stay
- 30 days
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Citizenship in Papua New Guinea
Naturalization takes about 8 years of residence.
Dual citizenship is allowed in some cases.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Corporate tax – 30%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Papua New Guinea
Everyday prices in Papua New Guinea are about 58% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2025: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
It's cheaper than the US, though rent in the big cities can close the gap.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Papua New Guinea safe?
The US State Department rates Papua New Guinea Level 3 ("Reconsider travel", updated 2025-04-29). Level 3 means the US asks you to reconsider the trip. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Internet in Papua New Guinea
In M-Lab's open speed tests across Papua New Guinea over the last 12 months, half came in above 26 Mbps download.
The fastest quarter of lines came in above 74 Mbps, closer to a good fiber connection (2,888 tests).
Test your own line when you arrive with my internet speed test.
Papua New Guinea: the basics
| What | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|
| Capital | Port Moresby |
| Currency | Papua New Guinean kina (PGK) |
| Languages | English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin |
| Population | about 8.6 million |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Papua New Guinea
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Papua New Guinea FAQs
e-Visa, for 60 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 8 years of residence.
In some cases.
Check the rules for your situation and your own country's.
Papua New Guinea taxes its tax residents on their income from anywhere.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 58% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2025.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 3.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
Half of M-Lab's tests there came in above 26 Mbps download over the last 12 months.
The fastest quarter of lines passed 74 Mbps.
The Papua New Guinean kina (PGK).
The main languages are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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