Buy Papua New Guinea passport: Easy steps to get yours

So, I wanted to get a Papua New Guinea passport. Sounds simple, right? Well, not quite. Let me tell you, it was a bit of a journey.

First off, I went online and found the official website for the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA). That’s where you gotta start. They have all the info you need, but it’s a bit overwhelming at first. They issue three types of passports: standard, official, and diplomatic. I just needed the standard one, thank goodness.

Download and fill the form

Next, I downloaded the Passport Application Form. It’s a PDF, and you gotta fill it out completely. Don’t miss any sections, or it will be a headache later. Once that was done, I gathered all the required documents. You know, the usual stuff like ID, birth certificate, and some passport photos.

Visit the ICA office

I’m based in Port Moresby, so I had to go to the ICA head office at the Central Government Office. If you’re somewhere else, you might need to find a different location. Anyway, I went there and submitted my application. The lines were a bit long, but hey, that’s government offices for you. You can’t have an agent submit it for you, by the way. It has to be you in person.

Wait for it to process

After submitting, it was a waiting game. They say it takes about 15 working days for standard processing. But you know how it is, sometimes it takes a bit longer. My passport was going to be sent by registered post, which is the default, but you can choose to pick it up in person if you want. I just waited for it to arrive in the mail.

New E-Passport

One thing I learned is that they’re rolling out a new e-passport system. It’s got like 140 security features, which sounds pretty cool. They collect biometric data and link it to your National Identification (NID) and birth certificate. I guess that makes things more secure.

Oh, and make sure your current passport, if you have one, is valid for at least six months from when you plan to travel. Mine was about to expire, so I had to renew it.

Final thoughts

Overall, it wasn’t too bad. Just a lot of steps and waiting. But I got my Papua New Guinea passport in the end! If you’re planning to get one, just be prepared for a bit of a process. Follow the steps, have all your documents ready, and be patient. You’ll get there eventually. It’s all worth it to have that little booklet that lets you travel the world.