FAQs Regarding Philippine Immigration Travel Requirements

Is it your first time to travel abroad? You should be aware of the following Philippine Immigration travel requirements. In this article, we listed the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) in the Philippine Immigration.

1. What are travel requirements for Philippine citizens with tourist-purpose visas?

• Unexpired DFA-issued passport (at least six-months valid)
• Unexpired visa (if visa-required at final destination); and
• Return ticket.

2. When are additional documents required?

Consistent with anti-human trafficking, -human smuggling, and -illegal recruitment laws, additional documents shall be required after (1), when:

• Passenger discloses a doubtful, false or suspect travel intent;
• Passports and travel documents/visas are counterfeit, fraudulent, falsified, simulated or tampered; and
• Passenger’s totality of circumstances manifests a well-founded certainty of human trafficking, smuggling or illegal recruitment.

Read Also: New NAIA Airline Assignments | Effective August 31, 2018

3. What are documents required for sponsored-travel?

Philippine Embassy or consulate-authenticated Affidavit of Support with Undertaking showing:

• 4^th civil degree of consanguinity relationship between sponsor and the passenger, e.g., pinsang buo or affinity, e.g., bayaw/hipag/biyenan);
• Sponsor’s financial capacity and legal status; and
• Sponsor’s contact information; and/or
• Sponsor’s financial capacity and legal status;
• Sponsor’s contact details; and
• Sponsor’s corporate registration papers, if applicable.

In cases of a local sponsor traveling with the passenger, a duly notarized Affidavit of Support and Undertaking which shall contain the following:

• Sponsor’s financial capacity;
• Sponsor’s undertaking is for passenger’s tourist travel with intent to return;
• Sponsor’s complete residential address of the sponsor and contact details; and
• Sponsor’s corporate registration papers, if applicable.

4. What are OFW travel requirements?

• Unexpired passport;
• Immigrant visa or residence card;
• CFO-emigrant registration sticker (ERS); and
• Validly-issued travel ticket.

The ERS is obtained by:

a)   Registration at Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO); and

b)   Attending the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS).

• Children of emigrants aged 12 years or below are exempted from attending the PDOS but shall register.
• Children of emigrants aged 13 years or above shall attend the Peer Counseling Program.

5. When shall a DSWD-travel clearance for travelling Filipino minors be required?

A Filipino minor (below 18 years of age) shall secure a DSWD-issued Travel Clearance if:

1. A Filipino minor is traveling ALONE to a foreign country; or
2. A Filipino minor is traveling to a foreign country accompanied by a person other than his/her parents.

Note: For more information, visit https://www.dswd.gov.ph

6. What are exceptions to the DSWD-issued Travel Clearance?

These minor children shall be exempt from the DSWD-issued Travel Clearance:

• Those of Philippine Foreign Service or diplomatic corps officials;
• Those living abroad with Philippine emigrants, subject to child-trafficking regulations;
• Those with unexpired alien passports;
• Adopted children, subject to a court-issued adoption order with Certificate of Finality;
• Illegitimate children with biological mother.  For biological father, subject to proof of lawful custody;
• Those with proof of unexpired visa for permanent residence outside the Philippines;
• Those accompanied by a court-appointed guardian, subject to proof  of guardianship;
• Those accompanied by a solo parent, subject to a Social Welfare Office-issued ID. If illegitimate, subject to a Local Civil Registrar-issued Certificate of No Marriage.

Read Also: DFA Opens New Passport Offices in Ilocos Norte and Isabela

7. Who must present a Travel Authority?

Employee/Official/Officer	Issuing Authority
Cabinet members and equal-ranked officials	Office of the President
OP-attached GOCC and GFI heads	Office of the President
All OP-attached agency heads	Office of the President
GOCC and GFI officials and employees	GOCC or GFI head
officials and employees of GOCCs and GFIs attached to the Office of the President	Heads of GOCCs and GFIs
Officials and employees of agency heads	Department head
Provincial Governors and Mayors of Highly Urbanized Cities or independent component cities	DILG Secretary
State University and College (SUC) heads	CHED Chairman
Officials and employees of State University and Colleges	Respective SUC heads
Technical and Vocational School (TVS) heads	TESDA Chairman
officials and employees of Technical and Vocational Schools	Respective TVS heads
Government officials and employees traveling abroad while on leave of absence	Respective department heads
Government officials and employees with the rank of Assistant Secretary and above who will travel abroad while on leave of absence	Office of the President

Source: immigration.gov.ph