Moving to Cook Islands from Papua New Guinea
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Papua New Guinea to Cook Islands — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Papua New Guinea to Cook Islands.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Papua New Guinea to Cook Islands, based on official data.
Who's moving to Cook Islands?
Top countries of origin for Cook Islands's foreign-born residents.
- 2,520
- 527
- 426
- 128
- 98
- 32
- · · ·
-
8.18
Papua New Guinea
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Papua New Guinea to Cook Islands.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Papua New Guinea generally does better on safety, though Cook Islands leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
Cook Islands performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
Cook Islands performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Papua New Guinea generally does better on employment & economy, though Cook Islands leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Cook Islands performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands. To live, work, or study long-term in Cook Islands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cook Islands's immigration authority.
Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Cook Islands
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Cook Islands?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Cook Islands has 18.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Cook Islands safe for expats?
Papua New Guinea generally does better on safety, though Cook Islands leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Cook Islands is 3.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Papua New Guinea.
How is healthcare in Cook Islands compared to Papua New Guinea?
Cook Islands performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Cook Islands, compared to 0.6 in Papua New Guinea. Cook Islands scores 46 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Papua New Guinea: 30).
What language do they speak in Cook Islands?
The official languages in Cook Islands are Cook Islands Māori and English. In Papua New Guinea, the official languages are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin.
