Ban of Visa on Arrival Facility for Australian Passport Holders

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MIGRATION OFFICER

The National Executive Council in December 2013 decided to ban Australian's from the PNG Visa on Arrival  Facility.

This decision though taken in December last year, was not effected due to the Government's desire to give ample time to the Government of Australia to re-consider its response given to the PNG Ministers at the PNG/Australia  Ministerial  Forum  in Canberra last year, and for Australian citizens who had already confirmed travel arrangements to PNG to undertake confirmed travels.

Australian  passport  holder(s)  means:   An Australian citizen in possession of an Ordinary,  Official,  Diplomatic  or other related Travel Document(s) for travel abroad.

After the visit by the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Julie Bishop,  MP, during which the  Prime  Minister reiterated PNG's desire for Australia to reciprocate its Visa on Arrival Facility; and the response of maintaining  the status quo, the Government's decision to Ban the Visa on Arrival Facility to Australian passport  holders will now be enforced.

The ban will come into effect on Saturday, 01 March 2014. This means Australian passport holders will no longer be able to:-

a)   Obtain Visitor  (all Classes), Business - i) Short Term Single Entry & ii) Restricted Employment Facility (REF)
visas on arrival at any port of entry in PNG; and
b)    Be granted  Uplift Letters for issuance of the aforementioned visas on arrival at any port of entry in PNG.

Australian passport holders:

• will be required  to obtain these visas at the nearest PNG Overseas Mission/Post or the Australian Missions/Posts abroad  where  there  is no PNG Government representation. PNG's current Missions/Posts in Australia are located in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns.
• visiting PNG on Cruise ships, including  flying  in to join  a Cruise  ship or leaving  a Cruise  ship to catch  a flight  out of PNG,  will  not  be affected by this  ban because they  are granted  visas electronically without  the  need for prior application.
• transitting through PNG for less than 8 hours do not require visas, and are to remain within the International  Transit Lounges at the Airport(s).

All International operating airlines are instructed not to allow boarding of Australian passport holders to PNG who do  not possess a valid visa. Australians uplifted without a valid visa will be repatriated on the next available flight at the expense of the uplifting airline, which may not necessarily be to the port of origin. For instance, an Australian  uplifted without  a visa from Cairns could be repatriated to Singapore if that was the next available flight at the cost of the uplifting  airline.

For further clarification, please contact the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority  on tel. 323  1500,  fax. 3255206 or email: [email protected], and ask for Mrs Julie Maku, Assistant Manager- Client Services.

Authorised  by:

Mataio Rabura, ISO

Chief Migration Officer