U.S. citizens who already have valid visas may enter the Philippines and will be required to quarantine when entering from the United States. However, visa issuance for U.S. citizens is suspended until further notice.
The Philippines recently updated its list of countries considered low, medium and high risk with green being lowest, yellow in the middle and red the highest. Risk, in this situation, refers to the rate of incidence and case counts.
Countries on the “Red” list cannot enter the Philippines. These countries include: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy. The United States is classified as “yellow.”
The U.S. currently classifies the Philippines as a Level 2—or moderate—travel risk. This means that travelers should be fully vaccinated before traveling to the destination, and unvaccinated passengers at increased risk for severe illness should avoid nonessential travel. This travel risk rating is determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on data provided by the World Health Organization and other official sources. Determinations are based on factors like cumulative new cases, testing rates and test-to-case ratios..
Effective Nov. 28, 2021 until Dec. 15, 2021, inbound international travelers coming from a “red” list country, or travelers who have been to a “red” list country within the last 14 days prior to arriving in the Philippines, cannot enter the country, regardless of vaccination status.
Vaccinated
Partially Vaccinated, Unvaccinated or Unverifiable Vaccination Status
Updated restrictions put in place on Dec. 6 require all passengers aged 2 and over to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within one day of the departure of their flight to the United States.
Previous requirements imposed a longer timetable for vaccinated travelers, but this new requirement treats all travelers the same, regardless of vaccination status. Either a PCR or Antigen test is still accepted as proof of being negative for Covid-19.
The current Covid-19 testing requirement includes taking the test within one calendar day of travel and is not limited to within 24 hours of your departure. This means passengers can take their test at any time during the day before their flight, regardless of what time their flight departs.
A passenger who recently recovered from Covid-19 can travel with documentation of recovery from the virus. This may include a positive Covid-19 viral test result from within 90 days prior to departure, and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider indicating the passenger is cleared to travel.
Travelers who are not a U.S. citizen and don’t have immigration status in the U.S. must also provide proof of vaccination before boarding a flight to the United States.
For more information on requirements for travelers reentering the United States, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
If you have transited through a “red” list country, but did not leave that country’s airport, you will be allowed to transit through the Philippines pursuant to applicable testing and quarantine protocols.
Face masks are required by government mandate in all public spaces. As of Dec. 10, public transportation is still open, but intercity and interstate travel is restricted. Domestic air travel is also restricted. Those who do not abide by the mandates could face fines or even imprisonment.
Toni Perkins-Southam is a points and miles enthusiast who has been leveraging credit card rewards programs to travel around the world, for nearly free, with her husband and their four young children. Together, Toni and her kids have spent the last 4 summers living in Europe, Central and South America and have encountered countless adventures throughout their travels. Her passion is to inspire other big families by showing and teaching them that traveling with kids is not only logistically possible, but with the right knowledge, financially feasible for even the smallest budgets.
