On October 21, 2022, the Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the central government’s introduction of electronic arrival cards to provide a more convenient and stress-free experience for Filipinos and international visitors arriving in the Philippines.
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said that introducing electronic arrival cards to replace entry requirements for One Health Pass (OHP) travelers will attract more visitors and improve immigration procedures to support the country’s tourism recovery. Also, it would achieve part of the Marcos administration’s goal of simplifying the industry.
The e-arrival card was introduce due to the DoT’s proposal to replace the OHP, especially in light of the many complaints from foreign travelers to the Philippines. To make improvements, the e-Arrival card evaluated streamlined arrival procedures in ASEAN, including Singapore.
OHP requirements have also been remove due to DOT collaboration and discussions with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the Department of Health (DOH), the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ), and other IATF member agencies.
Travelers were require to sign up for an OHP several days before travel and complete an eHealth Declaration checklist on the day of departure before the release of new e-Arrival cards.
The Electronic Arrival Card also cuts unnecessary information fields from the passenger registration process compared to the previous OHP system, making filling more accessible and manageable. For example, the tourism-relate sector has been significantly reduce from 20 items on the OHP to less than ten items on the electronic immigration card. Additionally, fields such as the traveler’s occupation and educational background have been remove.
In the next step, travelers take a screenshot of the QR code with their computer or mobile device and show it to BoQ officials at their destination Philippine airport.
The good news is since the Electronic Arrival Card is a browser-based system, travelers do not need to download and install a mobile app for registration! How amazing is that?
Travelers will get a unique QR code, contact information, health declaration, and vaccination information on the e-Arrival Card website.
