Updated: 12th March 2022
Pre-departure testing to the Philippines can now be an ART instead of a PCR
After maintaining one of the strictest border controls in the region for the last two years due to COVID-19, this month the Philippines began welcoming fully vaccinated tourists from over 150 countries to visit without any quarantine or on-arrival testing.
From 4th March 2022 the Philippines is also being added to Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme, which means Singapore residents holding one of the valid nationalities can make two-way quarantine-free trips to the country.
With no on-arrival test or isolation period in the Philippines, over 70 weekly non-stop flights to the country, and over 50 designated VTL flights a week back to the Lion City, this will be Singapore’s simplest quarantine-free lane in South East Asia so far, with total round-trip testing costs from around S$60 per adult.
“While the Philippines has opened its borders to fully vaccinated business and leisure visitors, it is doing so with utmost care and with full regard for the health and safety of both visitors and the general public.”
Romulo Puyat, Philippines Secretary of the Department of Tourism
In a nutshell
Before we get into the details, here’s a summary of the process in each direction for quarantine-free travel to the Philippines and back, for a Singapore resident.
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Singapore Philippines
| Eligibility & Vaccination |
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| COVID-19 Test(s) |
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Philippines Singapore
| Eligibility & Vaccination |
|
* Short-term visitors only
| COVID-19 Test(s) |
|
Singapore to the Philippines
The Philippines reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers without arrival quarantine on 10th February 2022, nine days after extending the same privilege to Filipino citizens returning from overseas.
Here’s how the eligibility restrictions and process look for travel from Singapore.
Singapore to the Philippines
Eligibility
Fully vaccinated travellers heading to the Philippines, including Singapore residents, must either be Filipino citizens or currently hold one of these 157 nationalities to enter the country without quarantine.
Singapore passport holders are eligible.
If you are not Filipino and your passport is not on the list above, you won’t be able to travel to the Philippines at the moment.
For example, an Indian citizen (passport holder) who is a permanent resident of Singapore will not be eligible to travel to the Philippines at this stage, because Indian passport holders do not enjoy visa-free arrival in the Philippines.
Visa on arrival facilities are not currently available in the Philippines; you must be a citizen of a visa-free country.
Tourist stays in the Philippines are currently limited to 30 days, regardless of nationality.
Singapore to the Philippines
Vaccination
To travel to the Philippines quarantine-free you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Your primary vaccine course (i.e. the second dose in a two-dose vaccine, or the only dose of a single-dose vaccine) must have been administered at least 15 days before departure.
The Philippines recognises the following vaccine types for arriving tourists:
- One of the Philippines’ Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) List vaccines, or those issued under the Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration; or
- Any vaccine on the Emergency Use Listing of the World Health Organization.
Acceptable proof of vaccination for those travelling to the Philippines, which needs to be presented at check-in and on arrival, comprises one of the following:
- A World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis
- A VaxCertPH
- A National or state digital certificate of a country which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement (includes Singapore, Australia, UK, USA)
- Other proof of vaccination permitted by the IATF (see below)
At the time of writing, the Philippines accepts vaccination certificates issued in the following 68 countries:
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong (SAR China)
- Hungary
- India
- Iraq
- Ireland (Rep.)
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Korea (Rep.)
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russian Fed.
- Samoa
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- USA
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City
- Vietnam
Source: IATA Timatic
Pro Tip: Do not confuse the list of countries whose vaccination certificates are accepted with the list of eligible nationalities for travel to the Philippines.It doesn’t matter which country you were actually vaccinated in, only that the certificate is issued by a recognised country (e.g. a vaccine administered in Panama ingested into Singapore’s National Immunisation Registry will be accepted by the Philippines, since you will have a Singapore Notarised certificate to present).
Most of our readers fully vaccinated in Singapore itself with Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac or Sinopharm will have no issues here. The Notarised vaccination certificate (i.e. with QR code) issued by the Ministry of Health will be accepted by the Philippines.
The Philippines does not require travellers to have a booster dose to travel to the country at this stage.
Children younger than 12 are exempt from the requirement to be fully vaccinated to enter the Philippines, when travelling with fully vaccinated parents.
Singapore to the Philippines
Testing
You must have a negative COVID-19 test before departing for the Philippines, comprising either:
- a PCR test within 48 hours of departure; or
- an ART test within 24 hours of departure.
The timing applies prior to departure at the first embarkation point in a continuous journey to the Philippines (i.e. where you do not leave the airport premises at any transit points).
For most of our readers that means the best option will be to have a (cheaper) ART test within 24 hours of the departure time of your non-stop flight from Singapore.
For example if you are departing to Manila with Jetstar on 3K765 at 4.35pm on Wednesday, simply take a pre-departure ART test from 4.35pm on Tuesday onwards.
If you opt for a more expensive PCR test, it must administered from 4.35pm on Monday onwards in this example.
Here’s our latest rundown of the cheapest locations to get a pre-departure ART test suitable for travel in Singapore, starting at S$21.40, or a PCR test, starting at S$90.
Children aged three or below by date of birth on departure are exempt from the requirement to have a pre-departure test to enter the Philippines.
Singapore to the Philippines
Insurance & Other documents
To travel quarantine-free to the Philippines, you must have a travel insurance policy covering COVID-19 treatment costs, with a minimum coverage of US$35,000, valid for the duration of your stay.
You must also have:
- A passport valid for at least six months at the time of arrival in the Philippines.
- Valid tickets for your return journey to the port of origin, or next port of destination outside the Philippines, departing not later than 30 days from the date of arrival in the Philippines.
Singapore to the Philippines
Pre-departure form & App
All inbound passengers from overseas must register with One Health Pass prior to arrival in the Philippines. This will generate a QR code, which you must present to the immigration officer after you land, however no on-arrival COVID-19 test is conducted.
You must also install the ‘TRAZE’ contact tracing app on your personal device before departing to the Philippines, so we assume this will be checked by the airline staff at Changi.