Living in Papua New Guinea as a French National: Visa, Safety, Housing and Healthcare

France Diplomatie indicates that a stay of less than three months requires a short-stay visa, which is requested online on the e-Visa portal of the Immigration and Citizenship Authority or from an accredited Papua New Guinea embassy, the one competent for France being in Brussels. The categories available online include the 60-day tourist visa (‘Easy visitor permit 60’), the short-term business visa, the humanitarian or volunteer worker visa and the journalist visa. The passport must be valid at least six months. National law no longer requires Covid-19 vaccination, but the online procedure still asks for proof of a complete vaccination schedule, which France Diplomatie recommends providing, as the French embassy cannot intervene in case of refusal.

The pages read do not describe the rules for a stay of three months or more; they list no work permit or residence permit. These procedures fall under the Immigration and Citizenship Authority, whose website could not be reached at the time of consultation. On the customs side, the import of fruit, vegetables and products of animal origin is strictly prohibited; narcotics, including cannabis, expose offenders to heavy prison sentences; bringing in a pet is strongly discouraged, as it entails a costly six-month quarantine. For health status on entry, proof of polio vaccination is required, and for any stay of more than four weeks, proof of vaccination of at least four weeks is also requested on exit.

The French embassy in Port Moresby (BSP Haus, 6th floor, Harbour City) can be reached on +675 321 55 50 on weekdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with an out-of-hours emergency line on +675 70183716; the French consulate general in Sydney handles other administrative procedures. See the country page. For a short assignment, the business, volunteer or journalist visa is also applied for online, and consulting the country’s embassy in Brussels remains possible to confirm the documents before booking a ticket.

France Diplomatie describes high crime and serious security problems throughout the country, while indicating that travel remains possible with up-to-date information and precautions. The advice varies by area:

• Large urban centres (Port Moresby, Lae, Madang, Mount Hagen, Wewak, Goroka, Alotau): very high vigilance; frequent thefts and violence; travel by car with trusted transport.
• Highlands and Sepik provinces: travel strongly advised against unless for an imperative reason; if travel is essential, use an escort and approved guides or agencies.
• Milne Bay region: acts of piracy possible; any navigation is secured and planned in advance.
• Indonesian border (760 km, mainly in the north): armed clashes and trafficking, border sometimes closed without notice; travel advised against unless essential.

Everywhere, avoid walking alone by day or night, stay careful near cash machines, avoid markets, crowds and informal neighbourhoods, and do not resist in the event of an attack, notably during vehicle thefts or roadblocks. Inter-tribal clashes, sometimes very violent, are frequent in urban and rural areas and intensify as elections approach and during the end-of-year festivities: check the local situation before any journey. Registering with the Fil d’Ariane service (the French foreign ministry’s traveller alert registration) makes it possible to receive embassy alerts, though the embassy’s means of intervention in a crisis are limited.

The country lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences earthquakes, eruptions and tsunamis; the north-west is the most exposed, with New Britain, New Ireland and Manam island, whose volcano has been active since April 2017 and to which access is not permitted after its evacuation. The earthquake of 26 February 2018 in the Highlands was particularly devastating. Heavy rain, flooding and landslides occur regularly. Power cuts are frequent, owing to the dependence on hydroelectricity and El Niño-related drought episodes; water can also be short in Port Moresby. A generator, reserves of water and fuel and digital copies of documents are basic precautions.

Port Moresby, the capital, concentrates the administration, the French embassy, the Port Moresby General Hospital and most international employers. Lae (Morobe province) and Madang are regional port hubs; the National Statistical Office publishes all demographic data by province. No official source read publishes rents or property prices. France Diplomatie recommends avoiding informal neighbourhoods, favouring secure accommodation, transport organised by the hotel, the agency or a security company, and avoiding taxis and buses; two-wheelers are not recommended, and a helmet is required if they are used.

For journeys, do not follow a GPS route that crosses risk areas, notably near Port Moresby airport; keep windows closed and doors locked, prefer tarred roads and main routes, travel in convoy or with an escort when possible, and avoid driving at night outside built-up areas. Fasten seat belts and use child seats. Before signing a lease, have the housing’s security arrangements checked, along with the reliability of water and electricity, access by a safe road and proximity to a hospital; the employer or the security company organising your transport can complete these checks.

The economy combines a large industrial sector (about 36% of value added, including mining), services (about 42%) and agriculture, which accounts for about 17% (World Bank). The National Statistical Office reports sustained real growth, driven by agriculture and mining, and a trade surplus. No administration consulted publishes a typical budget for an expatriate; build your own from quotes for rent, home security, secure transport and insurance. The “Economic benchmarks” block gives the kina exchange rate.

English is the language of administration, with Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu as lingua francas. No official source read identifies an accredited French school in the country: the French embassy in Port Moresby and the Agency for French Education Abroad provide information on schooling solutions, notably international schools or distance learning.

France Diplomatie describes limited medical services even in Port Moresby, with regular medicine shortages, few specialists and overcrowded emergency rooms; outside the capital, hospitals and health centres sometimes close temporarily for lack of staff, power cuts or fuel shortages. Serious cases may require evacuation, notably to Cairns in Australia, often by air and at very high cost. Insurance or an assistance contract covering all medical costs and repatriation is presented as compulsory; without it, access to care may be refused, even in a life-threatening emergency.

See Papua New Guinea’s healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement in Papua New Guinea, as well as expat health insurance and the CFE or private insurance (the CFE is the Caisse des Français de l’étranger, the French social security fund for nationals abroad). The pages working in Papua New Guinea and retiring in Papua New Guinea complete the preparation.