Is It Safe to Travel to Papua New Guinea?Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel: governments change them often, sometimes weekly.
The US rates Papua New Guinea Level 3 (Reconsider travel). The UK advises against all but essential travel to parts of Papua New Guinea. Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel.
The governments disagree: the strictest advice comes from the US and Canada (level 3), the mildest from the UK (level 2). Some regions carry stricter warnings than the rest of the country.
The three advisories side by side
US Department of State
3Level 3“Reconsider travel”
“Reconsider travel to Papua New Guinea due to crime, civil unrest, and piracy. Exercise increased caution due to kidnapping, unexploded ordnance, inconsistent availability of healthcare services, and potential for natural disasters.”
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
2Level 2“Advises against travel to parts of the country”
“FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: Hela and Southern Highlands Provinces due to the high risk of tribal fighting …”
Government of Canada
3Level 3“Avoid non-essential travel”
“Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño”
Why the advice differs
Each government uses its own scale. The US and Canada each have four levels for the whole country. The UK only states whether it advises against travel to the whole country or to parts of it. We place all three on a common 1 to 4 scale (see below); the scales are not identical, so the same level can mean slightly different things.
The UK’s level 2 for Papua New Guinea comes from advice against travel to parts of the country, not the whole country.
Specific areas with stricter advice are named by: UK. A country-wide level can stay low while one region carries a stricter warning.
The advisories were last updated on different dates: US 28 April 2025, UK 17 August 2026, Canada 15 October 2026. An older advisory may not reflect recent events.
Regions with stricter warnings
These are the governments’ own words. We do not add or change any region names.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: Hela and Southern Highlands Provinces due to the high risk of tribal fighting …
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, updated 17 August 2026. The quote is shortened in our data; the full list is on the official page.
What the levels mean
TravelDecl places each government’s advice on a common 1 to 4 scale so the three can be compared. The wording in each column is the government’s own.
| Level | Meaning | US | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Level 1 | Normal precautions | Level 1: Exercise normal precautions | No advice against travel | Exercise normal security precautions |
| 2Level 2 | Increased caution | Level 2: Exercise increased caution | Advises against travel to parts of the country | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| 3Level 3 | Reconsider or avoid non-essential travel | Level 3: Reconsider travel | Advises against all but essential travel to the whole country | Avoid non-essential travel |
| 4Level 4 | Do not travel | Level 4: Do not travel | Advises against all travel to the whole country | Avoid all travel |
Related
- Do I need an International Driving Permit in Papua New Guinea?
- How to get citizenship of Papua New Guinea
- Travel advisories for every country
Questions
What level is the Papua New Guinea travel advisory?
The US rates Papua New Guinea Level 3 (Reconsider travel). US advisory updated 28 April 2025. The UK advises against all but essential travel to parts of Papua New Guinea. UK advisory updated 17 August 2026. Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel. Canadian advisory updated 15 October 2026.
Does the UK advise against travel to Papua New Guinea?
Not for the whole country. The UK advises against all but essential travel to parts of Papua New Guinea. UK advisory updated 17 August 2026. In its words: “FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: Hela and Southern Highlands Provinces due to the high risk of tribal fighting …”
Is Papua New Guinea safe for tourists?
TravelDecl does not give its own verdict. Here is what the governments say: The US rates Papua New Guinea Level 3 (Reconsider travel). The UK advises against all but essential travel to parts of Papua New Guinea. Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel. Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel.
Check the official advisory on the day you travel. Each card above links to it.
Sources and methodology
- US Department of State: travel advice for Papua New Guinea, updated 28 April 2025. US Department of State: public domain (US Government work).
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Papua New Guinea, updated 17 August 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Government of Canada: travel advice for Papua New Guinea, updated 15 October 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Levels on the common 1 to 4 scale are mapped from each government’s own rating: US levels 1 to 4 as published; UK: no advice against travel = 1, against travel to parts = 2, against all but essential travel to the whole country = 3, against all travel to the whole country = 4; Canada: its four risk levels in order. We do not combine them into a single score.
Advisories checked 9 November 2026. This page has not yet been checked by hand.