The Philippines removes COVID pre-departure test for fully vaccinated, boostered tourists

In an attempt to revive the pandemic-hit economy of the country, the Philippine government scraps the pre-departure COVID-19 test requirement for incoming fully vaccinated passengers starting last May 30, 2022.

The said resolution was in accordance with the recommendations made by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as a means to further ease the travel requirements and encourage more tourists to visit the country. With this, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved Resolution 168 exempting all fully vaccinated and boostered foreign nationals from the RT-PCR test requirement. Per resolution, the visitor must be at least 18 years old and must have received the primary series of Covid-19 vaccines and at least one booster shot.

Foreign nationals aging 12 to 17 who have received their primary Covid-19 vaccine/s, including those aged below 12 and traveling with fully vaccinated or boostered parents or guardians, are also exempted from the pre-departure RT-PCR requirement. 

Filipinos traveling to the Philippines are included in the same exemption guidelines. 

Tourism Secretary Berna-Romulo Puyat said that they are taking this development as a win for the local tourism industry as welcoming more tourists in the country will yield more revenues for our MSMEs and restore more jobs and livelihoods in the sector. 

Nevertheless, although not required, travel insurance is still highly encouraged for arriving passengers. 

To add, all types of vaccinations certificates, regardless of country of origin, will also be accepted.

Read More/Source: https://beta.tourism.gov.ph/news_and_updates/phl-scraps-covid-pre-departure-test-for-fully-vaccinated-boostered-tourists/?fbclid=IwAR1KzifU99DxwkA7bweTVxSa_0y9N8fF4B1c4ZvGR4JMbwqfV9sosVtUivU

Author: Deb Davad