Travelling to Philippines
Entry requirements by nationality
- Argentina: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Australia: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Brazil: visa-free short stay — up to 59 days per visit
- Canada: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Chile: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- China: visa required
- France: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Germany: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- India: visa-free short stay — up to 14 days per visit
- Israel: visa-free short stay — up to 59 days per visit
- Italy: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Japan: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Malaysia: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Mexico: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Netherlands: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- New Zealand: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Singapore: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- South Korea: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Spain: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- Ukraine: visa required
- United Kingdom: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
- United States: visa-free short stay — up to 30 days per visit
What you can bring
- Alcohol: allowed, within limits — Duty- and tax-free allowance for arriving travelers is two (2) bottles of liquor with a combined value of less than PHP 10,000. Amounts beyond this are subject to duties/taxes and must be declared.Detailscompare everywhere →
- Cannabis: prohibitedDetailscompare everywhere →
- Cash: allowed, must be declared — Foreign currency or bearer negotiable monetary instruments (travelers' checks, drafts, notes, money orders, bonds, securities, etc.) exceeding USD 10,000 (or equivalent) must be declared to the Bureau of Customs using the Foreign Currency Declaration Form. Philippine peso amounts of PHP 50,000 or more require prior written authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).Detailscompare everywhere →
- Controlled medication: depends on specifics — Under Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, Series of 2014, Section 35, a traveler entering, leaving, or passing through the Philippines who is under treatment for a medical condition may possess a dangerous drug or a drug preparation containing a controlled chemical, in a quantity reasonable for that treatment, when prescribed by a physician. For a supply of up to 30 days, the traveler must carry: (a) a letter from the attending physician describing the medical condition, (b) the physician's prescription listing the trade and generic names of the drug, and the medicine in its original, properly labeled container — no advance PDEA permit is required for this 30-day case.Detailscompare everywhere →
- Drones: allowed, within limits — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) states plainly: "There is no special permit required for flying drones for recreational purposes." Operating rules apply instead of a permit: keep the drone within visual line of sight, stay at or below 120m/400ft altitude, stay at least 10km from any airport's movement area, don't fly at night, over crowds, over national-security-sensitive government facilities, or in any area with an active fire/police/emergency response. Travelers should also check with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the area for local drone ordinances, which CAAP notes can add restrictions on top of the national rules.Detailscompare everywhere →
- E-cigarettes: depends on specifics — RA 11900 ("Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act", signed 25 July 2022) legalized and regulates vape products under the DTI, but sets no statutory personal-import quantity cap. Customs applies an informal, discretionary "reasonable personal use" standard instead of a fixed number.Detailscompare everywhere →
- Fresh produce: allowed, must be declared — Travelers must file for a Plant Quarantine Clearance (PQC) prior to importation at the National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD) central office for personal-consumption plant, fruit and vegetable imports — a process explicitly distinct from the commercial import (SPSIC) pathway.Detailscompare everywhere →
- Meat & dairy: depends on specifics — Fully cooked/canned meat from disease-free countries needs no clearance. Processed-but-uncooked meat needs no SPS clearance but is capped at 10kg per passenger, with a veterinary health certificate or proof of purchase. Unprocessed meat requires an SPS Import Clearance for any quantity, however small.Detailscompare everywhere →
- Tobacco: allowed, within limits — Duty- and tax-free allowance for arriving travelers is two (2) reams of cigarettes (approx. 400 sticks) OR 50 cigars OR 250 grams of pipe tobacco.Detailscompare everywhere →
- Weapons: prohibited — The Bureau of Customs lists "Firearms and weapons of war and parts thereof, ammunitions" among regulated goods requiring a "Permit to Import" from the Philippine National Police – Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO) before the item can be brought in — not a process available on arrival.Detailscompare everywhere →
From the blog
Checked against official sources on 2026-08-18. Official source