Palau is immediately given a visa on arrival entry (VOA) to Papua New Guinea.
In a press statement by the Chief Migration Office on Dex. 20, passport holders from Micronesian and Polynesian countries are allowed VOA “to strengthen its relations with Pacific Island States and the Pacific Forum countries.”
“I am pleased to announce that passport holders from all Pacific Island States and Territories can now get visas on arrival,” said the CMO, Mr Hulahau. “They no longer need to apply for a visa before their departure, and we will communicate the same to all operating airlines and relevant international bodies on this new inclusion.”
The release said VOA is accessible to nationals from American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and the French Territories of French Polynesia (Tahiti), Wallis and Futuna and New Zealand passport holding countries and territories including Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the United States territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands.
The inclusion of these island states now adds to the existing list of Melanesian countries, including Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia.
The CMO said that Pacific islanders wishing to travel to PNG must have an authentic passport at least six (6) months of validity and produce a return ticket and the completed arrival card at an immigration officer on arrival as requirements for VOA.
He said Pacific Islanders meeting the entry requirements will be issued an Easy Visitor Visa for 60 days per visit.
The Chief Migration Officer is confident that including all Pacific Island States to access this facility would encourage more movements and facilitation of trade and services, and tourism in the region.
Apart from the Pacific Island States, Papua New Guinea is also issuing VOA to Diplomatic, Official, and Service passport holders from the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the State of Israel, and the Republic of Indonesia based on bilateral visa exemption agreements on a reciprocal basis. Chinese tourists who hold ordinary passports and travel on organized group tours with a PNG-registered tour operation are also eligible for VOA for a specific short stay only.