The Philippines is opening to tourism on December 1, 2021

Reina Mesa, Esq.

November 27, 2021

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After having closed its borders to tourists for almost two years beginning the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, the Philippines, a country ranked 7th by the Forbes 2020 as most dependent on tourism, is finally opening its borders.  The Malacañang Palace announced on Friday, December 26, 2021, that the tourists from “green” non-visa countries will be allowed entry from December 1 to 15, 2021. According to Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles, the Bureau of Immigration will allow entry to individuals who are holders of tourist 9(a) visas under the following conditions:

 

(1) Foreigners should come from “green” countries, territories and jurisdictions and shall have exclusively stayed there for 14 days prior to the arrival to the Philippines.

 

(2) They must present proof of Covid-19 vaccination from either the World Health Organization, VaxCertPH, or a national state digital certificate of the foreign government that has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciproral arrangement.

 

(3) They must present proof on a negative RT-PCR Test taken within a period of 72 hours from their departure from the country of origin.

 

(4) They must have a return ticket or an outbound ticket to their country of origin or to their next destination.

 

(5) They must hold passports valid for six months from the time of their arrival.

Travelers who have met all the foregoing conditions are no longer required to undergo mandatory quarantine and RT-PCR test upon arrival but are enjoined to monitor themselves for any symptoms for the next 14 days.

The following are “green list” countries, territories, and jurisdictions as of 16 November 2021 to 30 November 2021:

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1. American Samoa                                   23. Namibia

2. Bhutan                                                      24. Niger        

3. Chad                                                          25. Northern Mariana Islands

4. China                                                         26. Oman

5. Comoros                                                   27. Pakistan

6. Cote d’ Ivoire (ivory Coast )                  28. Palau

7. Falkland Islands (Malvinas)                 29. Paraguay

8. Federated States of Micronesia         30. Rwanda

9. Guinea                                                       31. Saint Barthelemy

10. Guinea – Bissau                                      32. Saint Pierre and Miquelon

11. Hong Kong                                              33. Saudi Arabia

12. India                                                           34. Senegal

13. Indonesia                                                  35. Sierra Leone

14. Japan                                                         36. Sint Eustatius

15. Kosovo                                                       37. South Africa

16. Kuwait                                                       38. Sudan

17. Kyrgyzstan                                               39. Taiwan

18. Malawi                                                       40. Togo 

19. Mali                                                             41. Uganda

20. Marshall Islands                                      42.United Arab Emirates

21. Montserrat                                               43. Zambia

22. Morocco                                                    44. Zimbabwe

 

As to why only there is only a limited window to travel and only for travelers form specific countries, Spokesperson Nograles clarified that the government is taking this initiative step by step and will recalibrate the situation once implemented.