Philippines eTravel
Everything you need to apply for your Philippines eTravel: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Philippines government portalOverview
The eTravel is the Philippines' free, mandatory online registration that every traveller completes before flying. It is not a visa: it is an electronic travel declaration, the country's One-Stop Electronic Travel Declaration System, that records your trip and produces a QR code for both arrival into and departure from the Philippines. It applies to everyone crossing the border by air or sea, including foreign tourists, business visitors and returning Filipino citizens, and each traveller files an individual declaration, children included.
The declaration replaces the old paper arrival card, customs form and health declaration, gathering them into one digital submission. It is submitted before you travel and is tied to your flight and dates, so the information must match your booking. The eTravel does not grant entry on its own and it does not replace a visa: if your nationality requires a Philippine visa, you still obtain that separately through a consulate, and immigration officers make the admission decision at the border.
The registration is free at the official portal, etravel.gov.ph, and a number of unofficial look-alike sites charge a fee for the very same form. Your eTravel declaration is completed and reviewed in your own language and submitted in the correct window, so your QR code is ready and every detail of your information is right before you reach the airport.
Requirements in detail
The eTravel asks for three things: your passport details, your trip details and a short health declaration. Have your passport open so the name, number, nationality and dates are entered exactly as printed; a mistyped name or passport number is the single most common avoidable error and can hold you up when the QR code is scanned. For the trip you provide your arrival flight or vessel details and your accommodation address in the Philippines, where a hotel booking is enough, and on departure your onward flight.
The health declaration follows the current Bureau of Quarantine items and is brief. The timing is the part travellers most often get wrong: the declaration is submitted within seventy-two hours, that is three days, before your arrival or departure, and registering too early can invalidate the QR code, so it is best completed close to travel. The registration itself is free at etravel.gov.ph.
Be wary of look-alike sites that copy the eTravel name and charge a fee for the free form; check the address before entering any personal details. You also need a working email address to receive the confirmation. Every field is reviewed for completeness and accuracy before submission, so the record is clean.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Flight or vessel arrival details
- Philippine accommodation address
- Health declaration items per Bureau of Quarantine guidance
- Email address for confirmation
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price, government fee is zero for the eTravel)
How to apply
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
On arrival
After you register, eTravel issues a QR code. Save it on your phone or print it, because it must be shown to airline staff before boarding and scanned by immigration officers at the airport. The colour of the code matters: a Green QR means your submitted information has been reviewed and you are cleared for the express processing lane, while a Red QR sends you to secondary inspection, which is why an accurate, complete submission is worth getting right.
The same QR covers both directions, so you register again for your departure flight. Travel on the passport you registered with, keep your onward or return ticket and accommodation details to hand, and remember that the eTravel does not replace a visa where one is required. The border officer makes the final admission decision.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: Philippines Bureau of Immigration eTravel system processes eTravel declarations digitally once submitted to the official portal. VisitPass review happens before the submission to that portal: Standard 1-3 business days, Rush 1 business day, Super Rush less than 6 hours. The form is verified for completeness so the submission is clean and border issues on arrival are avoided.
When to submit matters: the eTravel can only be registered within the 72-hour window (3 days) before your arrival into or departure from the Philippines, and registering too early can invalidate the QR code. Begin a little ahead of that window so there is time to confirm the details before the submission is made inside the 72 hours before departure.
Who can apply
Mandatory for all foreign nationals and returning Filipinos entering the Philippines by air or sea. The digital declaration replaces the previous arrival cards and customs forms. Each traveller including children files individually.
Philippines help desk
Have questions about your eTravel? Email the Philippines desk and we reply within 24 hours.
philippines@visitpass-online.com