The Philippines’ eTravel System was fully rolled out on April 15, 2023.1
This was an inter-governmental agency effort undertaken by the Inter-Agency Task Force, together with the Bureau of Customs, the Bureau of Quarantine, the National Privacy Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Justice.
The eTravel System was initially launched in December 2022 as a replacement for the paper-based arrival and departure cards and One Health Pass, which were required to be used by travelers for immigration clearance. The new system aims to speed up immigration clearances and help ensure inter-operability among border management agencies. This should help move travelers into the Philippines through ports of entry smoothly and more conveniently.
However, before their trips, travelers will need to register in the system – this applies to all inbound travelers and crew members and to outbound Filipino travelers. Companies will want to make sure their globally-mobile workers understand the registration requirement, which is now in effect, and should prepare them for taking this additional new step.
eTravel Registration Procedure
All travelers and crew members arriving in the Philippines are required to register individually on the eTravel platform (www.etravel.gov.ph) within 72 hours of their intended arrival. A QR code will be issued by the platform which must be presented to the Bureau of Quarantine officers upon arrival in the Philippines for verification.
For departing travelers from the Philippines, only outbound Filipinos are required to register in the system within 72 hours but not less than three hours from their scheduled departure from the Philippines.
KPMG Insights
Employers with business travelers and employees on assignment traveling to the Philippines should communicate to their employees clearly what the new facilities and requirements are, so that they are compliant with the new rules and procedures and conveniently pass health border controls upon arrival.
The eTravel system is live. If companies need assistance with understanding the new procedures and requirements, and developing communications for their employees pertaining to the eTravel system, they may wish to consider reaching out to their usual immigration counsel or a member of the Immigration team with KPMG in the Philippines (see the Contacts section).
Contacts
Additional Resources
Footnotes
1 For more on the eTravel system, see: https://etravel.gov.ph/ . And as an example of how this is being handled practically by the airlines, see the website for Philippine Airlines. https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/newsevent-listingpage/travel-advisory/alert-full-scale-implementation-of-the-e-travel-system (Please note that by clicking on this latter link, you are leaving the KPMG website for an external (non KPMG, non-governmental website), that KPMG is not affiliated with nor does KPMG endorse its content. The use of the external site and its content may be subject to the terms of use and/or privacy policies of its owner or operator).
Disclaimer
* Please note that KPMG LLP (U.S.) does not provide any immigration services. However, KPMG Law LLP in Canada can assist clients with U.S. immigration matters.
The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in the Philippines.
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