Do I Need an eTravel for the Philippines? Who Must Register (2026)

The short answer

Yes. If you are a foreign visitor arriving in the Philippines, you must register on the Philippines eTravel system before you arrive — even if you enter visa-free, and even for a short stay. The official form is free at etravel.gov.ph and takes about ten minutes. If you would rather not deal with it, we are an independent filing service: we register for you for $15 and email your QR code within 24 hours.

eTravel is the online replacement for the paper arrival card and the old One Health Pass. One registration covers one arrival, per person. The question is never whether you need a visa — it is whether you are an arriving passenger, and almost everyone on the plane is.

Who needs eTravel: the complete table

The official FAQ names three groups who must register: arriving Filipino and foreign passengers, arriving Filipino and foreign crew members, and departing Filipino passengers. Broken out by traveler type:

Who is exempt from eTravel

The exemption list in the official FAQ is short and specific. Only these categories skip registration:

The only exemptions

• Foreign diplomats and their dependents
• Foreign dignitaries and members of their delegations
• Holders of 9(e) visas (foreign government officials stationed in the Philippines)
• Holders of diplomatic passports, official passports, and service passports

What the eTravel is, and what it replaced

The eTravel is the Philippine Travel Information System: a single online form that records who is arriving, on which flight, staying where, and the answers to a short health declaration. The Bureau of Quarantine reviews the health answers, and the Bureau of Immigration sees your record at the counter. When you submit, the system issues a QR code that you show at check-in and on arrival.

It replaced two older things. The paper arrival card that used to be handed out on the plane is gone, and so is the One Health Pass from the pandemic years. The Bureau of Immigration discontinued both when eTravel launched on 5 December 2022. If a guide tells you to fill out a paper card on the plane, that guide is at least four years old.

Which airports and ports does eTravel cover?

All of them. The registration requirement is identical whether you land at Manila NAIA (Terminals 1, 2, or 3 after the March 2026 airline reshuffle), Mactan-Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, Davao, or any other international airport in the country. The form asks for your port of entry, and your QR code is checked at whichever terminal you use.

Sea arrivals count too. Ferry passengers entering through Philippine seaports register on eTravel, and cruise passengers use a dedicated cruise travel registration link on the same portal. As an island nation, the Philippines has no land borders — every international entry is by air or by sea, and both are covered by the same registration.

Does visa-free entry change anything?

No. Everyone else registers — there is no age exemption, no visa-type exemption, and no exemption for short stays or visa-free entry. The visa question and the eTravel question are separate. Travelers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and many other countries enter the Philippines visa-free, usually for up to 30 days. They still register on eTravel. The registration records your arrival; it never decides your right to enter. Our complete Philippines eTravel guide explains the difference in depth.

Special cases, answered

The cases that generate most confusion:

Special cases

• Children and infants: every child needs their own registration, with the child's passport details. A parent or guardian fills it in. There is no minimum age.
• Transiting through Manila: eTravel covers arriving passengers who enter the Philippines. If you stay airside and never clear Philippine immigration, you are not entering — but confirm with your airline that your bags are checked through and your transit stays airside before you skip it.
• Cruise passengers: yes, you register too. The eTravel portal has a dedicated cruise travel registration link for arrivals by sea.
• Filipinos living abroad: a Filipino citizen or passport holder arriving in the Philippines registers like any arriving passenger, and also registers when departing.
• Former Filipinos and dual citizens traveling on a foreign passport: you register as a foreign passenger on that passport. If you travel on a Philippine passport, you follow the Filipino rules.

When do I register, and what does it cost?

Register within 72 hours (three days) before your arrival — the window includes your arrival day. Arriving on a Thursday means you can register from the Monday before. The registration is free; the official FAQ states that eTravel never collects any form of online payment. The full timing rules and worked-date tables are in our how to register for eTravel walkthrough.

What happens if I arrive without registering?

No fixed fine is published. The realistic outcome is delay: you can be directed to complete the registration before immigration processes you, and airlines are asked to verify proof of registration at boarding. Since the form takes about ten minutes and costs nothing, there is no good reason to test it. Register the day before you fly, screenshot your QR code, and keep it on your phone.

Want it handled for you? We register and verify eTravel for $15 per traveler, QR code by email within 24 hours, full refund if we fail to deliver. Start my application. Or do it yourself, free, at etravel.gov.ph — the official option is always open.

Frequently asked questions