Entering by boat: Papua New Guinea

Before you arrive

• Notify the authorities 48 hours before arrival.
• Online procedure: Small Craft Pre-Arrival Information (formulaire M9) + formulaires douane, envoyés par e-mail au National Border Command — customs.gov.pg/newsroom/general/declared-ports-entry

The steps

1. Get visas for all crew before departure.
2. 48 h ahead: email the M9 form, crew list, passports and health declaration to NCC@customs.gov.pg.
3. Arrive at a declared port, Q flag up, nobody goes ashore before full clearance.
4. Customs, quarantine (NAQIA) and immigration; request the cruising permit with a detailed itinerary.

Papers to have on board

• Passports for the whole crew
• Visas, if your nationality requires them
• Crew list
• Boat papers (registration certificate)
• Outward clearance from the previous country
• Maritime declaration of health
• Papers for animals on board
• Ship’s stores declaration

Good to know

• New official list of 19 declared ports in force since 1 July 2026; some are private or industrial (Lealea LNG terminal, Kiunga, Vidar, Basamuk) and not suitable for yachts.
• Clearance outside a declared port is possible for small craft only with prior approval from the National Border Command (NCC@customs.gov.pg).
• Visas must be obtained BEFORE arrival for all crew; 48 h notice to customs, quarantine and immigration.
• Security: attacks and piracy reported (skipper killed in Milne Bay in 2024, incidents near Madang and Kandrian); avoid mainland and big-town anchorages.
• Clear in and out at every port with a customs office; carry many copies of papers.

Ports of entry

The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.

Sources

• customs.gov.pg/newsroom/general/declared-ports-entry
• noonsite.com/place/papua-new-guinea/formalities

This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.