Philippines Travel & Entry Restrictions in 2022 (Updated on May 12, 2022)

The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands, of which only 1,000 are inhabited. Seafood is the main food, as is soy sauce, vinegar, rice, pork and noodles. As an emerging tourist destination, the Philippines has diverse cultures, abundant water sports, world-class island beauty, and warm and sunny locals. Want to travel to Philippines? What is the inbound tourism policy to Philippines? This article gives you the answer.

 

2022 latest regulations of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration

1. The following foreigners are not allowed to enter:

• Transit 9(b) visa (dfacrcircular 17 November 2020)
• Tourist 9(a) visa

 

2. The following foreigners may enter:

（1）. Existing valid visa (IATF Resolution 113 series of 2021 and revised guidance for USCIS, IATF Resolution 128 series of 2021). FSC 2021-011 (22 July 2021), IATF 2021 Resolution No. 119 Series. IATF 2021 Resolution 136 Series) 9(c) Visa for Seafarers

 

Long term visa - section 13 Immigrant Visa, Permanent Resident Visa (PRV), Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), Investor Visa (9d), Work Visa (9g), Student Visa (9f), Special Nonimmigrant Visa (a)( 2), Special Retirement Resident Visa (SRRV)

• 9(a) Visas - Alien spouses, children and parents from visa-requiring countries, traveling or not traveling with a Philippine primary national;
• 9(a) Visa - Alien spouses, children and parents of Filipino citizens from non-visa countries who are not traveling with the principal Filipino citizen.

 

（2）. No visa is required on entry (IATF Resolution 113 series of 2021 and Revision Guidelines for Immigration Service, IATF Resolution 128 series of 2021. FSC2021-011 (22 July 2021). IATF Resolution 136 series of 2021 ):. Dual Citizenship of the Philippines, Proof of Recognition as a Philippine Citizen under RA9225

Alien spouses, children and parents from non-visa countries traveling with a principal citizen of Philippine nationality under the Balikbayan program.

Ex-Filipinos and their dependents traveling together under the Balikbayan program.

 

（3）. DFA Entry Waiver is required prior to entry (1ATF Resolution 113 Series 2021 and USCIS Revised Guidelines and IATF Resolution 136 Series 2021):

• 9(a) visa applicants for business purposes (the sponsor in the Philippines must be endorsed by the appropriate national government agency).

 

3. Up-to-date list of red, green and yellow countries (IATF Resolution 157-B 2022)

Red list countries (14) in force from 16 to 31 January 2022:

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Canada, Curacao, French Guinea, Iceland, Malta, Mayotte, Mozambique, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, U.S. Virgin Islands

 

Red List Countries" fully vaccinated:

It is necessary to submit a negative nucleic acid report 48 hours before departure, quarantine the facility after arrival, and conduct a nucleic acid test on the 7th day, with the arrival date as the first day. Facility isolation can be released if the test is negative, but home isolation must be completed within 14 days of arrival.

 

Independent verification for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or ineligible travelers:

It is necessary to submit a negative nucleic acid report 48 hours before departure, quarantine the facility after arrival, and conduct a nucleic acid test on the 7th day, with the arrival date as the first day. A 10-day facility quarantine in hotels is mandatory, and home quarantine is required until day 14 of arrival regardless of negative nucleic acid results (IATF Resolution 154-c, 2021).

 

Green List countries (31) in force from 16 to 31 January 2022:

Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, China (Mainland), Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands (Mavinas), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong (China Special Administrative Region) ) , India, Indonesia, Japan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montserrat, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Saba, St. Barthelemy, Senegal, Sierra Leone, St. Eustatius, Taiwan, Timor-Leste (located in Southeast Asia, a former Portuguese colony), Uganda

 

Fully vaccinated in "green list" countries:

They need to submit a negative nucleic acid report 48 hours before departure. After arrival, they will no longer be required to comply with mandatory quarantine, but must self-monitor their signs or symptoms (7 days), and the first day is the date of arrival.

 

Unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or unachievable travelers verified by Philippine authorities:

A negative nucleic acid report 48 hours before departure is required to be submitted, in addition, they should be required to undergo facility quarantine until their nucleic acid test is released negative on day 5. They should then self-monitor for any symptoms for 14 days, with the first day being the date of arrival (IATF Resolution 154-c of 2021).

 

"Yellow List Countries" means all other countries/regions/jurisdictions not listed on the "Red List" and "Green List" above.

"Yellow list countries" fully vaccinated:

It is necessary to submit a negative nucleic acid report 48 hours before departure, quarantine the facility after entry, and conduct a nucleic acid test on the fifth day of entry, which is the first day of entry. If the test results are negative, they can complete home isolation within the 7th day from the date of arrival.

 

Passengers who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status cannot be verified by Philippine authorities:

It is necessary to submit a negative nucleic acid report 48 hours before departure, to undergo facility isolation after arrival, and to undergo RT-PCR test on the 7th (7th) day, with the arrival date as the first day. If the test results are negative, they can be released within fourteen (14) days of arrival to complete the home quarantine (IATF Resolution 154-C series of 2021).

 

4. Effective February 16, 2022, all foreign nationals admitted to the Philippines must provide adequate proof of vaccination upon entry.

The following foreign nationals should be considered fully vaccinated:

A. 2 weeks or more after the second dose in a 2 series;

B. More than or equal to 2 weeks after receiving a single dose of vaccine;

C. Vaccinations administered to individuals include any of the following:

• (1) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) listing or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration; or
• (2) WHO Emergency Use List

 

Foreigners must hold the following IATF-EID-approved proof of vaccination against COVID-19:

• (1) World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis;
• (2) VaxCertPH;
• (3) National/State digital certificates of foreign governments that accept VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement, unless otherwise permitted by the IATF.

 

The following foreign nationals are exempt from presenting proof of full vaccination upon entry to the Philippines:

A. Children under the age of 18;

B. Persons who are certified medically incapable of being vaccinated by the competent public health authority of the country of origin/port; and

C. Foreign diplomats and their eligible dependents/9(e) visa holders. (IATF Resolution 154-C of 2021)

 

5. Confirm vaccination status:

From October 16, 2021, the vaccine passes for travelers arriving at Philippine airports will be verified by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) of the Philippine Department of Health upon arrival at Philippine airports.

 

The latest policy on entry to the Philippines in 2022:

• Holders of passports from 157 countries can enter visa-free!
• Bureau of Immigration (BI), Feb. 7 Update: Starting Feb. 10, only fully vaccinated foreigners from the 157 countries listed in the executive order will be able to enter the Philippines visa-free.
• From February 10, foreign tourists entering the Philippines will be required to obtain travel insurance first. The International Agency Task Force (IATF) has included travel insurance with a minimum coverage of $35,000 on the list of requirements for fully vaccinated foreign inbound tourists.

 

The latest essential information to enter the Philippines:

• 1. Certificate of complete vaccination and World Health Organization vaccine translation;
• 2. 48-hour nucleic acid negative report;
• 3. Round-trip air tickets (recommended return air tickets within 14 days of validity after landing;
• 4. The validity period of the passport is more than 6 months. The Philippine embassy and consulate for visa application only accepts electronic passports and machine readable passports. Non-machine readable passports or handwritten passports are not accepted for visa applications;
• 5. COVID-19 Travel Insurance Travel insurance with a coverage of $35,000 or more.

 

Visa-free entry for business and tourism:

Citizens of these countries who travel to the Philippines for business or tourism purposes and hold a valid ticket to and from their home country or to the next destination, and plan to stay in the Philippines with their passport valid for more than six (6) months at the end of the period , allowing visa-free entry for a stay of not more than thirty (30) days. If you enter the country, you can renew and extend your visa | apply for a work visa | apply for immigration to the Philippines. To apply, you can contact the official customer service of Easy Travel International.

 

Requirements for foreigners from visa-exempt countries to enter the Philippines

• 1. Former Filipino citizens with Balikpapan privileges, including their spouses and children, are allowed to travel to the Philippines with no restrictions; a stay of not more than 30 days is allowed;
• 2. Children under the age of 12 need to be accompanied by fully vaccinated parents;
• 3. International vaccine certificate;
• 4. A negative nucleic acid report is required 48 hours before departure. Passengers cannot leave the airport or are not allowed to enter the transit country;
• 5. To prepare a return ticket;
• 6. Passport valid for at least 6 months upon entry;
• 7. Purchase travel insurance in advance with a minimum coverage of $35,000;
• 8. Counting from the first day of entering the Philippines, home quarantine is required for 7 days.

 

Vaccination related information

Complete vaccination criteria:

• Have been vaccinated with two or one vaccine for 14 days before entering the Philippines;
• WHO endorsed by WHO

 

Which vaccine certificates can enter the Philippines:

• WHO endorsed by WHO
• Philippines electronic vaccine certificate VaxCertPH
• Country e-Certs from foreign governments (VaxCertPH accepted under reciprocal agreement unless IATF endorsed)
• Proof of other ITAF-approved vaccines

 

If you want to plan a trip to Philippines, feel free to contact us for a free consultation or get our latest information. You can also submit your request directly to create your own Philippines tour.