Location: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu
Event: The U.S. Embassy is aware of travel restrictions and flight cancellations affecting U.S. citizens attempting to depart Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu in order to return to the United States.
We strongly encourage U.S. citizens to continue working with airlines and/or travel agents to find commercial air options for returning to their place of permanent residence. We are compiling information and details of U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States but who are unable to find commercial options to do so.
We ask that U.S. citizens facing this situation provide us with the following information (using the table below) by writing to ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov and using “Coronavirus Emergency” in the subject line.
Please provide complete and accurate information as it appears in your valid U.S. passport. Please do not send your information twice. We will make every effort to acknowledge receipt. If you are in a group with multiple U.S. citizen travelers, you may submit one table for the entire group, ensuring that each person is one row and checking with each traveler to verify accuracy of the information.
Each field below must be completed, or your submission cannot be accepted.
U.S. citizens who are not in possession of a valid passport and who are trying to depart immediately should highlight fact in their email.
As you continue to work with airlines and/or travel agents to find possible commercial air options, please be advised that transiting to the United States via Australia is possible only if you receive an exemption from the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs, unless you are also an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.
U.S. citizens may face difficulty receiving exemptions if routing requires a domestic connection or an overnight stay in Australia. Until 11:59 pm on March 29, U.S. citizens with Australian exemptions may be able to find routing through Australia to New Zealand and then on to the United States. Please consult the website of New Zealand Immigration for more information on transit requirements.
The Embassy has no authority to facilitate an exemption to Australia’s border and immigration policies.
Please Note:
- We are gathering this information to develop a better understanding of the number of U.S. citizens who wish to depart immediately but are unable to do so. The Embassy cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer assistance to U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States.
- In the event that assistance can be offered, only U.S. citizens and immediate family members are eligible to receive U.S. government support to return to the United States.
- Under U.S. law, travelers on any potential charter flight organized by the Department of State are responsible for paying the cost of their ticket, which may be higher than standard commercial fares.
- Space on any potential charter flights may be limited and would be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis or based on emergency need.
- We will make every effort to acknowledge receipt of your information, but due to the high volume of inquiries and limited staffing, you may not receive an immediate response.
Actions to Take:
- Provide the above information for each U.S. citizen traveler in your party. Please read the instructions carefully and provide complete and accurate information for each data field.
- Consult with your airline or travel agent to try to find commercial options to the United States. If your itinerary transits via Australia, obtain an exemption from the Australian Border Force in advance of your travel.
- Look at the option of routing through New Zealand via Australia and then on to the United States.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s websiteon the latest travel restrictions to the United States
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Phone number: +675 321 2100
Email address: ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usembassyportmoresby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/usembassypom?lang=en
U.S. Consular Agency in Honiara, Solomon Islands
Phone number: + 677 27429 or + 677 74 94731
Email address: us_consular@usconsular.com.sb
U.S. State Department – Consular Affairs
+1 888 407 4747 or +1 202 501 4444
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