A practical guide to getting a PNG Police Character Check / Police Clearance through the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC).
Important: Police clearance procedures can differ by purpose (employment, visa, expatriate, PMV, firearms, crime report). Select the correct service before paying.
Official RPNGC information checked 5 October 2026.
Step 1
RPNGC lists several different character-check services.
Use the Papua New Guinea Police Character Check for general employment and character-check purposes.
Do not assume every service has the same requirements or processing time. This guide focuses mainly on the standard PNG Police Character Check and the newer online process.
Step 2
RPNGC says the Online Police Clearance service is available for NCD and Central Province. You begin through the PNG Government Portal and then attend in person for biometric capture.
You can download or collect a police clearance form, pay the prescribed fee, attach the receipt and lodge it with the National Criminal Records Office (NCRO) or the instructed police location.
If the online service is not available in your province, use the current manual procedure published by RPNGC or ask your nearest police station/NCRO office.
Step 3
For the online route, go to the PNG Government Portal and create an account.
RPNGC says the profile asks for details including:
Use your NID number in the NID field. RPNGC specifically warns not to enter a driver's licence number there.
Step 4
After logging into the Government Portal:
Use names and identity details that match your official documents. Differences in spelling or dates can create verification problems later.
Step 5
For a standard PNG Police Character Check, RPNGC lists a fee of K65.
For the online service, RPNGC directs applicants to the Finance E-Receipting portal and says the emailed receipt number (for example an ERG... number) must be entered into the police-clearance application.
RPNGC says:
Keep your receipt. Payment evidence is part of the application process.
Step 6
The online application is not fully remote.
RPNGC instructs online applicants to attend the NCRO Online Services Desk at Gordons Police Station for:
RPNGC's online page currently lists fingerprint collection/payment verification Monday to Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm.
Check the RPNGC page shortly before travelling because counter schedules can change.
Step 7
After lodgement, the NCRO vetting team checks the application and the Officer in Charge reviews it.
For the online route, RPNGC says successful applicants receive an email notification with the Police Clearance attached, including a verification barcode.
For the standard manual PNG Police Character Check, RPNGC currently states an indicative processing period of about one week.
Keep the digital and/or printed certificate safely, especially if it is required for an employer, visa, licence or government application.
Ask about the whole guide or a specific step.
If anything is outdated, incomplete, or unclear, help improve it for the next reader.