As part of the Travel and Hospitality industry, Z Hostel will be coming up with blog posts relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, sourcing from government agencies, to help travelers and the public with relevant travel, arrival, and quarantine information here in the Philippines.
Some good news for the travel junkies! Travel requirements for both international and local travellers to and within the Philippines have eased out. Still, protocols are in place to keep everyone safe and avoid further spread of COVID-19. As per the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No. 2 (s. 2022), here are the updated guidelines:
FULLY VACCINATED (Foreign and Filipino Travelers)
A pre-departure COVID-19 Test is NO longer required for travelers aged 15 years and older, as long as the 2nd dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose vaccine has been received more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date of departure from their country of origin.
Accepted Vaccines
- Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (nucleoside modified)
- ChAdOx1-S[recombinant] (COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca)
- SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated [Coronavac]
- Sputnik V Gam-COVID-Vac/Sputnik Light COVID-19 Vaccine
- Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Ad26.COV2-S (recombinant))
- Whole Virion, Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine [Covaxin]
- COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (nucleoside modified) [COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna]
- COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated [COVID-19 Vaccine Sinopharm]
- SARS-CoV-2 rS Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine [Covovax]
Accepted Proof of Vaccination
- World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis (WHO ICV)
- VaxCertPH
- Other proofs of vaccination permitted by the IATF
UNVACCINATED or PARTIALLY VACCINATED (Foreign and Filipino Travelers)
For travelers 15 years old or older, a laboratory-based Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) must be taken 24 hours prior the departure time from country of origin (excluding layovers, as long as the traveler has not left the airport premises)
Those who cannot provide a pre-departure negative test will be required to undergo a laboratory-based test upon arrival at the airport. If the traveler will test positive, he or she must abide by the latest quarantine procedures and isolation protocols as advised by the Department of Health (DOH).
Unvaccinated travelers 14 years old and below must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who must be able to comply with their entry requirements. Unaccompanied travelers aged 14 years or below must need to follow the testing procedures set for adults.
ALL inbound travelers to the Philippines must register via the eTravel Portal (etravel.gov.ph), and may do so within 72 hours from their scheduled arrival in the country.
Developing News as of Jan 2023
Travelers from China entering the Philippines may face tighter and stricter restrictions due to the recent surge of COVID-19 infections there. There is no final directive yet as of writing, so stay tuned for more updates, or keep updated by looking into legitimate news outlets and Philippine government authority announcements.
Sources: