The Philippines has now fully implemented the electronic entry and exit card for foreigners to leave the country without filling in!

The Philippine Immigration Bureau said in a statement that from April 15, the agency will implement electronic entry and exit card measures for passengers entering and leaving the Philippines, which will enable them to experience faster and more convenient entry and exit procedures.

Norman Chen Xingo (Norman Tansingco), Philippine immigration director, said that the e-Travel system is a single data collection platform for inbound and outbound passengers, aiming to establish a comprehensive border control, health monitoring and economic data analysis.

He added: "This not only speeds up immigration inspections, but also ensures interoperability between border management agencies and saves government resources."

The system is initiated by a sub-technical working group of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IATF) led by the Philippine Immigration Bureau, and is jointly implemented with the Ministry of Communications Technology (DICT), the Ministry of Tourism (DOT), the Quarantine Bureau (BOQ), the Customs Bureau (BOC), the Ministry of Health (DOH), the Ministry of Transportation (DOTr), the Ministry of Justice (DOJ) and the National Privacy Council (NPC).

The platform was originally launched in December, initially in the arrival zone, and later expanded to cover departing passengers.

To this end, the Philippine Immigration Bureau has listed 11 frequently asked questions with official answers. Details are as follows:

Entry:

All passengers and crew members (regardless of their nationality) entering the Philippines should complete the registration of the entry electronic card within 72 hours of the expected arrival time.

1. Who can register in the e-Travel system?

A: All inbound passengers and crew

2. When should I register or renew?

A: It should be completed within 72 hours or 3 days of the expected date or time of arrival in the Philippines

3. What if I fail to register with the e-Travel system?

A: Airline personnel or other staff will assist you in registering with the e-Travel system upon your arrival and prior to your assessment at the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

Exit:

All Filipino citizens planning to leave the country should complete e-Travel system registration before immigration exit inspection.

4. Who should register in the e-Travel system?

A: For all outbound Filipino travelers, the electronic outbound card will mention the paper outbound card.

5. Do foreign citizens and crew members leaving the country need to register/update in the e-Travel System?

A: No need.

Note: Previously, the Philippine Immigration Bureau required all outbound passengers, whether Filipino citizens or foreign citizens, to show their electronic entry cards.

6. When should I register or update?

A: It should be completed within 72 hours but not less than 3 hours of the expected date or time of departure from the Philippines.

7. What if I fail to register/update in the e-Travel?

A: Register/update e-Travel records or fill in paper exit cards before undergoing immigration inspection.

Other questions:

8. What if I am already registered in the e-Travel system?

A: For passengers, click Edit Information (EDIT REGISTRATION) to update the status or record. For the crew, click REGISTERED CREW to update the information.

9. Can I still use paper entry and exit cards?

A: It depends. If the e-Travel website cannot be accessed normally or the passenger cannot register and update, the paper exit card can still be used.

10. Is there a fee for e-Travel system registration and renewal?

A: No charge! Anyone who charges a fee should report it to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) at: https://cicc.gov.ph/report/

11. Does the registered e-Travel need to be connected to the Internet?

A: Yes.