Philippines introduces new online platform for all inbound travellers

Passengers must register through the new website 72 hours before their arrival

Tourists visit the Lourdes grotto on the main beach of Boracay island, Philippines. Bloomberg

Passport check at an immigration counter at Manila's international airport. AP

A day out at White Beach, Boracay Island. Reuters

Tourists watch the sun set, on sailboats in Boracay. Reuters

Boracay Island has one of the top beaches in the Philippines. AFP

El Nido in Palawan, Philippines. Photo: Explorar Hotels & Resorts

The Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Intramuros, the ­historic walled city.

Waterfalls in Bislig, southern Philippines. Reuters

The crater lake of Mount Pinatubo is one of the popular tourist attractions of Central Luzon. Photo: Emirates

Tourists ride a paddle board at Cadlao Lagoon in El Nido, Palawan Islands. EPA

The Philippines government is introducing an online portal for inbound travellers.

From Friday, those entering the South-East Asian country will have to access the eTravel portal to provide their arrival and health information — which are mandatory entry requirements.

The platform replaces the One Health Pass website, which was launched by the Philippines' government to manage travellers during the Covid-19 pandemic. This website will no longer be accessible from Monday.

It also replaces the paper arrival card, which has long been the system for immigration clearance for inbound travellers.

The government encourages travellers to the Philippines to register through the new platform, which it calls the “one-stop electronic travel declaration system”.

How does it work?

All inbound travellers, including infants and children, should be registered through the platform 72 hours before their arrival in the Philippines.

Travellers can register by inputting personal details, including passport and vaccination information.

Upon registration, a personal QR code will be generated. Travellers are advised to take a screenshot of the code, as it serves as proof that will be required upon check-in, boarding and arrival in the Philippines.

A green or a red QR code will be given to show compliance with the latest health protocols. Those with green QR codes can pass through checkpoints easily and will pass through express lanes at Philippines' airports.

Those with red codes will be interviewed upon arrival and will undergo a manual verification to determine whether facility-based quarantine or RT-PCR testing is required.

The Philippines, known for its tropical tourism offerings, was heavily hit by the Covid-induced restrictions. In 2020, AFP reported fewer than 1.48 million tourists travelled to the country, down from more than eight million in 2019.

The country has since relaxed its Covid-related rules for travellers. According to the official government website, fully vaccinated Filipinos and foreigners entering the country are no longer required to have a pre-departure Covid-19 test.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers are still required to present a rapid antigen test taken 24 hours before departure.

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