Moving to Port Moresby or Lae for a posting, or heading home after years in Australia, is a big change, and getting your belongings there shouldn't add to the stress. PNG offers concessions for used personal effects, but they come with conditions that are easy to miss.
This guide covers who qualifies, what to pack, which documents to prepare and how long it all takes. For the broader process, see our complete guide to shipping from Australia to PNG.
Key points
- Non-citizens taking up residence and PNG citizens returning after a year or more overseas may import used household goods duty-free.
- Removalists' guides say the concession generally covers one air and one sea shipment.
- New items attract duty, and household goods must travel separately from commercial goods.
- Shipments are inspected by both PNG Customs and NAQIA, and must use ISPM 15 compliant timber packaging.
- Have your work or residence permit, inventory and receipts ready before the goods arrive.
Who qualifies for duty-free personal effects
PNG's personal effects concessions are designed for people moving their homes, not for importing goods to sell. In general, they apply to:
- non-citizens arriving to take up residence in PNG, usually on a work or residence permit
- PNG citizens returning after living or working overseas for a year or more.
The concession covers used household goods and personal effects. Brand-new items, or goods in quantities beyond normal personal use, are treated as ordinary imports and assessed for duty and GST. Diplomatic, aid and NGO staff usually clear their goods under a separate duty-free certificate issued by PNG's Department of Foreign Affairs.
International removalists' guides note that the concession generally covers one air shipment and one sea shipment, that household goods must be shipped separately from commercial goods, and that shipments should arrive within three months of the date your work or residence permit is issued.
Documents you'll need
- your passport, and your work permit or residence permit
- a letter or employment contract confirming your posting, if relevant
- a detailed, room-by-room inventory listing each item and its condition
- receipts for any new items, which will be assessed for duty
- the bill of lading or air waybill, and the packing list
- an export declaration on the Australian side, if one is required for your shipment.
Removalists' guides also say the owner of the goods usually needs to be in PNG to sign a statutory declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths, so plan for your goods to arrive after you do.
Clearance itself is handled by a licensed customs broker through PNG Customs' electronic system. Our guide to PNG customs clearance explains the steps.
What to pack, and what to leave behind
Every household shipment is inspected by both Customs and NAQIA, PNG's biosecurity agency, and goods are only released when both are satisfied. A few things make that inspection quicker:
- Clean outdoor items thoroughly: garden tools, bikes, camping and sports gear, outdoor furniture and anything that's touched soil.
- Use ISPM 15 treated and marked timber crates, or plastic and cardboard packaging.
- Leave out food, plants, seeds and soil. Many animal and plant products need a NAQIA permit.
- Don't pack firearms or ammunition without the required PNG permits, and keep medicines to personal quantities with prescriptions.
- List everything on the inventory, including what's inside boxes. Undeclared items cause holds.
For the full list of goods PNG bans or restricts, see our guide to prohibited and restricted imports into PNG, and for biosecurity detail, NAQIA rules for cargo entering PNG.
Sea, air or both?
Most relocations use both. A small air shipment carries what you'll need in the first weeks, such as clothes, kitchen basics, work equipment and children's things. Furniture and the rest of the household follow by sea.
For the sea shipment, a few rooms of furniture can travel as shared container (LCL) cargo, while a full house usually justifies a 20-foot container to yourself. Our guide to choosing between FCL and LCL explains the trade-offs. Professional packing is worth the money: removalists know how to pack for long handling chains and inspections, and their inventories are usually what Customs expects to see.
Vehicles and pets
Vehicles are treated differently from household goods, and concessions for them are limited and conditional, so confirm the position with your broker before you ship. Our guide to shipping a car from Australia to PNG covers duty, cleaning and the paperwork.
Pets need prior approval from PNG's Chief Quarantine Officer and can only enter PNG as cargo, not as accompanied baggage. Start the process early, because approvals, vaccinations and travel arrangements take time.
A realistic timeline
- Six to eight weeks before you move: get removalist quotes, confirm your permit dates and decide what goes by air and by sea.
- Four weeks before: book the shipments, clean outdoor items and start the inventory.
- Packing day: check the inventory, photograph valuables and keep copies of every document.
- On arrival in PNG: sign the statutory declaration, give your broker the documents and be available for inspection.
- After release: arrange delivery and check everything against the inventory before signing.
Insure the move
Marine transit insurance for household goods is inexpensive compared with the cost of replacing a household. Make sure the inventory includes realistic replacement values.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ship my car with my household goods?
You can put a car in the same container, but it's assessed separately and doesn't fall under the household goods concession. Check the duty position with your broker first.
Do I need to be in PNG when my goods are cleared?
Removalists' guides say the owner usually needs to be in PNG to sign a statutory declaration, so time your shipment to arrive after you do.
Can I bring new appliances duty-free?
New items are generally dutiable, even in a household shipment. Keep the receipts so they can be assessed correctly.
Part of our complete guide
This article is one step in Shipping from Australia to PNG: The Complete Guide. Other guides in the "shipping by cargo type" stage:
This guide is general information, current at the date of last review. Rates, schedules, duty rates and procedures change, so confirm the details of your shipment with a licensed freight forwarder or customs broker before you act.