Nanocellulose, as a natural and degradable material, has excellent mechanical properties, high specific surface area, large aspect ratio and other characteristics. In order to study the application of nanocellulose-based foam materials in packaging field, different manufacturing methods of nanocellulose foam materials in recent years and their advances in cushioning, heat insulation, flame retardant, antimicrobial and hydrophobic properties were reviewed. It was indicated that great progress has been made in the fields of nanocellulose preparation, foaming process and foam drying. However, there are still some problems to be solved in the scale production of nanocellulose-based foams due to the complexity of nanocellulose production process and the high energy consumption and long drying time. Moreover, the key performance index of nanocellulose-based foams as packaging materials still needs further improvement. The research progress of nanocellulose-based foams in packaging field was reviewed with the purpose of providing theoretical support for the development of sustainable packaging materials.