When do I need to fill in the eTravel form?

The official registration can only be submitted on the government platform within the 72 hours before your scheduled arrival time in the Philippines. The system technically blocks any earlier entry. With Visamundi, you send us your file as soon as your tickets are booked: we submit it automatically as soon as that window opens.

Do children and infants need their own eTravel?

Yes. The requirement applies to every individual traveller, regardless of age. Parents or guardians must complete a separate registration for each child.

I have a layover (transit) at a Philippine airport, do I need the eTravel?

It depends on your transit zone. If you stay in the international area to catch another flight to a third country without clearing immigration, you do not need the eTravel. If you must pass immigration control (to collect your luggage or change terminals in Manila, for example), you technically enter the territory and the eTravel registration becomes mandatory.

I am travelling both by plane and by boat, what should I select?

You complete your eTravel declaration according to your final means of transport for entering Philippine territory. If you first arrive on an international flight before reaching a port, choose "Air". If you arrive directly in the Philippines aboard a cruise ship or international ferry, choose "Sea" and provide the vessel and port-of-call details.

Does the eTravel replace the visa?

No. The eTravel is a mandatory digital arrival card, separate from the visa regime. Depending on your nationality, you may be exempt from a visa for a short tourist stay (often up to 30 days, with an entry stamp issued on arrival); other nationalities must obtain a visa. In all cases, the eTravel remains mandatory in addition. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months and a return or onward ticket may be required. Check the regime that applies to your nationality.

Do I need to make a customs declaration through the eTravel?

Since 10 May 2024, the electronic customs declaration has been integrated into the eTravel form. All travellers entering the Philippines must fill in the Electronic Customs Baggage Declaration Form (e-CBDF), which covers any dutiable goods. If you are carrying cash or financial instruments totalling more than USD 10,000 or equivalent, you must also complete the Electronic Currency Declaration Form (e-CDF). These forms replace the old paper forms previously distributed on board. The eTravel QR code now covers both immigration clearance and customs clearance.

Philippines: Arrival card or Electronic visa

The eTravel: a digital arrival card, not a visa

Mandatory since 15/04/2023

The eTravel replaced paper immigration forms. It applies to all international travellers entering the Philippines, whatever their nationality.

100% online and free

Registration is done entirely on the government platform, with no embassy visit. The card carries no consular fee.

Passport valid 6 months

Your passport must remain valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival. A return or onward ticket may be required at boarding and on arrival.

Home page of the official Philippines eTravel portal — The official government portal, which states that registration is free.

Registration is done on the official government portal, which clearly displays the "eTravel is FREE" notice. The platform lets you create a traveller profile, submit your declaration and retrieve the QR code, and is also accessible via the eGovPH mobile app.

To avoid the 72-hour filing window and last-minute stress, Visamundi handles this process on the official portal on your behalf and sends you your QR code by email.

Document type: Digital arrival card (eTravel)
Mandatory since: 15 April 2023
Consular fee: None (free registration)
Filing window: Within the 72 hours before arrival
Proof issued: Unique QR code received by email
Validity: Per entry (one registration per traveller, per trip)
Entry modes: By air or by sea
Accepted reasons: Tourism, Business, Transit, Study, Medical, Family, Religious, Event

eTravel ≠ visa: two separate formalities

The eTravel is an arrival declaration, not to be confused with a visa. Depending on your nationality, you may benefit from a visa exemption for a short tourist stay (often up to 30 days): an entry stamp is then issued on arrival by the immigration authorities (Executive Order 408), with an extension possible on site at the Bureau of Immigration. Other nationalities must obtain a visa beforehand.

In all cases, the eTravel remains mandatory, including for visa-exempt travellers. It does not replace the visa where one is required, and vice versa. Check the regime that applies to your nationality before departure.

Who is concerned by the Philippines eTravel?

Registration on the eTravel platform is a regulatory obligation that applies to all international travellers crossing the borders of the Philippines, regardless of nationality. Whether for a temporary stay, a long-term move or a return home, the digital formality concerns foreigners and Filipinos alike.

Tourists and temporary visitors

Foreign tourists on short stays (all nationalities), business travellers, conference attendees, holders of a tourist visa or a visa on arrival.

Long-term residents

International students and holders of a long-stay visa (work, investment, etc.) entering or returning to the Philippines.

Permanent residents

Foreign nationals holding permanent resident status and returning to the Philippines.

Every traveller, no age exception

The requirement applies individually: each child or infant must have a separate eTravel registration, completed by their parents or guardians.

Good to know — the eTravel also applies to Filipinos

The eTravel card is not reserved for foreigners. Filipino nationals must also register: citizens returning home from abroad, OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), and Balikbayan travellers (Filipinos who have lived abroad and return under the Balikbayan programme, without a visa).

Exempt profiles — and profiles never exempt

The Philippine government requires registration on the eTravel platform for the vast majority of travellers. A strict exemption is nonetheless granted to certain categories, based on their diplomatic or official status.

Foreign diplomats: As well as their dependents
Foreign dignitaries: And all members of their delegation
9(e) visa holders: Diplomatic / official status
Diplomatic passports: Official and service passports

Profiles that benefit from no exemption

Conversely, the registration requirement always applies to the following profiles:

Crew members, Filipino and foreign, on arrival.
Travellers (tourists and residents), Filipino and foreign, on arrival.
Departing Filipino travellers.

How does eTravel registration work?

The journey on the eTravel platform is split into two phases: creating the traveller profile, then entering the trip-specific information. Once the profile is created, identity data does not need to be re-entered on subsequent trips.

1
Create the traveller profile
Initial registration with a valid email address, the only reference required at this stage.
2
Enter your identity
Surname, first name and contact details, taken from your passport. Have your travel document to hand.
3
Upload an ID photo
A digital ID photo (Photo ID) is required to authenticate and finalise the account.
4
Enter the travel information
Purpose of the stay, full details of outbound and return flights and any layovers (by air) or cruise / ferry details (by sea).
5
Declare accommodation, baggage and customs
Exact accommodation address in the Philippines, number of checked and cabin bags, health questionnaire. Since 10 May 2024, this form also integrates the Electronic Customs Baggage Declaration (e-CBDF) for dutiable goods, and the Electronic Currency Declaration Form (e-CDF) if you are carrying more than PHP 50,000, more than USD 10,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency.
6
Receive the QR code
Once the application is validated, a confirmation email contains a unique QR code: the official proof to save or print, scanned at the border.

Our support — get ahead of the 72-hour window

Registration can only be submitted within the 72 hours before arrival: the system technically blocks any earlier entry. To avoid departure stress, entrust the process to Visamundi as soon as your tickets are booked. We gather your information in advance and submit the file automatically as soon as the window opens, then send you your QR code by email.

"Using the eTravel is quick and easy" — official video from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

Arrival by air or by sea

The platform identifies two modes of entry into Philippine territory: by air or by sea. The system covers all of the country's air entry points; when filling in the form, you select your exact airport of landing.

Manila: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) — the system does not differentiate terminals T1 to T4
Cebu: Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB)
Clark: Clark International Airport (CRK)
Regional hubs: Davao (DVO), Kalibo (KLO, for Boracay), Iloilo (ILO), Bohol-Panglao (TAG)

Arrival by air: you provide the purpose of the stay, full details of outbound and return flights and any layovers, your accommodation address and the number of checked and cabin bags. Prepare your flight tickets or bookings and your hotel confirmation.

Arrival by sea (cruise or ferry): you specify whether your arrival in the Philippines marks your disembarkation from the vessel, the date of the port call and the port, as well as the vessel name, the country and date of embarkation, and the ports of call (countries / ports and dates). Have the itinerary of your cruise or ferry journey to hand.

Health questionnaire — common to every mode of arrival

Whatever the mode of arrival, the traveller answers a health questionnaire covering their movements over the last 30 days and their current state of health: no symptoms, no contact or history of exposure to a person with an infectious or transmissible condition. The aim is to ensure the absence of any health risk.

Your Philippines eTravel checklist

Documents and information to prepare

Passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival
Digital ID photo (Photo ID)
Return flight tickets or proof of onward travel
Exact address and contact details of your accommodation in the Philippines
Baggage details (number of checked and cabin bags)
Electronic Customs Baggage Declaration (e-CBDF): dutiable goods — integrated into eTravel since 10 May 2024
Electronic Currency Declaration (e-CDF) if carrying more than PHP 50,000, more than USD 10,000 or equivalent — mandatory where applicable
For sea arrival: cruise / ferry itinerary and vessel details
eTravel QR code saved on your smartphone or printed

Travel tax: the Philippine departure levy

The Philippines levy a travel tax on international departures: PHP 1,620 €22.97 in economy class and PHP 2,700 €38.29 in first class. It is most often already included in the ticket price for tickets sold for departure from the Philippines.

Foreign tourists who have stayed less than one year in the Philippines are exempt. If the tax was nonetheless charged with your ticket, you may claim a refund from TIEZA on presentation of your passport identity pages, the stamp of your latest entry into the Philippines and the payment receipt. Check the "travel tax" line on your ticket before departure.

Security: areas advised against and natural hazards

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (updated 15 September 2026) classifies as formally advised against the island of Basilan, the Sulu and Tawi-Tawi archipelagos, the western provinces of Mindanao (Zamboanga del Norte, del Sur and Sibugay, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and del Norte, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Compostela Valley, Samal island) and the maritime zone south of Palawan. The autonomous region of Bangsamoro (BARMM) falls within this red zone.

Travel is advised against except for compelling reasons to several other Mindanao provinces (Davao del Norte, Davao, Agusan del Sur, part of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Surigao del Sur). The rest of the archipelago — including Luzon, Manila, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Boracay — calls for heightened vigilance.

Three natural hazards to build into your planning:

Typhoon season from May to December: domestic flights and ferry services may be cancelled without notice. Leave a buffer before your international return flight.
Constant volcanic and seismic activity: the Taal (near Manila), Mayon and Kanlaon volcanoes are subject to regularly reassessed alert levels and exclusion zones.
Maritime piracy off western Mindanao and in the Sulu and Tawi-Tawi archipelagos.

Key takeaways

The eTravel is a free, mandatory digital arrival card for all travellers entering the Philippines, to be completed within the 72 hours before arrival and materialised by a QR code. It is separate from the visa: many nationalities can stay without a visa for a short trip (often up to 30 days) but must still register, while nationalities subject to a visa must obtain one in addition. To avoid the last-minute constraint, Visamundi handles the process as soon as your tickets are booked and submits your file the moment the window opens.

59-day tourist visa: who can extend their stay before departure?

Planning a trip to the Philippine archipelago is often easier than it seems. The Philippines already allow citizens of more than 157 countries to enter without a prior visa for a short stay, generally ranging from 14 to 59 days depending on nationality. If you plan to stay longer than the initial period granted on arrival, it is best to organise the formalities before you leave.

In addition to the mandatory eTravel arrival declaration, some nationalities that are normally visa-exempt for 30 days can apply for a single-entry 59-day tourist visa. This makes it possible to land in the Philippines with authorisation to remain for 59 consecutive days from day one. A multiple-entry option valid for one year also exists, with the same 59-day stay per entry.

Note: fully online filing is open only to a limited number of countries of residence, which the Philippine authorities are progressively expanding. Elsewhere, the application is still lodged with a Philippine embassy or consulate. Check which channel applies to your country of residence before booking your tickets.

Important — eTravel and e-Visa are separate formalities

The eTravel is not a visa: it is a mandatory arrival registration for all international travellers. The 59-day tourist visa, by contrast, is for travellers who want to go beyond their initial visa-free allowance while completing everything before boarding.

Document type: 9(a) tourist visa — single or multiple entry
Authorised stay: 59 consecutive days from arrival
Entries: 1 entry (3-month validity) or multiple entries (1-year validity)
Indicative processing time: 7 to 12 working days (single entry) / 15 to 21 working days (multiple entry)
Extension or conversion: Not possible: the stay authorised by this visa can neither be extended nor converted into another visa type
Base fee: USD 55 €48.95, with possible consular and platform fees added
When to apply: Before departure, allowing time for processing

Documents usually requested for the 59-day visa

Digital copy of the passportvalid for at least 6 months beyond the intended stay
Recent passport-style photo in digital format
Return flight bookings or onward ticket
Hotel bookings or proof of accommodation
Certified bank statementproof of sufficient funds for the stay
Possible supporting documentsdepending on the exact purpose of travel

Continent	Region	Nationalities eligible for the 59-day visa
Africa	West & Central	Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Chad, Togo
Africa	East & Southern	South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Africa	North & Indian Ocean	Comoros, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tunisia
Americas	North	Canada, United States, Mexico
Americas	Central & South	Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Americas	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
Asia	Middle East	Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Turkey
Asia	Central & South	Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
Asia	East & South-East	Brunei, Cambodia, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Europe	West & North	Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland
Europe	South, East & Balkans	Andorra, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Vatican City
Oceania	Whole region	Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Nationalities usually granted a 30-day visa-free stay on arrival, and who may on that basis request a 59-day tourist visa before departure. Fully online filing is open only to certain countries of residence; elsewhere, the application goes through a Philippine consular post.

Special cases to know

Brazil and Israel: Brazilian and Israeli nationals automatically benefit from a 59-day visa exemption on arrival. For a stay of 59 days or less, they therefore do not need to apply for an e-Visa.

Indian citizens: since June 2025, two visa-free regimes apply. The first allows a 14-day stay for tourism or business, with a passport valid for 6 months, confirmed hotel booking, proof of sufficient funds, and a return or onward ticket. The second allows a 30-day stay, non-extendable and limited to tourism, for holders of a valid visa or residence permit for the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, the Schengen area, Singapore, or the United Kingdom; on entry, only the passport and outbound ticket are required.

Chinese citizens: since 16 January 2026, a 14-day visa-free entry has been open for tourism and business, non-extendable and non-convertible. This is a temporary arrangement, in force until 15 January 2027. Travellers must present a passport valid for at least 6 months, confirmed accommodation, and a return or onward ticket. Visa-free entry is limited to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila) and Mactan-Cebu International Airport. Chinese nationals transiting through the Philippines to a third country must obtain a transit visa, and no beneficiary of this exemption may have derogatory records with the Bureau of Immigration.

Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau: the exemption is likewise 14 days. For Taiwan it is also a temporary arrangement, opened on 1 July 2025 and extended until 30 June 2027.

The alternative: extending on the spot with the Bureau of Immigration

If you enter under the 30-day visa exemption, you can obtain a 29-day extension on the spot — 59 days in total — from the Bureau of Immigration, in Manila or at its regional offices. The cost is PHP 3,030 €42.97.

The request must be filed before the initial 30 days expire: beyond that, a PHP 1,000 €14.18 fine is added. This is the key difference from the tourist visa obtained before departure: the visa secures 59 days from landing but cannot be extended, whereas the visa exemption can be extended but requires an administrative step during your stay.

What to remember for longer stays

For a tourist stay of more than 30 days, the Philippines therefore combine two separate layers: the mandatory eTravel for entry, and depending on nationality, either a 59-day online tourist visa or an already extended visa exemption (Brazil, Israel, certain Indian and Chinese profiles). If you want to arrive with nearly two months already secured, it is best to apply before departure and prepare all supporting documents in digital format.

Vaccines & health

Required

Certificate required for travellers aged 9 months and over arriving from, or transiting over 12 hours in, a country at risk.

Recommended

Risk year-round in Palawan and the Mindanao provinces; none in Manila or other urban areas.

Recommended

Recommended for unvaccinated travellers aged 1 year and over.

Recommended

Recommended for unvaccinated travellers of any age, and for long or repeated stays.

Recommended

Dogs carry rabies; consider vaccination for long or isolated stays, and for children who walk.

Recommended

Recommended for most travellers, and for long stays or poor hygiene conditions.

Recommended

From 2 months old, for rural stays in the transmission season, even under a month if exposure is high.

Recommended

The CDC reports cholera in the country and suggests vaccination for travel to areas of active transmission.

Recommended

The CDC recommends it for adults expecting close intimate contact with new partners during the trip.

SourcesCDC USA Institut Pasteur

Information provided for guidance only. Check with an international vaccination centre before departure.

Get your Philippines travel document online

Available travel documents

1-year eVisa (multiple entries)

59-day eVisa (single entry)

eTravel Card

The eTravel: a digital arrival card, not a visa

Who is concerned by the Philippines eTravel?

Exempt profiles — and profiles never exempt

How does eTravel registration work?

Arrival by air or by sea

Your Philippines eTravel checklist

59-day tourist visa: who can extend their stay before departure?

Travel advisories for Philippines

Frequently asked questions