To further prevent introductions of variants of concern to the country, all incoming international travelers in all ports of entry must strictly comply with testing and quarantine protocols approved by the IATF. The following actions shall likewise be strengthened:
- The Bureau of Quarantine must identify who the close contacts in the plane/vessel of the confirmed case are and closely monitor them;
- Infection prevention and control protocols must be strictly followed in all quarantine and isolation facilities to prevent transmission in the facility and in the households of facility workers;
- Local Government Unit handover must include clear transportation arrangements and quarantine accommodation;
- LGUs must closely monitor for the appearance of any sign or symptom while arrivals are completing their quarantine and immediately conduct Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing after detection of symptoms;
- Health assessment must be done for all arrivals at the end of the isolation or quarantine period.
ARRIVING PASSENGERS FROM TRAVEL-RESTRICTED COUNTRIES
- Foreign nationals coming from or who have been to travel-restricted countries within the last 14 days shall NOT be allowed entry.
- Filipinos arriving under a repatriation program of the government shall undergo an absolute 14-day facility-based quarantine from the date of arrival in the Philippines, with the date of arrival being the 1st day.
ARRIVING PASSENGERS NOT FROM TRAVEL-RESTRICTED COUNTRIES
Provided that the travelers are authorized to enter the country thru relevant resolutions of the IATF-MEID and subjected to existing testing and quarantine protocols issued by the Department of Health (DOH), the following may be allowed entry:
- Those who transited or who have a mere lay-over at the airport of travel-restricted countries (lay-over at the airport and with no immigration admission at said countries)
- Those NOT coming from travel-restricted countries
INBOUND TRAVEL FOR FULLY VACCINATED CEBUANO OFWs and ROFs
Upon their arrival in Cebu, returning passengers shall present proof of their vaccinations that shall include, but shall not be limited to, Vaccination Cards issued abroad as verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), Government Certification of Vaccination, or BOQ-issued International Certificate of Vaccination.
The passengers shall be subjected to an RT-PCR test upon arrival and shall be transported to their hotel for quarantine. Should the RT-PCR test result turns out positive, health protocols for the treatment of COVID-19 positive individuals shall be followed and shall be subjected to a second RT-PCR Test on the 5th day of quarantine.
If the second test result is negative, the returning passengers shall be allowed to return to their respective LGUs on the day the test result is released.
ARRIVING PASSENGERS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED IN THE PHILIPPINES
Effective July 26, 2021, the inbound international travel to any port of the Philippines of all individuals fully vaccinated regardless of point of entry, shall be governed by the following guidelines:
- International arriving passengers to the Philippines, regardless of point of entry, need only undergo a 7-day facility-based quarantine and Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing on the 5th day, with the day of arrival being the first day, only if all the following conditions are met, subject to the definitions in this Resolution:
- Their port of origin is a Green List country / jurisdiction / territory.
- They stayed exclusively in Green List countries / jurisdictions / territories in the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philippines.
- They are fully vaccinated, whether in the Philippines or abroad.
- Their vaccination status can be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid and authentic upon their arrival in the country.
- International arriving passengers to the Philippines, regardless of point of entry, shall not be qualified for the Green Lanes, and shall thus undergo a 10-day facility-based quarantine and a 4-day home quarantine, including an RT- PCR test on the 7th day, if any of the following are present:
- Their port of origin is not a Green List country / jurisdiction / territory;
- They stayed outside a Green List country / jurisdiction / territory at any time in the last 14 days before their arrival in the Philippines;
- They have not been fully vaccinated; or
- Even if fully vaccinated, their vaccination status cannot be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid or authentic upon their arrival in the country.
- “Green” countries/jurisdictions/territories are those classified by the Department of Health as “Low Risk” countries / jurisdictions / territories, upon recommendation of the DOH based on the following metrics:
- For populations greater than 100,000, the incidence rate (cumulative new cases over the past 28 days per 100,000 population) shall be less than 50.
- For populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts (cumulative new cases over the past 28 days) shall be less than 50, as prescribed by its Technical Advisory Group.
- All passengers, whether Filipinos or Foreigners, merely transiting through a non-Green list country / jurisdiction / territory shall be deemed as having come from or having been to said country / jurisdiction / territory if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country / jurisdiction / territory by its immigration authority.
- The following conditions below allow an individual to be considered as fully vaccinated for COVID-19:
- At least 2 weeks after getting the second dose in a 2-dose series, or
- At least 2 weeks after getting a single-dose type of vaccine
- Vaccines administered to the individual are included in any of the following:
- Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) List or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration
- Emergency Use Listing of the World Health Organization
- For purposes of verification/confirmation of vaccination status, any of the following shall be acceptable:
- 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;
- For Filipinos and foreigners fully vaccinated in the Philippines: either their LGU/ hospital-issued vaccination cards (in original and/or hard copy form) or Local Government Unit (LGU)-issued Vaccine Certificate, provided these can be verified/confirmed by border-control authorities, or BOQ-issued International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV); or
- For Filipinos and foreigners fully vaccinated abroad: the vaccination certificate issued by the health authorities of their place of vaccination; provided that such certificate can be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid or authentic
- For those qualified for Green Lanes, the BOQ shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine for 7 days. Even if the RT-PCR test yields a negative result, the individual shall still complete the seven-day facility-based quarantine; but if found positive, he/she shall follow the prescribed isolation protocols. Upon completion of such quarantine, the BOQ shall issue a Quarantine Certificate indicating therein the individual’s vaccination status. The individual is thereafter enjoined to monitor themselves for the next 7 days for any symptoms;
- The foregoing testing and quarantine protocols shall be subject to special protocols approved by the IATF or the Office of the President for certain classes of travelers or ports of origin.
GREEN COUNTRIES
- American Samoa
- Algeria
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Cayman Islands
- Chad
- China
- Cook Islands
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Falkland Islands
- Hungary
- Kiribati
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia, Federated States of
- Montserrat
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Niue
- North Korea
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Poland
- Saba
- Saint Helena
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Samoa
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Eustatius
- Solomon Islands
- Sudan
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Yemen
The IATF adopts the “Yellow” and “Red” classification, in addition to the “Green List” for countries / territories / jurisdictions based on their respective incidence rates and case counts as primary criteria, and testing data as secondary criteria:
- “Yellow List” countries / jurisdictions / territories are those classified by the IATF as “Moderate Risk” countries / jurisdictions / territories, upon recommendation of the sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics, based on the following metrics:
- For populations greater than 100,000, the incidence rate (cumulative new cases over the past 28 days per 100,000 population) shall be 50 to 500; and
- For populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts (cumulative new cases over the past 28 days) shall be 50 to 500, and testing rate of tests over the past 28 days per 100,000 population, as prescribed by its Technical Advisory Group;
- “Red List” countries / jurisdictions / territories are those classified by the IATF as “High Risk” countries / jurisdictions / territories, upon recommendation of the sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics, based on the following metrics:
- For populations greater than 100,000, the incidence rate (cumulative new cases over the past 28 days per 100,000 population) shall be more than 500.
- For populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts (cumulative new cases over the past 28 days) shall be more than 500 and testing rate of tests over the past 28 days per 100,000 population, as prescribed by its Technical Advisory Group.
- The inbound international travel of all persons, regardless of vaccination status, coming from or who have been to “Red List” countries / jurisdictions / territories to any port of the Philippines shall not be allowed. Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated repatriation, non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry. All travelers coming from or who have been on “Yellow” and “Red list” countries / jurisdiction / territories shall be governed by the following entry, testing, and quarantine protocols:
- All arriving travelers shall undergo 14-day quarantine upon arrival. The first 10 days of which shall be observed in a quarantine facility, with the remainder to be completed under home quarantine in their respective local government units of destination;
- Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing shall be conducted on the 7th day with Day 1 being the day of arrival. Notwithstanding a negative test result, the arriving traveler shall complete the facility-based quarantine period of 10 days;
- The Bureau of Quarantine shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine for 10 days;
- The foregoing shall be subject to special protocols approved by the IATF or the Office of the President for certain classes of travelers or ports of origin;
- All passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through a Red List country/jurisdiction/territory shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country / jurisdiction / territory if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country / jurisdiction / territory by its immigration authorities;
- Upon arrival in the Philippines, passengers covered by the immediately preceding paragraph shall comply with existing testing and quarantine protocols.
RED COUNTRIES
Bermuda
YELLOW COUNTRIES
All other countries / territories / jurisdictions not mentioned
The classification of Green, Yellow, and Red shall be effective from October 1 until October 15, 2021.
UPDATES ON THE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
WHO ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER?
- Filipino citizens, including those with an Identification Certificate (IC) as proof of recognition as a Filipino citizen or as proof of retention/reacquisition of Philippines citizenship under RA 9225
- Foreign nationals with valid and existing visas at the time of entry
- Foreign nationals allowed entry under the Balikbayan Program (RA 6768), provided they are nationals from non-visa required countries under EO 408:
- Former Filipino citizens, together with their foreign spouses and children, regardless of age, who are traveling with them
- Filipino citizens’ spouses and children, regardless of age, who are traveling with them
- Foreign nationals who are holders of valid and existing Special Resident and Retirees Visa (SRRV) or Section 9(a) visas without need of an entry exemption document
- Foreign spouses, parent/s, and/or children with valid 9(a) visas may be allowed entry to the Philippines without the need of an entry exemption document beginning August 1, 2021
Except for Section 9(e) visa holders who are covered by a different testing and quarantine protocols, the entry of all other foreign nationals shall be subject to the following conditions:
- With pre-booked accommodation for at least 10 days in an accredited quarantine hotel/facility
- This shall be presented for initial check at the immigration counters. Those who fail to present a pre-booked accommodation shall be denied entry and shall be boarded immediately in the next available flight.
- Subject to COVID-19 testing at the quarantine hotel/facility on the 6th day from date of arrival.
Foreign nationals are subject to deportation under the following situations:
- Cleared for entry but subsequently found to have presented a counterfeit or fraudulent pre-booked accommodation upon DOT’s validation
- Violated the Department of Health’s testing and quarantine protocols
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has exempted non-Philippine government repatriation efforts to the entry restrictions imposed on travelers from travel-restricted countries.
The following guidelines shall govern the implementation of such exemptions:
- In case of Philippine government-organized repatriation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shall conduct prior coordination with each other, and with the Department of Health – Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ), Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its One-Stop Shop and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Task Group for the Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos at least 48 hours prior to the departure from the country of origin.
- In case of non-Philippine government repatriations:
- All Filipino repatriates must present a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to boarding the aircraft or vessel. A copy of the test result shall be submitted to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) upon arrival.
- Prior approval from the BOQ for the entry of the flight or vessel carrying the Filipino repatriates is a prerequisite prior to its movement from point of origin. For this purpose, the concerned local manning agency (in the case of seafarers), the Philippine recruitment agency (for land-based workers), or the sponsoring Philippine government agency, in any case of other overseas Filipinos not covered in the foregoing shall submit an exemption request to the DOH-BOQ, the approval of which is tantamount to IATF’s approval on the repatriation effort.
- All repatriates from countries covered by the travel ban are mandated to undergo a strict 14-day facility-based quarantine upon their arrival.
The IATF-EID authorized the conduct of special comercial flights to bring home stranded Filipinos in Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and such countries where travel restrictions may be imposed, subject to the following guidelines:
- A Special Working Group (SWG) is hereby created to determine the implementing protocols for the special comercial flights, in coordination with the concerned airlines composed of the DOH, BOC, OWWA, DFA, DOT and its One-Stop-Shop, PCG, and DOT.
- Commercial flights shall be exclusive for Filipinos, provided that the flights have prior approval from the SWG.
- The guidelines on the implementation of exemptions for the Philippine government, and non-Philippine government repatriation as prescribed under IATF Resolution No. 119 shall be followed.
While DOT updates Philippine travel protocols as it happens, always check the official Bureau of Immigration Facebook page and the latest IATF resolutions for comprehensive and real-time updates.