How to send money to Papua New Guinea in 2026: the kina on a gradual path and land leased for 99 years
In 2026 money reaches Papua New Guinea by bank transfer in 1-3 business days or in minutes to a mobile wallet, and it is credited in kina. Since January 2024 the central bank has moved the kina's rate against the US dollar along a gradual path, and a foreigner obtains land on a state lease of up to 99 years.
Money is sent to Papua New Guinea to a bank account in Port Moresby, Lae or another town, through a money transfer service or to a mobile wallet by phone number. The recipient sees the sum in kina: since January 2024 the central bank has moved the kina against the US dollar along a gradual path.
Ways of sending money to Papua New Guinea were checked on 9 October 2026.
| Route | Works now | Credited in | Time | What for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer from abroad | yes | kina at the bank's rate | 1-3 business days | salaries, rent, paying contractors |
| Money transfer service | yes | kina | from a few minutes | support for family and friends |
| Transfer to a mobile wallet by phone number | yes | kina | a few minutes | recipients in provinces without a bank branch |
| Foreign bank card | yes | kina | immediately | a business trip and first expenses |
The kina against the dollar: a gradual path since 2024
Since January 2024 the Bank of Papua New Guinea has moved the kina's rate against the US dollar along a gradual path: the rate changes in small steps rather than jumps. This is a transitional regime under a programme with the International Monetary Fund that began in March 2023; the aim is to return to the free-floating rate the country adopted in 1994. To keep the rate on its path, the central bank sells US dollars to banks from its reserves.
For a sender in US dollars this is convenient: the rate for the coming weeks is predictable, and the sum in kina can be worked out before sending. Money entering the country is credited in kina on the day it arrives, and a foreign currency account at a local bank, if the bank offers one, helps the recipient keep savings in dollars.
For a bank transfer the sender needs the recipient's name, the account number, the bank's name and its international code. Salaries for staff and payments to contractors on projects in the country are sent by bank under a contract, while small sums to relatives in the highland provinces are easier to send to a phone wallet. We will suggest the best way to send money while combining both methods without extra exchanges.
Land in Papua New Guinea: a state lease of up to 99 years
A foreigner in Papua New Guinea obtains land on a state lease of up to 99 years: about 97% of the territory is customary clan land, and only a citizen can own land outright. The 1996 Land Act provides for leases for business, housing, agriculture and special purposes.
A foreigner takes clan land through the state: first the clan owners lease the plot to the state, and the state then leases it on, on the terms and to the tenant the owners have agreed to. That is why a transfer for a project goes in stages: rent under the lease, then construction and equipment. Before the first payment a lawyer checks in the land register that the lease is registered and granted for the right purpose: what can be built on the plot depends on it.
For a company working in the country this procedure is clear in advance: the lease term, the rent and the plot's purpose are written into the contract, and transfers from abroad follow its schedule. So that the rent and the first payments to contractors arrive on time, check the transfer terms.
Documents for a transfer to Papua New Guinea by amount
Data for 2026.
| Amount | What the recipient's bank will clarify | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| up to $10,000 | the recipient and the purpose | the payment purpose |
| $10,000-100,000 | the source of the money and the contract | 3-6 months of statements, a service contract or an income certificate |
| from $100,000 | the path of the money and the project in the country | a contract for the sale of a business or a home, dividends, an inheritance, a land lease and a construction contract |
A transfer for a project in the country, such as an investment in a company, a lease and construction, is almost always above $100,000, and both the sending bank and the bank in Port Moresby will ask for documents on the source of the money. If the sending bank is dragging out the check, workable legal options for such a case usually exist: a manager will look at your situation. The procedure for large transfers is on the capital relocation page.
We will help you send money to Papua New Guinea
Mistakes cost more than fees: paying rent for land before the clans and the state have agreed, investing in a project in one payment without source-of-funds documents, staff salaries with a double exchange. We will help you avoid them: we will choose a route for your sum and sending country, prepare the source-of-funds documents, carry out the transfer through licensed partners and follow it through to crediting.
Details and terms are with a manager in the chat: they depend on the sum, the sending country and the purpose of the transfer.
From Papua New Guinea to Australia and Asia
The nearest neighbour and main partner is Australia: money goes there for studies and medical care. A land border links the country with Indonesia, and equipment suppliers are often paid in Singapore and the Philippines.
Sending money to neighbouring countries
- Australia - the Australian dollar
- Indonesia - the Indonesian rupiah
- Timor-Leste - the US dollar as the national currency
- Philippines - the Philippine peso
- Vanuatu - the national currency, the vatu
- Solomon Islands - a dollar pegged to a basket of 5 currencies
All countries for capital and the procedure for a large transfer are on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
Since what year has the kina's rate against the US dollar moved along a gradual path?
Can a foreigner buy land in Papua New Guinea?
What share of Papua New Guinea's land belongs to clans?
Can you send money to Papua New Guinea to a wallet by phone number?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
Check transfer termsHow we handle a transfer: 4 stages → · Country rules checked