Most trips to Papua New Guinea start in Port Moresby and head for the Kokoda Track, the Highlands shows around Mount Hagen and Goroka, the Sepik River, or the diving around Madang, Kimbe Bay and Rabaul. Distances are huge and roads are few, so many journeys involve domestic flights. Papua New Guinea is outside the EU's Roam Like at Home area, so a European SIM is billed at its operator's roaming rates there.
Key facts for Papua New Guinea
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Digitec (Vodafone PNG) (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: police 112; ambulance 111; fire 110
- Embassies: in Port Moresby
Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen
Coverage is good in Port Moresby and the main towns. Serious crime is a high risk in Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen: criminals often carry machetes, known as bush knives, or firearms, bag-snatching and robbery are common, and walking after dark is particularly dangerous. Carjackings are common, criminals set up roadblocks outside towns, and the highway between Lae and Nadzab airport is a high-risk area, so do not travel at night and move in convoy or with an escort where advised. Armed criminals have robbed passengers on public buses, and rapes have been reported on Port Moresby's minibuses, known as PMVs, so use hotel transport or trusted drivers instead. Rape and sexual assault are common.
The Highlands
The UK advises against all but essential travel to Hela and Southern Highlands provinces, because of the high risk of tribal fighting, and to Enga province, except Wabag district, where the provincial government has declared fighting zones with checkpoints and curfews. Tribal fighting also breaks out elsewhere, including in tourist areas, and a foreign national was kidnapped in Southern Highlands in 2023. Fighters do not usually target foreigners, but stay well away from any area where fighting is under way.
Kokoda, the islands and nature
Coverage disappears on much of the Kokoda Track and in remote areas, sometimes for days. There have been serious attacks and robberies on the track, so walk only with guides from trusted companies, and beware of unexploded Second World War munitions. Earthquakes are a serious risk and can be followed by tsunamis, and volcanic activity is higher around Rabaul, Kimbe and Manam Island, so check with your airline or operator before travelling there. Domestic and international flights are often delayed or cancelled.
Laws to know
Using, possessing or trafficking illegal drugs, including marijuana, can mean a long prison sentence. Same-sex sexual activity between men is illegal and punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Paying
The currency is the kina. Cards are accepted at hotels and larger shops in the main towns, but carry cash elsewhere, and use cash machines inside banks or shopping centres during the day.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM set up before you fly connects on landing at Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby, and your home SIM stays available for texts and bank codes. An Oceania plan also covers Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Local SIM cards from Digicel or Vodafone PNG are sold at the airport and in town, and you need your passport to register one.
Consular protection: who to call in Papua New Guinea
- Call 112 for the police, 111 for an ambulance and 110 for the fire service.
- Embassies are in Port Moresby. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- EU citizens whose country has no embassy or consulate in Papua New Guinea can ask the embassy of any other EU country for help, which it must give on the same terms as to its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- English is an official language, alongside Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu, so you can explain an emergency in English.
Papua New Guinea travel-safety page →
Questions travellers ask about Papua New Guinea
Does my EU plan work in Papua New Guinea?
No. Papua New Guinea is outside Roam Like at Home, so your operator charges its own roaming rates.
Can I walk the Kokoda Track?
Yes, but only with guides from a trusted company, as there have been serious attacks and robberies on the track.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Papua New Guinea?
Digitec, the network behind Vodafone PNG, with 4G where available.
What are the emergency numbers?
112 for the police, 111 for an ambulance and 110 for the fire service.
The short version
Install the eSIM before you fly, never walk after dark in the towns, use hotel transport rather than PMVs, avoid the Highlands provinces under warning, walk Kokoda with a trusted company, and save 112.
See plans for Papua New Guinea →
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