Every traveler arriving in the Philippines has to register on eTravel, the government's free online arrival form, within 72 hours (3 days) before landing, at etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app. You get a QR code that you show to the airline before boarding and at the airport on arrival. Foreign tourists register for arrival; departure registration applies to Filipino passengers. Here is what the form asks, what a red or green QR code means, how to fix or recover a registration, and how to avoid the paid copycat sites, plus the entry rules that matter for a Palawan trip.
Published October 18, 2026
Who needs eTravel
The official eTravel FAQ lists who must register:
• Arriving passengers, Filipino and foreign.
• Arriving crew members, Filipino and foreign.
• Departing Filipino passengers.
Diplomats and their dependents, foreign dignitaries, 9(e) visa holders and holders of diplomatic or official passports are exempt.
So a US tourist registers once, for arrival. Departing foreign passengers are not on the FAQ's list, though a few airline and travel sites still say everyone registers both ways. If you are a foreigner and an airline agent asks for a departure QR code, registering takes a few minutes on your phone and costs nothing. Every new trip needs its own registration; returning travelers update their existing record with the "Edit Registration" option instead of creating a new account.
When to register: the 72-hour window
Registration opens 72 hours (3 days) before your arrival. Land in Manila at 6am on 20 May and you can register from 6am on 17 May. Do it before you leave for the airport: the FAQ says you must show the QR code to the airline before boarding, and eTravel only works online, so a dead phone or no Wi-Fi at your departure gate is a real problem.
eTravel is free on etravel.gov.ph (no download needed) and in the eGovPH app. Separate cruise-passenger registration is linked from the same site.
What the eTravel form asks for
Have your passport and flight booking open. The form covers roughly:
• Personal details: name, date of birth, sex, nationality, passport number, occupation, email and phone number.
• Travel details: arrival date, airline and flight number, the country you're flying from and your purpose of travel.
• Address in the Philippines: where you're staying. Use your first hotel; if you're heading straight to Palawan, that can be your El Nido or Coron booking.
• Health declaration: questions about recent illness and contact with sick people.
• Customs declaration: eTravel now includes the Bureau of Customs' electronic baggage and currency declarations. You must declare foreign currency over US$10,000 (or equivalent) and anything over ₱50,000 in Philippine pesos needs prior authorization from the central bank. Undeclared amounts can be confiscated.
Your QR code: green, red, and what to do with it
When you finish, eTravel shows a QR code. Screenshot or download it before you close the page; the FAQ says this explicitly. Printing it is also accepted.
• Green QR code: your information is complete and you go straight to immigration.
• Red QR code: you're sent for further inspection by the Bureau of Quarantine before immigration. This happens when information is incomplete or incorrect, or when you report illness or exposure to someone sick in the past 30 days.
Show the code to the airline at check-in or the gate, then at arrival in the Philippines. If you're traveling as a family, check before you leave home that every passenger, children included, is covered by a registration and QR code.
Made a mistake or lost the QR code?
You can correct your details in the Edit Registration tab until border control has processed and verified you on arrival. Changed flight? Update it there rather than starting over.
Lost the code? Search for your registration on the eTravel site with your reference number and date of birth, then open Edit Registration to show it again. If you ended up registering twice, the FAQ says either code works, but show only one at inspection so you aren't held up.
eTravel scam sites: if it asks for payment, it's fake
The official eTravel FAQ is blunt: sites that ask for payment to register or update are fake, fraudulent or scams. The Bureau of Customs' eTravel page calls etravel.gov.ph the only official registration website, with the eGovPH app as the other official route.
Look-alike sites with names like "eTravel Pass", "Philippines eTravel card" or "eTravel registration" rank highly in search results and charge a "processing" fee for a form you could file yourself in ten minutes. Some also say you need a separate "pass" or "authorization" on top of eTravel; you don't. Type etravel.gov.ph directly into your browser instead of clicking an ad.
The entry rules that get checked: 30 days and an onward ticket
eTravel is not a visa. US citizens enter visa-free for 30 days for tourism, and the stay can be extended at a Bureau of Immigration office, first by 29 days and then in longer increments. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond arrival.
The rule that actually catches people is the onward or return ticket. Visa-free entry depends on it, and airlines often check it at check-in before you fly, because they carry the cost if you're refused entry. Book a real flight out of the Philippines before you leave home. Our Philippines visa guide covers extensions in more detail.
Staying a long time? Foreign tourists who have been in the Philippines six months or more generally need an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Bureau of Immigration before they leave. Confirm the current rules with the BI if this applies to you.
Heading to El Nido or Coron
Domestic flights inside the Philippines don't need eTravel; it's only for international arrivals. Once you reach Palawan, the costs to plan for are local ones. El Nido charges every visitor an Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF), paid once and checked before island-hopping tours. Recent visitor reports put it at ₱400 for non-Palawan residents, valid for about ten days, but the municipality had been revising the fee and we couldn't find the current ordinance, so confirm the amount at the El Nido tourism office and keep the receipt.
Yes. Registration and updates are free at etravel.gov.ph and in the eGovPH app. Any site that asks for payment is not the official eTravel system.
When should I register for eTravel?
Within 72 hours (3 days) before your arrival in the Philippines. You need the QR code before boarding, since airlines check it.
Do foreigners need eTravel when leaving the Philippines?
The official eTravel FAQ lists departing Filipino passengers, not departing foreigners, as required to register. Foreign tourists register for arrival. If an airline asks for a departure QR code anyway, registering is free and quick.
What does a red QR code mean on eTravel?
A red code means further inspection by the Bureau of Quarantine before immigration. It's issued when information is incomplete or incorrect, or when you report recent illness or exposure to someone sick in the past 30 days. A green code means you go straight to immigration.
How do I get my eTravel QR code back?
Search for your registration on the eTravel site using your reference number and date of birth, then open the Edit Registration tab to display it again.
Do I need an onward ticket to enter the Philippines?
Yes. Visa-free entry for US citizens depends on a return or onward ticket, and airlines often check it at check-in. eTravel registration doesn't replace it.
Official sources
Entry rules change, and they depend on your nationality — always confirm the current requirements on the official government site before you book or apply. Only use official government (.gov) portals; ignore look-alike agency sites.
Visa & entry
