What documents do I need to travel to the Philippines?
The Philippines needs a passport valid six months beyond your stay, a free eTravel registration and an onward ticket. Full checklist for your trip1 booking.
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Entering the Philippines - what you need
The Philippines is straightforward to enter, with one digital step that catches people out because it can only be done close to departure. Line these up with your trip1 booking.
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of your planned stay, with space for an entry stamp.
- Your eTravel QR code, registered within 72 hours before arrival.
- A visa, if your nationality is not on the visa-free list or you plan to arrive intending to stay past 30 days.
- A confirmed onward or return ticket dated inside your permitted stay.
- Proof of accommodation, which your trip1 booking confirmation provides.
- Enough funds for your stay, if an officer asks to see evidence.
How eTravel registration works
eTravel is the country's single digital arrival form, covering border control, health surveillance and travel statistics. It is mandatory for arriving passengers and it is free.
Register on the official eTravel site within 72 hours before you arrive. Any site asking for a payment is a third-party reseller, because the government does not charge for this.
You get a QR code at the end. A green code sends you straight to immigration, while a red code means health authorities review your details first. Screenshot the code so it works without a data connection.
Departing Filipino passengers register too. If you are travelling with Filipino family members, check they have completed theirs before you head to the airport.
Visas, length of stay and extensions
Nationals of roughly 150 countries enter visa-free for up to 30 days of tourism, and a few nationalities have separate arrangements. Confirm your own case with the Philippine embassy or consulate that covers you.
For more than 30 days you extend at a Bureau of Immigration office inside the country. Extensions are routine, but they are not instant, so start about a week before your permitted stay runs out.
Visitors who have stayed longer than six months often need an Emigration Clearance Certificate before they can leave. Ask the Bureau of Immigration during your extension whether it applies to you, rather than finding out at the airport.
Important: Overstaying brings daily fines and, in serious cases, detention or a departure ban that stops you boarding your flight home. Read the admit until date written in your entry stamp on the day you land, because it can be shorter than 30 days.
Checking into a hotel in the Philippines
Hotels ask each adult guest for a passport at check-in and record the details for their guest register. Bring the physical passport, since a photo on your phone is usually refused.
Your trip1 booking confirmation carries the hotel name and address that eTravel and the immigration officer both ask for. Fill in eTravel with those details before you leave for the airport rather than in the queue.
Some properties take a deposit at check-in to cover incidentals such as restaurant or minibar charges. That is the hotel's own policy, and it is separate from how you paid trip1 for the room.
Entering the Philippines - FAQ
Nationals of roughly 150 countries enter visa-free for up to 30 days of tourism. Longer stays need an extension from the Bureau of Immigration or a visa arranged in advance.
Yes, and it is free. Register within 72 hours before arrival on the official eTravel site and keep the QR code you receive.
Yes. Airlines and immigration officers check for an onward or return ticket that falls inside your permitted stay before they let you board or enter.
Six months beyond the end of your planned stay. Leave space in the passport for an entry stamp too.
You face daily fines and, in serious cases, detention or a departure ban. Extend at a Bureau of Immigration office before the admit until date in your stamp.
