About Papua New Guinea Citizenship and Residency

Papua New Guinea offers residency by investment to non-citizens who meet certain requirements. No work permit is required by a non-citizen who has been granted PR.

People who wish to travel to Papua New Guinea for work, business, study or tourism purposes must have an entry permit/Visa to enter the country.

Business Person/Investor Entry Permit

These procedures are a guide to all persons who wish to invest in PNG-established companies and seek an entry permit as an owner/operator or senior executive.

To Obtain an Entry Permit For a Business Person/Investor, the investor has to invest:

A. a minimum of K150,000 in PNG in a company or business.

The K150,000 must be transferred into PNG and not derived through loans raised with PNG banks. The investment may be by way of cash investment in plant and equipment or a combination of plant/equipment and annual salaries (including annual superannuation) of PNG staff and approved expatriate staff salaries/fees/superannuation paid to the investor or his/her immediate family cannot be included as part of the K150,000 investment.

The investor also has to seek a position and work permit from the DIR. Foreigners must apply for a work permit for each non-citizen employee employed in Papua New Guinea. The work permit application must be accompanied by a training and localization program in accordance with the Employment of Non-Citizens Act. This program is to monitor the entry of all immigrants into Papua New Guinea, approve the positions in which they can work and ensure that there is a program for the transfer of skills to Papua New Guinean citizens.

The investor must:

• provide a letter to ICD indicating his/her name, position number, position title, period of contract approved by the DIR and salary range.
• documentary evidence that the K150,000 investment has been transferred into the country and a copy of the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) approval letter and share/registration certificate.
• copy of the work permit approval letter in respect of the position from the DIR.

For entry permits for employment purposes and dependents, K250.00 and K10.00 are respectively required.

Fees are to be paid to the Department of Finance Cash Office. Bureau of Management Services or nearest Customs Office and receipts are to be given as evidence of payment to ICD.

Complete an Entry Permit Application form and forward it to the ICD of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

It is a statutory requirement under the Act that all new work permit applications and all renewal
applications be dealt with within 42 days (6 weeks)

Permanent residency

Applicants for Permanent Residency who meet the length of residence requirement must be:

• Chief Executive Officer of a large company with a workforce of 250 employees and an annual turnover of K10 million or more. Only companies that have been operating in Papua New Guinea for more than five years are to be considered. (Please provide certified documentary evidence).
• A person who is the majority owner of business investment in a registered resident business for a period of at least five years with net assets and a turnover exceeding K2 million and/or any investment in real property with net investment in PNG of at least K10 million. (Please provide certified documentary evidence).
• Missionaries and religious workers who have worked in Papua New Guinea for at least five years and have an income of not less than K25,000 per year or who have a written guarantee of financial support from a registered religious organization or church. (Please provide certified documentary evidence).
• A PNG citizen’s “legally married spouse” where the relationship has been in place for at least five years. (Please provide certified documentary evidence).
• A person who is a qualified professional as a medical doctor, a medical specialist, or an educator. As evidenced by tertiary education qualifications and at least five years of professional work in the PNG field. (Please provide certified documentary evidence).
• A retired person over 55 years of age can earn at least K50,000 a year and has worked in PNG for at least five years. (Please provide certified documentary evidence).
• A child of more than 19 years of age of a citizen of the PNG (in cases where the child does not have the nationality of the PNG) who works on a voluntary basis at a community or social level. (Please include certified documentary evidence)
• The “legally married spouse” of a PNG citizen where the relationship has been in place for at least five years. Documentary evidence must be provided.

A Permanent Residency visa will be issued with the same validity as the passport holder. If your passport expires, you will need to apply for a new Permanent Residency visa.

For more information, please check this website (official governmental website).

Citizenships:

Conditions to meet if you want to become a citizen are must have resided for eight years, renounced previous citizenship, intend to remain indefinitely, be of good character, speaks the local language, and have a reliable source of sustenance.

Eligibility for PNG Citizenship (Section 67 of the National Constitution)

A person who has resided continuously in the country for at least eight (8) years may apply to the Minister responsible for Citizenship matters to be naturalized as a Citizen, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters therein, in his deliberate judgment but subject to the advice of the Committee, grant or refuse the application.

To be eligible for naturalization, a person must:

• iyi karakterli olmak;
• intend to reside permanently in the country;
• unless prevented by physical or mental disability, to speak and understand Tok Pisin or Hiri Motu, or a vernacular of the country, sufficiently for normal conversational purposes;
• have respect for the customs and cultures of the country;
• be unlikely to be or become a charge on public funds;
• have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of the rights, privileges, responsibilities and duties of citizenship; and
• renounce in such manner as is prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament, any other citizenship and make the Declaration of Loyalty.

If an applicant for naturalization so requests, any child of the applicant who is under voting age at the time when the applicant is naturalized becomes a citizen by naturalization on the naturalization of the applicant.

Fees for citizenship application:

The cost for application for Citizenship by Naturalization is K10,000.00 and must be paid at the Vulupindi Haus, Ground floor.

Benefits Of Papua New Guinea Residency By Investment Program

Benefits of having a PR visa:

• PR Visa is issued to the life of the Passport validity;
• Alleviates the need to apply for a Work Permit; and
• It allows the holder to work and/or establish business operations in PNG.
• The PR visa is for multiple entries and the holder can enter & exit the country subject to having a valid passport and PR visa.

Papua New Guinea Residency Requirements And Qualifications

PR Requirements

1. be the holder of a current valid foreign passport;
2. be the holder of a current valid PNG entry permit;
3. be normally resident in PNG;
4. have a working knowledge of English or a PNG language;
5. be of good character and good standing in the community;
6. not have been convicted of an offense and sentenced by any competent court in PNG or foreign jurisdiction to imprisonment for a period greater than three months;
7. A foreigner over the age of 18 years, who is a holder of a valid passport and a visa;
8. Who has continuously resided in PNG for more than 5 years;
9. An applicant who has met the mandatory requirements of the particular PR classes that he/she has applied for.

Application requirements for citizenship:

An applicant for Citizenship must provide the following:

• four (4) passport-size photographs;
• four (4) references from automatic Papua New Guinea Citizens who have known the applicant for at least two (2) years, certifying the character and suitability of the applicant for citizenship;
• a copy of the applicant’s Birth and Marriage Certificate (if applicable);
• copies of educational qualifications e.g. Certificate, Diploma, Degree, Master, etc.; and
• a Statement of Assets, Liabilities, Investments, business interests and savings accounts both within and outside Papua New Guinea, indicating their values and locations. (These details will be kept in strict confidence).

Adımlar ve Zaman Çizelgesi

Daimi İkamet:

Step 1. Before you apply for permanent residence, gather all requirements

Adım 2. Be ready to provide certified police certificates for PNG and any other country that you have resided in.

Aşama 3. Complete an application form.

Adım 4. Submit the completed and signed Form with supporting documentation at the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority head office.

Adım 5. Pay the required fee.

Applications for Permanent Residency visas usually take between 3 and 4 months to process. In some circumstances, it may take longer. 

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Privacy World can also help you with incorporating your company in Papua New Guinea, assisting in getting you settled in the country, and coordinating with you so that this experience will be less of a hassle.

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