Starting February 10, the Philippines reopened to foreign tourists and business travelers. It has been almost a year since it banned international travel due to a surge in Covid-19 infections, specifically the Delta variant.
Malacañang announced that visa-free entry has resumed for people coming from some of the nation’s primary tourism markets including South Korea, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the U.K., the United States and Germany.
All entrants must be fully vaccinated, present negative PCR tests obtained within 48 hours of departure from their home port, have travel insurance worth at least US$35,000 for the duration of their stay and have proof of a return ticket for within 30 days of their arrival, according to the Philippine News Agency. Arrivals must self-monitor but are not required to quarantine.
Foreign nationals from visa-required countries or restricted foreign nationals will also be permitted to enter the Philippines if granted an entry exemption document, the government said.
The Philippines recorded 1.4 million tourist arrivals in 2021, down from 3.5 million in 2020 and 8.3 million in 2019.
“We remain optimistic that 2022 will be a better year for international travel, especially now that we will reopen our borders,” said Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente. “Hopefully, little by little, international tourism regains momentum.”
