How to Update Your PNGDAC After Submission (2026)

The short answer: yes, most fields can be updated

Yes, you can update your PNGDAC after submission. If your plans changed after you filed the PNG Digital Arrival Card (PNGDAC), the official portal has a function called “Update Arrival Card” that fixes the details that change most often: your flight number, arrival date, accommodation, and contact details. The update is free at https://ica.gov.pg and takes about two minutes.

Four fields cannot be changed: your full name, passport number, nationality, and date of birth. If one of those is wrong, don't fight the update flow — submit a brand-new card instead. The system treats the most recent submission as the valid one, so the new card simply replaces the old one.

One disclosure before the details: the official form, the update flow, and a refile all cost nothing. We are an independent filing service — we submit and correct cards for travelers for $19, and corrections for our customers are free. The full system background is in our PNG Digital Arrival Card guide.

How the Update Arrival Card flow works, step by step

The update flow lives on the same portal as the original form. It uses the exact button labels below, so you can follow it on your phone without guessing:

Updating your PNGDAC in six steps

• Open the portal and click “Update Arrival Card”.
• Enter your TH Digital Arrival Card number, your date of birth, and your nationality.
• Click “Search” to pull up your submitted card.
• Confirm the correction of the information.
• Edit the fields that changed — the new flight number, dates, or accommodation.
• Submit and download the updated card. A new confirmation email arrives, and the new QR code replaces the old one.

What you can change — and what you cannot

The split is simple, and it decides which route you take. Everything that describes your trip can be edited in the update flow. Everything that identifies you as a person is locked, because the card is matched against your passport at immigration:

The newest-submission-wins rule

When you submit a second card for the same passport, the system does not treat it as a duplicate or a conflict. It uses the most recent submission as the valid one. That is why the official advice for a wrong name or passport number is to refile completely rather than worry about canceling anything — there is nothing to cancel.

This rule has one practical edge: a refile is a fresh submission, so it must sit inside the 3-day window before your arrival date. Arriving Monday 16 June 2026 means every submission, first or replacement, is accepted from Saturday 13 June onward. If your trip moved weeks into the future, wait and refile inside the window for the new arrival date.

Refile only when you must. If the only problem is an editable field, the update flow is faster and keeps your original card number.

Worked scenarios: three common fixes

Three situations cover most of the updates travelers actually need. Notice how the third one — the email typo — is the only case where an editable field forces a refile:

When to update — and when to leave it alone

Update when a field used for matching changed: your flight number, your arrival date, or where you are staying. The officer at immigration scans your passport and matches it against your card, and a card that points to a flight you are not on slows that match down. The moment you know a detail changed, update — departure day wifi is worse than home wifi.

Leave it alone for differences that match nothing. A shortened hotel name, a missing apartment number when you staying at a house, or an old phone number will not affect the match. Don't create updates you don't need.

One timing trap: if your new arrival date is more than three days out, the portal may not accept the edited card yet, because the window is checked against the arrival date on the card. In that case, update the dates anyway if the portal allows it, or simply refile within 3 days of the new arrival. Our how to apply for the PNGDAC walkthrough covers the timing rules in full.

Corrections if we filed your card

If we submitted the card for you, forward the airline's rebooking email or your new hotel confirmation and we run the update ourselves — free, as part of the $19 filing service. If you filed it yourself, the flow above is the whole story, and it costs nothing.

Start my application if you'd rather hand the whole thing off: we prepare, verify against your passport, and file — $19 flat, confirmation within 24 hours, full refund if we fail to deliver. The official form is always free to submit yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions