Philippines: New Arrival Guidelines Announced

Last Updated on February 23, 2023

Key Points

  • New guidelines and protocols announced for green and yellow list countries for fully vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers  
  • Clarification of government verified vaccination status for entrance requirements  

Overview

The Philippine government announced new protocols for green list and yellow list countries, territories and jurisdictions in all ports of entry.

Under these new protocols, fully vaccinated travelers arriving from green or yellow list areas will be required to: 

  • Undergo a government facility-based quarantine until a negative RT-PCR test is received on day 5 of the quarantine; 
  • After the fifth day of quarantine, a 10-day home quarantine must be completed, with the day of arrival in the country being the first day of the quarantine; 
  • Foreign nationals should ensure that housing accommodations are booked for at least 6 days before entering the Philippines.  

Unvaccinated travelers, including partially vaccinated individuals or travelers unable to produce a vaccination certificate that is verified by the Philippine authorities, arriving from a green or yellow list area are required to: 

  • Undergo a government facility-based quarantine until a negative PT-PCR test is received on day 7 of the quarantine; 
  • After the seventh day of quarantine, a 14-day home quarantine must be completed, with the day of arrival in the country being the first day of the quarantine;   
  • Foreign nationals should ensure that housing accommodations are booked for at least 8 days before entering the Philippines. 

For purposes of verification/confirmation of vaccination status, any of the following shall be acceptable: 

  1. For Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their spouse, parent/s, and/or children traveling with them: a Certification from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in the country of origin; 
  1. For Filipinos and foreigners fully vaccinated in the Philippines: either their VaxCertPH digital vaccination certificate or Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) issued International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV); and 
  1. For non-OFWs and foreigners fully vaccinated abroad: the national digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement or BOQ-issued ICV. 

What are the Changes?  

New quarantine and testing requirements for travelers based on vaccination status, with shortened quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers.  

Looking Ahead

Continue to check the government of the Philippines website for further updates and Envoy’s website for additional information.  

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Content in this publication is for informational purposes only and not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult an attorney at one of the two U.S. Law Firms working with the Envoy Platform or another qualified professional. On non-U.S. immigration issues, consult an Envoy global immigration service provider or another qualified representative.