01Free
The 30-second card
LanguageHiri Motu, Papua New Guinean Sign Language, Tok Pisin, EnglishSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗
TimeUTC+10The capital’s time. The country has 2 time zones.Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Visa · United States passport
Online visa or authorisationSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗Water at restaurantsRestaurants usually serve water free of charge.Source: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗
SIM and eSIM
Fast 4G LTE covers Port Moresby and Lae; most populated areas get 3G or 2G.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Cards or cash
Mostly cashMostly cards
Step 2 of 5: Most payments are made in cash, though some places accept cards.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Money in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinean Kina · PGK
Carry small notes and coins for market stalls.
Avoid money changers where possible, as their rates are poor.
ATMs usually cap card withdrawals at about 2,000 kina a day, sometimes less.
Take kina to the countryside, as villages do not accept foreign money.
Collect Papua New Guinean Kina in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpenPublic holidays in the next 12 months
Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day
Sat, 26 Dec 2026 · Boxing Day St. Stephen's Day
Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day
Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday
Sat, 27 Mar 2027 · Holy Saturday
Sun, 28 Mar 2027 · Easter Sunday
Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday
Mon, 14 Jun 2027 · Queen's Birthday
Fri, 23 Jul 2027 · Remembrance Day
Thu, 26 Aug 2027 · Repentance Day
Thu, 16 Sept 2027 · Independence Day
02Free
Safety today
Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Papua New Guinea say, side by side, checked daily.
German Foreign Office says
No travel warning
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 14 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 14 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
U.S. Department of State says
Reconsider travel
Calm
Caution
Serious ●
Don’t go
Level 3 of 4
Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 28 Apr 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 28 Apr 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
UK Foreign Office says
Advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country
Some regions differ, see the official page.
Source: GOV.UK
Updated 17 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 17 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.
03Free
Health
Hepatitis A, B, typhoid, polio and routine shots advised; malaria in some regions; altitude sickness up high.
Vaccinations
Hepatitis A for unvaccinated travellers aged one and over; hepatitis B, typhoid, routine shots and a polio booster are also advised.
Malaria
In some regionsAltitude
Altitude sickness can affect visitors in the high mountain areas.
Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.
Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.
04Travel layer
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The travel layer
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What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use
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05Free
Deep facts
| GDP | ≈ $32.5 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Per person | ≈ $3,020Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Top exports | natural gas, gold, copper ore, palm oil, nickel (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Population | 10.8 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 21.9 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Life expectancy | 70.1 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Religions | Protestant 64.3% (Evangelical Lutheran 18.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.9%, Pentecostal 10.4%, United Church 10.3%, Evangelical Alliance 5.9%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.8%, Salvation Army 0.4%), Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 5.3%, non-Christian 1.4%, unspecified 3.1% (2011 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2011 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Area | 462,840 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Climate | tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variationSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Terrain | mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothillsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Type of government | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realmSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Calling code | +675Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗ |
About the data
Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.
From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.
CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗
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