(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday, Feb. 15, reminded airlines bound for the Philippines not to allow the boarding of foreign nationals who are ineligible to enter the country.
According to the bureau, the Philippines only allows the entry of fully vaccinated foreigners, subject to the presentation of required documents.
Foreign nationals who are ineligible for entry are excluded upon arriving at the airport, and are boarded on the next available flight back to their port of origin.
“This is a joint effort by different government agencies, as well as the airlines who are the first to evaluate documents presented by travelers,” Carlos Capulong, bureau operations chief said.
The bureau said airlines, meanwhile, face fines and sanctions for allowing improperly documented aliens to board.
Earlier, the bureau clarified that only fully vaccinated foreigners coming from countries listed in a recently issued executive order will be allowed entry into the country even without visas.
According to the bureau, these foreigners from any of the 157 countries listed in Executive Order No. 408 are required to present the appropriate proof of full vaccination as set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).
They are also required to present an RT-PCR test with negative results, taken at least 48 hours prior to their departure from their country of origin, a return ticket, a passport valid for at least 6 months, and a travel and health insurance for COVID-19 with a minimum coverage of US$35,000 valid for the entire duration of their stay.
Under the EO, foreigners from countries such as Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the US, may stay in the Philippines without visas for an initial 30 days.
Meanwhile, foreigners who come from countries that are not included in the EO will need to secure a 9(a) visa and an entry exemption document (EED) through any of the Philippine embassies or consulates abroad.
“They should also be fully vaccinated, or they will be denied entry even if they have valid 9(a) visas and EED,” Immigration bureau chief Jaime Morente said.
