UPDATED GUIDELINES AND PROTOCOLS FOR ALL INBOUND TRAVELLERS TO THE PHILIPPINES

(As of 25 July 2022)

Please be informed of the following updated guidelines and protocols on entry to the Philippines pursuant to recent and relevant Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) resolutions:

 

I. ONE HEALTH PASS. All inbound travelers to the Philippines are required to register with One Health Pass (OHP) a few days before travelling to the Philippines. The OHP Declaration Form (e-HDC) must be accomplished through https://onehealthpass.com.ph/  or by scanning the QR code:

 

A unique QR code will be obtained after a successful registration.

For more information on the registration process through OHP, please see item IV.

 

The following are exempted from the requirement of using OHP upon arrival in the Philippines (per IATF Resolution No. 136-C dated 03 September 2021):

 

a. Local and foreign diplomats and their dependents;

b. Foreign delegations;

c. Philippine officials and their delegations on official travel abroad;

d. Philippine officials and their dependents returning to the Philippines at the end of their tour-of-duty abroad; and,

e. Law enforcers in connection with the implementation of treaty obligations on extradition, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and transfer of sentenced persons, including those who will accept the physical transfer of custody of the person being deported to the country of nationality or origin.

II. New entry, testing and quarantine protocols for foreign nationals travelling to the Philippines BEGINNING 30 MAY 2022 (pursuant to the Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution 168 dated 26 May 2022:

1.    Beginning 30 May 2022, fully vaccinated foreign nationals are now allowed entry to the Philippines, provided they comply with the applicable visa requirements and immigration entry and departure formalities, and the following entry requirements/protocols:

a.  Full vaccination	Are fully vaccinated, as defined in Section 2 below, except only for minor children below twelve (12)  years   of  age  traveling  with  their fully-vaccinated foreign parent/s;
b.  Acceptable proof of vaccination	Carry/possess an acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination, which shall be presented prior to departing/boarding from the country of origin/port of embarkation and upon arrival in the Philippines: i.      World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis; ii.     VaxCertPH; iii.   National or state manual/digital vaccination certificate of the country/foreign government; iv.   Other proof of vaccination permitted by the IATF.
c.  Negative RT-PCR / Antigen Test	Present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours or a laboratory-based antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding lay-overs; provided, that, he/she has not left the airport premises or has not been admitted into another country during such lay-over.  However, the following shall be EXEMPTED from this pre-departure testing requirement: i.      Foreign nationals aged 18 and above who have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and at least one (1) COVID-19 booster shot. ii.     Foreign nationals aged 12 to 17 who are “fully vaccinated” as defined in Section A(2)(a) below. iii.    Foreign nationals aged below 12, regardless of their vaccination status, who are accompanied by their parents or guardians who fall under Section 1(c)(i) above.
d.    Valid passport	Have passports valid for a period of at least six (6) months at the time of their arrival to the Philippines;
e.    Valid Return Ticket (for temporary visitors)	For temporary visitors, have valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination corresponding to their permitted/allowable duration of stay under a valid visa or visa-free entry, as the case may be. However, this shall not apply to foreign spouses and/or children of Filipino citizens and former Filipino citizens with balikbayan privilege under Republic Act No. 9174, including their foreign spouse and/or children who: (i)    are not balikbayans in their own right and (ii)   are traveling with them to the Philippines.

          *The travel insurance as an entry requirement for foreign nationals is no longer required, but highly encouraged.

2.    COVID-19 Vaccination

a.    A foreign national shall be deemed “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19 only if he/she received the second (2nd) dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than 14 days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/port of embarkation (“Primary Series COVID-19 Vaccination”).

b.    For the purposes of Section II(1)(c)(i) above, “booster shot” shall refer to doses administered to a vaccinated populations that has completed a primary vaccination series, when, with time, vaccine effectiveness has fallen below a rate deemed sufficient in that population, as indicated in the EUA issued by the FDA.

c.     The primary series COVID-19 and/or booster shot must be included in any of the following:

i.      Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) List or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration; or

ii.     Emergency Use Listing of the World Health Organization.

3.    Foreign nationals who fail to fully comply with the conditions and requisites set forth in Sections (1) and (2) above, inclusive, shall be denied admission into the country and shall be subject to the appropriate exclusion proceedings.

4.    Once admitted into the country, they are no longer required to observe facility-based quarantine but shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom for seven (7) days.

5.    Foreign Children Traveling with Filipino nationals:

a.    A foreign child or children below 12 years of age who are not vaccinated for any reason whatsoever and traveling with their Filipino parent, shall follow the entry, testing, and quarantine protocols of their Filipino parent traveling with them.

b.    A foreign child or children from ages 12 to 17 years of age traveling with their Filipino parent, shall follow the protocol based on their vaccination status (i.e., vaccinated or unvaccinated).  In case of such unvaccinated minor children, either foreign or Filipino parents should accompany such child or children during their facility-based quarantine

6.    Specific guidelines on entry requirement protocol for unaccompanied foreign minors (per Bureau of Quarantine Memorandum Circular No. 2022-11 dated 17 July 2022):

 

A.      Unaccompanied foreign minors aged 15-17 years
1.  No quarantine and testing upon arrival	a. Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine and at least one (1) COVID-19 booster shot.   b. Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine and shall present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or remotely supervised, or a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.
2.  Required to undergo mandatory quarantine and testing upon arrival	a.  Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine but with no COVID-19 booster shot or with no negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or remotely supervised, or a laboratory-based raid antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.   b.  Partially vaccinated and unvaccinated.
B.      Unaccompanied foreign minors aged 5-14 years
1.    No quarantine and testing upon arrival	a.    Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine and with prior coordination with endorsement letter of designated foreign embassy and airline.   b.    Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and at least one (1) COVID-19 booster shot.  Regardless to the status of coordination to designated foreign embassy and airline.   c.    Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine and shall present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or remotely supervised, or a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.  Regardless to the status of coordination to designated foreign embassy and airline.
2.    Required to undergo mandatory quarantine and testing upon arrival	a.    Have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine but without prior coordination and endorsement letter of a designated foreign embassy and airlines; and no COVID-19 booster shot or with no negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or remotely supervised, or a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.   b.    Partially vaccinated and unvaccinated.
C.     Unaccompanied foreign minors aged 4 years old and below   Unaccompanied foreign minors aged 4 years old and below shall have prior coordination with endorsement letter from designated foreign embassy and airline prior departure from port of origin.  Department of Foreign Affairs endorsement letter can be an alternative acceptable requirement.
D.     Airline check of required documents for unaccompanied foreign minors   Airlines shall thoroughly check the required documents for unaccompanied foreign minors upon check-in, which includes the following:
15-17 years old	·       One Health Pass (OHP) ·       Proof of Vaccination ·       COVID-19 booster shot or valid negative RT-PCR result ·       Authorization Letter from the parent/s or guardian indicating the name and address of the guardian in the Philippines who can accompany the minor in the quarantine facility and that the parent/s or guardian are allowing the minor to undergo mandatory quarantine and RT-PCR testing
5-14 years old	·       One Health Pass (OHP) ·       Proof of Vaccination ·       Authorization Letter from the parent/s or guardian indicating the name and address of the guardian in the Philippines who can accompany the minor in the quarantine facility and that the parent/s or guardian are allowing the minor to undergo mandatory quarantine and RT-PCR testing ·       COVID-19 booster shot or valid negative RT-PCR result ·       Endorsement Letter from the designated foreign embassy and airline, or Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
4 years old and below	·       One Health Pass (OHP) ·       Authorization Letter from the parent/s or guardian indicating the name and address of the guardian in the Philippines who can accompany the minor in the quarantine facility and that the parent/s or guardian are allowing the minor to undergo mandatory quarantine and RT-PCR testing ·       Endorsement Letter from the designated foreign embassy and airline, or Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
E.    Additional requirements, in case of non-compliance of the above requirements:   In case of non-compliance of the above requirements, an accompanying adult/guardian designated by parent/s or airline should accompany the child or children during their facility-based quarantine.  The accompanying adult/guardian should present the following requirements:   a.    A negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours or antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to check in at the quarantine facility.   b.    A signed waiver indicating the awareness of the risk of exposure and willingness to accompany an unaccompanied minor/s to undergo complete mandatory facility-based quarantine.

7.    List of countries/territories/jurisdictions with vaccine certificates accepted/recognized in the Philippines, as approved by IATF-MEID, for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement (As of 06 April 2022):

1. Albania 2. Argentina 3. Armenia 4. Azerbaijan 5. Australia 6. Austria 7. Bahrain 8. Bangladesh 9. Belgium 10. Brazil 11. Brunei Darussalam 12. Bulgaria 13. Cambodia 14. Canada 15. Chile 16. Colombia 17. Czech Republic 18. Denmark 19. Ecuador 20. Egypt 21. Estonia 22. France 23. Georgia 24. Germany 25. Greece

26. Hong Kong SAR 27. India 28. Indonesia 29. Iran 30. Iraq 31. Ireland 32. Israel 33. Italy 34. Japan 35. Kazakhstan 36. Kuwait 37. Macau SAR 38. Malaysia 39. Maldives 40. Malta 41. Mexico 42. Monaco 43. Myanmar 44. New Zealand 45. Oman 46. Pakistan 47. Palau 48. Panama 49. Papua New Guinea

50. Peru 51. Portugal 52. Qatar 53. Republic of Korea 54. Samoa 55. Singapore 56. Slovac Republic 57. Slovenia 58. Spain 59. Sri Lanka 60. Switzerland 61. Syria 62. Thailand 63. The Netherlands 64. Timor-Leste 65. Tunisia 66. Turkey 67. United Arab Emirates 68. United Kingdom 69. United States of America 70. Uruguay 71. Vietnam

For vaccination certificate issued by the Chinese Health Institutions, please contact the nearest International Health Station near your residence and inquire about the issuance of the WHO-recognized ​International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis (ICVP) as proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Cities/provinces in China have different rules and regulations on the issuance of the said ICVP.

8.       Pre-pandemic procedures for visa issuance and visa-free entry procedures for foreign nationals are reinstated beginning 01 April 2022. This reinstatement includes, but is not limited to, the following:

     a. Issuance of multiple-entry 9(a) visas;
     b. Issuance of all other visa types;
     c. Privileges for Chinese and Indian nationals holding valid AJACS /  

         AJACSSUK visas;
     d. Privileges for holders of APEC Business Travel Cards (ABTC); and,
     e. Privileges under the Philippines' various visa waiver agreements.

Reinstatement of pre-pandemic processes pertains to visa processes ONLY. Requirements and procedures for entry, especially pertaining to COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and quarantine, are still in effect pursuant to relevant IATF Resolutions.

III. New entry, testing and quarantine protocols for filipino nationals arriving from abroaD BEGINNING 30 MAY 2022, (pursuant to the Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution 168 dated 26 May 2022):

1. Fully-vaccinated Filipino nationals:

      Filipino nationals may enter the Philippines provided that they comply with the following requirements:

     

a.    Acceptable proof of vaccination

Carry/possess an acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination, which shall be presented prior to departing/boarding from the country of origin/port of embarkation and upon arrival in the Philippines: i.     World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis; ii.     VaxCertPH; iii.   National or state manual/digital vaccination certificate of the country/foreign government; iv.   Other proof of vaccination permitted by the IATF.

b.    Negative RT-PCR / Antigen Test

Present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours or a remotely supervised, or a laboratory-based antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within twenty-four (24) hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding lay-overs; provided, that, he/she has not left the airport premises or has not been admitted into another country during such lay-over.  However, the following shall be EXEMPTED from this pre-departure testing requirement:       i.       Filipinos aged 18 and above who have received primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and at least one (1) COVID-19 booster shot. ii.  Filipinos aged 12 to 17 who are “fully vaccinated”.    A person shall be deemed “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19 only if he/she received the second (2nd) dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than 14 days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/port of embarkation (“Primary Series COVID-19 Vaccination”). iii. Filipinos aged below 12, regardless of their vaccination status, who are accompanied by their parents or guardians who fall under item b (i) above.

2. Unvaccinated, partially unvaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated:

a.    Present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or a remotely supervised, or a negative laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours, prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippine, excluding lay-overs; provided, that, he/she has not left the airport premises or has not been admitted into another country during such lay-over.

b.    Required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth (5th) day from date of arrival. After which, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until their 14th day from date of arrival.

c.     The local government units (LGUs) of destination and their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTS) are tasked to monitor those arriving passengers undergoing home quarantine.

3.  Unvaccinated Minor Filipino Nationals

a.    Filipino nationals below 12 years of age who are not vaccinated for any reason whatsoever shall follow the quarantine protocols of their parent/s or an accompanying adult/guardian traveling with them.

b.    Filipino nationals from 12 years to 17 years of age shall follow the classification and procedures based on their vaccination status (i.e. vaccinated or unvaccinated).  In case of such unvaccinated minor children, either foreign or Filipino parents should accompany such child or children during their facility-based quarantine.

 

4.  Fully-Recovered Filipino Nationals with Positive RT-PCR Pre-Departure Test Results

a.    Filipino nationals who have recovered from COVID-19 but test positive for the 48-hour pre-departure RT-PCR test may nonetheless enter the country, provided, they are able to present the following documents prior to departing /boarding from the country of origin/port of embarkation and upon arrival in the Philippines:

                                               i.     A positive RT-PCR test taken not earlier than 10 days but not later than 30 days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/port of embarkation;

                                              ii.     The positive RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding lay-overs; provided, that, he/she has not left the airport premises or has not been admitted into another country during such lay-over; and,

                                            iii.     A medical certificate issued by a licensed physician stating that the Filipino national certifying that he/she:

(i)             was an asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe or critical case of COVID-19, as the case maybe;

(ii)            has completed the mandatory isolation period;

(iii)          is no longer infectious; and

(iv)          has been allowed free movement and travel.

b.    Upon arrival, the COVID-19 positive Filipino national shall be subject to the following protocols:

                                           i.         If fully vaccinated, they shall no longer be required to observe mandatory facility-based quarantine but shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom for seven (7) days with the first day being the date of arrival and shall be required to report to the local government unit of destination upon the manifestation of symptoms, if any;

                                         ii.         If unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or vaccinated status cannot be independently determined, they shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth (5^th) day.  After which, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until their fourteenth (14^th) day, with the date of arrival being the first day.

5. All inbound Filipinos shall register with the One Health Pass prior to arrival in the Philippines.

IV. health declaration and quarantine registration procedures with ONE HEALTH PASS (OHP)

BEFORE YOUR TRIP

1.     Before your trip, register for the One Health Pass (OHP) at https://onehealthpass.com.ph/ a few days before travel and note your transaction number.

2.    On the day of departure, go to the same website above and with your transaction number, obtain your One Health Pass (OHP) QR Code that must be presented upon your check-in at the airport.

Important:  Only QR codes generated on the date of flight will be considered valid.

UPON ARRIVAL AT PHL AIRPORT

3.    Present at the arrival gate your One Health Pass (OHP) QR Code.

4.    Proceed to the appropriate briefing area and present your OHP QR Code.

For Foreigners and Non-OFWs: proceed to DOT Help Desk

For Landbased OFWs: proceed to OWWA Help Desk

For Seabased OFWs: proceed to MARINA Help Desk

5.    Proceed to Bureau of Immigration for clearance prior to baggage claim.

6.    Proceed to your transport service.

For Foreigners and Non-OFWs: via Airport Taxi

For Landbased OFWs: via OWWA Bus

For Seabased OFWs: via Licensed Manning Agency (LMA) Transport

V. Other guidelines:

          Final admission to the Philippines rests on the immigration authority at ports of entry.

     For travel or entry protocol updates, please refer to the most recent IATF-MEID resolutions here: https://iatf.doh.gov.ph. Please be guided accordingly.