eTravel Philippines: who files it, when, and how to spot fake sites

How this page is built: we compile the official eTravel site, Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and embassy notices. Each line names its source and the date shown on it. Nothing here is first-hand, and we did not register on eTravel ourselves.

Entry rules can change at short notice. Read etravel.gov.ph and the latest BI advisory before you fly; if they differ from this page, the official sites take precedence.

At a glance

What eTravel is

The official FAQ calls eTravel "a digital single data collection platform for passengers arriving in and departing from the Philippines", used for border control, health surveillance and economic data. Administrative Order No. 24, signed Aug 27, 2024, made it the government's "one-stop electronic travel declaration system for all international inbound and outbound passengers and crew members".

The same order says the system launched on Dec 5, 2022 for inbound passengers and was expanded to inbound and outbound passengers on Apr 15, 2023. The Bureau of Customs says the July 2024 version generates a single QR code per passenger that covers Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, Migrant Workers and Tourism, that it includes the customs baggage and currency declarations and a seaport and cruise form, and that it reduces the need for multiple forms. The FAQ also describes the Electronic Health Declaration Card (eHDC) inside eTravel, used by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

Who has to fill it out

The eTravel FAQ and BI's advisory dated Oct 6, 2026 list the same three groups:

• arriving Filipino and foreign crew members
• arriving Filipino and foreign passengers, which includes tourists and returning Filipinos
• departing Filipino passengers

Both list the same exemptions: foreign diplomats and their dependents, foreign dignitaries and members of their delegation, 9(e) visa holders, and holders of diplomatic and official or service passports.

Departing foreigners: the sources differ. The FAQ and the BI advisory do not list departing foreign passengers. The CAB's Apr 15, 2025 advisory to airlines says "All passengers and crew are required to complete their eTravel registration within 72 hours before arriving to or departing from the Philippines", and Administrative Order No. 24 describes eTravel as the system for all international outbound passengers. If you are a foreign visitor leaving the Philippines, ask your airline whether it wants an eTravel QR code for your departing flight.

When to register: the 72 hour window

Three sources describe a window that opens 72 hours before arrival. BI's Oct 2026 advisory uses "at least", which reads as a deadline rather than a window. The FAQ is the official site's own description of when it accepts registrations. Registering close to the 72 hour mark meets both readings.

How it works, step by step

1. Go to etravel.gov.ph by typing the address yourself, or open the eGovPH app. In Oct 2026 the site's sign in page asked for an email address and password, with an option to create an account.
2. Enter your details and trip information (listed in the next section), plus the health declaration and, if they apply to you, the customs baggage and currency declarations.
3. Save the QR code. The FAQ says to take a screenshot or download it before leaving the site, and that printing it is fine.
4. Show the QR code to the airline before boarding. On arrival, a green code lets you go straight to immigration; a red code means further inspection by the BOQ first.

If you made a mistake, the FAQ says you can change some details under "Edit Registration" until BOQ and BI have processed you. If you have registered before, you update your existing record for each new trip rather than starting again.

What information you need

eTravel's privacy policy lists the data it collects:

• email address, full name and suffix
• passport number, sex, birth date, civil status and nationality
• mobile number and address
• date of arrival, airport or seaport, airline or vessel name and flight number
• type of traveller, passenger type, purpose of travel and country of origin

The same policy still lists COVID-19 vaccine dates and brands. We could not see whether the current form still asks for them, because the form sits behind an account login.

Have your passport and flight booking open before you start. The FAQ notes eTravel works only online, so you need an internet connection.

Cash rule inside eTravel. The CAB's Apr 2025 advisory says passengers carrying more than PHP 50,000 or USD 10,000 (or the equivalent in other currencies and bearer monetary instruments) must declare the amount in eTravel, that taking more than PHP 50,000 needs prior authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and that not declaring can lead to confiscation or prosecution.

The QR code

Lost the screenshot? The FAQ says you can retrieve your QR code at etravel.gov.ph/search with your reference number and date of birth. If you registered twice, pick one code and present only that one; the FAQ warns that showing different codes can cause delays.

It is free: how to spot fake eTravel sites

The FAQ says eTravel is "absolutely free of charge" and warns about "fake, fraudulent, or scam websites" that ask for payment. BI said in Mar 2024 that travelers had been charged PHP 3,000 to 5,000 by fake eTravel sites, and repeated the warning in Apr 2026, when Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said "The eTravel registration process is absolutely free" (as reported by GMA News, Apr 2, 2026).

• The real address is etravel.gov.ph. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul (Sep 30, 2026) advises using only government sites ending in .gov.ph.
• Any site asking for a card payment, a "processing fee" or a "visa" fee for eTravel is not the official system.
• eTravel is not a visa. The Seoul embassy lists the separate e-Visa portal, evisa.gov.ph, for nationalities that need a visa.
• Report fake sites to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC): hotline 1326 (BI, Mar 2024) or cicc.gov.ph/report (eTravel FAQ).

The eGovPH app

The FAQ says you do not need to download an app, because eTravel runs in any phone or computer browser. The government's eGovPH app is the official alternative: the eTravel home page links to it on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and BI's Oct 2026 advisory names the website and the "eGov PH Application" as the two ways to register. A Jul 2025 update added travel tax declaration to eTravel and payment in the eGovPH app, as reported by Newsbytes.PH. Who owes the travel tax is outside the scope of this page.

Domestic flights to Palawan

You do not file eTravel for a domestic flight. Administrative Order No. 24 covers "international inbound and outbound passengers", and Cebu Pacific's domestic travel guide asks foreign nationals for a passport, boarding pass and visa documents, with no eTravel step. None of Palawan's airports appears on that guide's list of destinations with extra requirements.

Our research for How to get to Palawan found no scheduled international flights into any Palawan airport in Oct 2026, so international visitors file eTravel once, for the flight that lands in Manila, Clark or Cebu, and then connect. Airport details on Palawan airports.

If you forget, and who to contact

• At check in: the UK FCDO says "Some airlines will not allow you to board your flight to the Philippines if you cannot show the QR code." Because eTravel works on a phone browser, you can register on the spot if you are inside the window and have internet.
• At the airport: BI reported in Mar 2024 that eTravel kiosks had been set up in major international airports. We could not confirm they are still there in 2026.
• False details: BI's Oct 2026 advisory says foreign nationals who willfully misrepresent or falsely declare information may be denied entry.

Changes in 2025 and 2026

We found no 2026 change to who must file or to the cost.

Before you fly

None of the sources above lists travel insurance as part of eTravel. If you want medical cover for the trip, it is a separate purchase.

Direct link SafetyWing travel medical insurance

For safety advisories see Is Palawan safe?, and for budgets Palawan trip cost.

Related pages

• How to get to Palawan
• Palawan airports
• Palawan trip cost
• Is Palawan safe?
• Palawan travel guide
• Palawan trip planner

Last checked Oct 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Quotes are taken from each official page on the date shown; if a rule has changed since, the official site takes precedence.

FAQs

Is eTravel needed to enter the Philippines?

Yes, for arriving passengers. The eTravel FAQ and BI's Oct 6, 2026 advisory require arriving Filipino and foreign passengers and crew to register, apart from diplomats, 9(e) visa holders and diplomatic or official passport holders. The UK FCDO says some airlines will not board you without the QR code.

What is an eTravel card?

It is the QR code eTravel gives you after you register; the official FAQ says the registration also carries the electronic health declaration card. BOC says one code covers Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, Migrant Workers and Tourism. You show it to the airline before boarding.

Do you still need eTravel to enter the Philippines in 2026?

Yes. BI reissued its mandatory eTravel registration advisory on Oct 6, 2026, and the Philippine Embassy in Seoul called it mandatory for all inbound passengers on Sep 30, 2026.

Is eTravel free?

Yes. The official FAQ says eTravel "does not collect or require any form of online payment". Sites that charge a fee are not etravel.gov.ph; BI says fake sites have charged PHP 3,000 to 5,000.

Do I need eTravel for a domestic flight to Palawan?

No. eTravel covers international arrivals and departures under Administrative Order No. 24. You file it once for the international flight into Manila, Clark or Cebu, not for the connection to Puerto Princesa, El Nido or Busuanga.

Do foreigners need eTravel when leaving the Philippines?

The sources differ. The eTravel FAQ and BI's Oct 2026 advisory list only departing Filipinos, while the CAB's Apr 2025 advisory to airlines says all passengers register before departing. Ask your airline before your departure date.