Is a Negative RT PCR Test Required to Travel to the Philippines?

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) sets the need for RT-PCR tests for COVID and quarantine stay for visitors arriving in the Philippines to prevent and/or minimize the local spread of emerging infectious diseases (EID) in the country. With the recent downtrend of COVID-19 cases in the country, the IATF has announced that:

Pursuant to IATF resolution 159, all visitors to the Philippines “shall be required to present a negative Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within forty-eight (48) hours prior to departure from the country of origin.”

Updated COVID-19 Travel Restrictions to the Philippines Effective February 1, 2022

The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) wishes to inform the public that pursuant to recently-issued IATF Resolution 159, effective 1 February 2022, the entry, testing, and quarantine protocols for international arriving Filipinos and foreign nationals allowed entry into the country shall be as follows, regardless of their country of origin:

A. FULLY VACCINATED International Arriving Passengers

  1. They shall be required to present a negative Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within forty-eight (48) hours prior to departure from the country of origin.
  2. Upon arrival, they shall no longer be required to observe mandatory facility-based quarantine but shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom for seven (7) days with the first day being the date of arrival and shall be required to report to the local government unit of destination upon the manifestation of symptoms, if any.
  3. International arriving passengers must have any of the following proofs of vaccination against COVID-19:
    1. World Health Organization (WHO) International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis; OR
    2. VaxCertPH; OR
    3. National/state certificate of the foreign government, including original CDC vaccination cards for those vaccinated in the US.

B. International Arriving Passengers who are UNVACCINATED, PARTIALLY VACCINATED, or those whose vaccination status could not be independently validated

  1. They shall be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within forty-eight (48) hours prior to departure from the country of origin.
  2. Additionally, they shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth (5th) day. After which, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until their fourteenth (14th) day, with the date of arrival being the first day. The local governments of their destination and their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams are tasked to monitor those arriving passengers undergoing home quarantine.

C. Children below twelve (12) years of age who cannot be vaccinated

They shall follow the quarantine protocols of the parent/s or the accompanying adult or guardian traveling with them.

For further inquiries and for the latest updates, please e-mail the IATF at [email protected]

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