Philippines eTravel: who must register, the 72-hour window and what the green or red QR code means

Passengers flying into the Philippines, and Filipino passengers flying out, must register on the government's eTravel system before boarding. The official eTravel FAQ says registration opens up to 72 hours before arrival in, or departure from, the Philippines, and that proof of registration has to be shown to the airline before boarding.

The requirement covers arriving Filipino and foreign passengers, arriving crew members and departing Filipino passengers. Foreign diplomats and their dependants, visiting dignitaries and their delegations, holders of 9(e) visas and holders of diplomatic or official passports are exempt. The system is web-based, so no app is needed, and the government warns that websites asking for payment to register are likely to be fraudulent and should be reported.

After registering, travellers receive a QR code to save, screenshot or print. A green code means the information is complete and the passenger can go straight to immigration. A red code means a further check by the Bureau of Quarantine first, for example when details are incomplete or the traveller has been ill or exposed to a communicable disease in the previous 30 days.

Frequent travellers do not need a new account each time: the FAQ asks them to update their details through "Edit Registration" before each trip. Lost codes can be retrieved on the official site with the reference number and date of birth. Register only on etravel.gov.ph and present a single QR code at the airport.