Moving to Papua New Guinea from Vanuatu
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Vanuatu to Papua New Guinea — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Vanuatu to Papua New Guinea. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Vanuatu to Papua New Guinea, based on official data.
Who's moving to Papua New Guinea?
Top countries of origin for Papua New Guinea's foreign-born residents.
- 13,592
- 9,219
- 1,783
- 1,621
- 1,463
- 733
- · · ·
-
11.98
Vanuatu
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Vanuatu to Papua New Guinea.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Vanuatu performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vanuatu leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than Vanuatu across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
share of households with internet
Vanuatu performs 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
share of people below the poverty line
Papua New Guinea generally does better on employment & economy, though Vanuatu leads in poverty rate.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Vanuatu performs better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Port Vila | Port Moresby |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Port Vila | Port Moresby |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.4°C) | 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C) |
| Feb | 86°/74°F (30.2°/23.6°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C) |
| Mar | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.4°C) | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C) |
| Apr | 84°/72°F (28.9°/22.5°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| May | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) |
| Jun | 80°/69°F (26.7°/20.5°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C) |
| Jul | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 79°/67°F (26.1°/19.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/67°F (26.7°/19.6°C) | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 82°/69°F (27.8°/20.6°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C) |
| Nov | 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 85°/72°F (29.7°/22.4°C) | 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C) |
Data:
Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department,
Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. To live, work, or study long-term in Papua New Guinea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Papua New Guinea's immigration authority.
Vanuatu passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea
Visa on Arrival
Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Vanuatu
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 Papua New Guinea?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Papua New Guinea has 0.2 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 Papua New Guinea safe for expats?
Vanuatu performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Papua New Guinea is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.3 in Vanuatu.
How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to Vanuatu?
Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vanuatu leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea, compared to 1.6 in Vanuatu. Papua New Guinea scores 30 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Vanuatu: 47).
What's the weather like in Papua New Guinea compared to Vanuatu?
The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 83°F in Port Vila. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Port Vila gets 87.5 in.
What language do they speak in Papua New Guinea?
The official languages in Papua New Guinea are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. In Vanuatu, the official languages are Bislama, English and French.
