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Updated 9 February 2022
The Philippines’ Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has announced some new entry, quarantine and testing rules for eligible passengers arriving from the green, yellow and red-list countries. The authorities have encouraged all eligible international passengers arriving in the Philippines to mandatorily follow the new arrival and quarantine procedures in Bohol, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Laoag, Manila, and Subic mandated by PAL and the Philippine Government.
Before finalizing your flight and hotel bookings, please keep reading to know more about the Philippines’ green list countries, their testing requirements, vaccine and quarantine requirements.
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Temporary suspension of the green list
The Philippines has decided to temporarily suspend the colour-coded system of the red, yellow and green list of countries until further notice. Entry to the Philippines is now contingent upon travellers’ vaccination status as well as their country of origin.
As per the new guidelines, fully-vaccinated international travellers without a visa from certain countries will be granted entry into the Philippines for tourism and business purposes. More on this below.
The Philippines entry requirements
The Philippines is currently not open for tourism. At present, only some eligible foreigners are allowed entry into the country. All arrivals to the Philippines must mandatorily download the Traze App to generate and scan their QR code when entering in, boarding from, and upon arriving in all Philippine Airports.
Vaccination criteria
To be considered as fully vaccinated, travellers must possess any of the following proof of vaccination:
- World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis.
- VaxCertPH
- National or state digital certificate of the country/foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement; or
- Other proofs of vaccination permitted by the IATF
The vaccines accepted in the Philippines are:
- Oxford-AstraZeneca (SK Bioscience)
- COVOVAX
- Janssen
- Moderna (Spikevax)
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)
- Sinopharm BBIBP
- Sinovac.
- Covaxin
- Sputnik V
- Sputnik Light
Travellers should have received their second vaccine dose more than 14 days prior to departure and should make sure that the vaccine is included in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) list issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration; or is approved by the WHO.
Effective 16 February 2022, all foreign nationals who are permitted to enter Philippines will need to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status before boarding their flight. Individuals below 18 years, foreign diplomats (including their dependents) and those who are medically unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are exempt from presenting a vaccine certificate.
Travellers from non-visa required countries
Starting 10 February 2022, fully vaccinated international arrivals from non-visa required countries will be subject to the following rules:
- They must have the necessary proofs of vaccination against COVID-19 approved by the IATF regulations:
• World Health Organization (WHO) International Certificates of Vaccination and Prophylaxis (ICV);
• VaxCertPH; or
• National/state digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF. - Their passports should be valid for at least six months at the time of arrival, and they must have a return ticket to their country of origin or the next country of destination.
- Children below 18 years of age are exempted from the requirement of full vaccination and providing proof of vaccination status prior to boarding.
- They will need to follow the above-mentioned existing testing and quarantine protocols for fully-vaccinated international arriving passengers.
Testing and quarantine for arriving Filipinos and foreign nationals
The Philippines has set up new COVID-19 testing and quarantine procedures beginning 1 February 2022. On arrival in the Philippines, facility-based quarantine will be applicable at the first port of entry, regardless of your final destination. Inbound Filipinos will need to register with the ‘One Health Pass’ before arriving in the Philippines.
Following are the testing and quarantine protocols that arriving international Filipino and foreign nationals must follow:
Fully vaccinated travellers
- Present a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test undertaken within 48 hours before departure in the country of origin.
- Quarantine on arrival is not required for vaccinated individuals.
- Inbound passengers are requested to self-monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 until the 7th day of arrival.
Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated travellers
- Present a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test undertaken within 48 hours before departure in the country of origin.
- Quarantine on arrival will be required at a government-approved facility until the release of negative results.
- Swab test on day 5
- Unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or unverified passengers are requested to self-monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 until the 14th day of arrival.
Minor travellers
Effective 1 February 2022, the entry protocols for minors below the age of 12 years are as follows:
- Minors below the age of 12 who cannot be vaccinated will need to follow the quarantine protocols of their parents or the accompanying adult/guardian travelling with them.
- Asymptomatic children 3 years or younger are not required to present a negative RT-PCR test result.
- Symptomatic children 3 years or younger will be subject to the regular testing and quarantine procedures for international arriving passengers.
- Filipino nationals aged 12 to 17 can follow the classification and procedures depending on their vaccination status.
- Parents/Guardians of foreign or Filipino nationals can accompany the minor during their facility-based quarantine period.
Filipinos recovering from Covid-19
Filipinos arriving from abroad who have recently recovered from COVID-19 but still test positive in their required pre-departure RT-PCR tests may be allowed to enter the Philippines subject to specific requirements:
- A positive PCR test should have been undertaken 10 to 30 days before departure from the country of origin.
- A positive PCR test result that was taken within 48 of departure in the country of origin.
- A medical certificate from a licensed physician providing evidence that the passenger was asymptomatic, has completed the mandatory isolation period, is no longer infectious and is fit for travel.
Fully Vaccinated and recently recovered:
- No facility-based quarantine required
- Self-monitor for any sign or symptom until the 7th day from arrival
Unvaccinated and recently recovered:
- Facility-based quarantine until the release of the negative results
- Swabbing on day 5
- Self-monitor for any sign or symptom until the 14th day from arrival
Please ensure that you follow the new arrival and quarantine procedures in Bohol, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Laoag, Manila, and Subic mandated by the government.
