Last updated: December 4, 2019.
These tips apply to travelers exiting via airports like NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila), Clark Airport, and Mactan-Cebu Airport. These are just our tips based on our personal experience, Immigration guidelines, and Immigration officers we talked to. However, please note that following these tips or providing the immigration requirements do not guarantee anything. At the end of the day, it all boils down to your background, your answers to the questions of the officers, and your demeanor during the process.
It’s a tourist’s biggest nightmare: not being allowed by Immigration Officials to board the plane. The trip ends even before it begins. Not only can it be humiliating, it also puts to waste everything invested on planning the trip: time, money, effort, emotions. And with the Bureau of Immigration putting in place stricter measures to combat human trafficking and prevent potential illegal aliens, they may need a little bit more convincing.
According to the Bureau of Immigration, every day around 40 people are denied boarding at NAIA Terminal 1 alone. Most of them had the intention of seeking employment in their destination country without proper papers.
It’s been a highly controversial issue these days with some questioning the constitutionality of the policy , as it goes against a Filipino citizen’s right to travel. Also, its vagueness makes it prone to abuse. But while we continue to discuss this in social media, the bureau has long been implementing this.
Anyway, if you’re traveling to another country soon (especially if it’s your first time) and wish to breeze through the airport immigration process without incident, here are some things that could help:
Related: First Time Abroad: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is offloading?
“Offloading” means getting a boarded passenger out of the plane.
Before we proceed, we need to clarify that the Bureau of Immigration does not have an offloading policy. They do not usually pull passengers out of an aircraft. What they do is allow or deny boarding. That’s why they’re stationed before the security check.
However, because most Filipinos use “offload” as an umbrella term for not being allowed to leave the country, for the purpose of the article, we’ll just go with the flow and use that colloquial definition.
PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION AIRPORT REQUIREMENTS
There are three things that you MUST present to the Immigration Officer before you are allowed to board:
- Valid passport (with at least 6 months validity)
- Roundtrip ticket
- Visa, if applicable
At the very least, you should have these three. Usually, these are all they will ask from you. Usually. Sometimes, they ask for a company ID and hotel reservation.
USUAL QUESTIONS BY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS
They sometimes ask the following:
- Where are you going?
- What is your occupation here in the Philippines? In other words, do you have a job? What company do you work for? In my past 30-ish trips, I was almost always asked to show my company ID as proof.
- Where will you be staying? They sometimes ask to see a copy of your hotel reservation. If you’re staying at a friend’s, they sometimes dig deeper.
- What will you do there?
- Whom are you traveling with?
- When will you return to the Philippines?
The key is to answer confidently, consistently, and truthfully.
Sometimes, they will ask follow up questions. Sometimes, you will be subjected to a secondary inspection, which I will explain below.
Who are more likely to be questioned by Immigration Officers?
When the officers deem necessary, travelers will be subject to the so-called Secondary Inspection, in which they will ask for more documents.
According to a memorandum entitled Guidelines on Departure Formalities for International-Bound Passengers, released by the Bureau of Immigration to their airport and seaport officers in 2012, the traveler will then be assessed based on the following. (Yes, criteria for judging. :P )
- Age
- Educational attainment
- Financial capability to travel
The last item usually becomes the issue. According to the bureau (as told to a news agency), tourists who are more likely to be questioned are:
- First-time tourists flying to a not-so-popular destination.
- Tourists with no steady source of income in the Philippines and no benefactors.
Financial capability is not a requirement, according to the Bureau. However, “a person may only be asked to present further proof for his travel abroad if the person appears to have a reason different from what he has declared before an immigration official.”
Still, THREE to FOUR of the 50 people who get offloaded actually had legitimate reasons but were still not allowed to leave. Collateral damage, they say. What went wrong varies from person to person, but they have one thing in common: the Immigration Officers didn’t believe they should leave the country.
Possible Additional Documents Immigration Officers may Ask For
The key phrase in the previous section is WHEN THE OFFICERS DEEM NECESSARY.
What does that mean? It means you’ll never know for sure whether you will be subjected to a secondary inspection or not. Your trip happening still highly depends on these gatekeepers.
To avoid getting offloaded, you need to be prepared with the right documents all the time.
In case you are subjected to a secondary inspection — again, just in case — you need to prove you are coming back to the Philippines soon or that you have the means to financially support this trip. How are you going to do that? It would be best to have the following with you when you travel, even if you have the truest intentions:
- Company ID
- A copy of your latest Income Tax Return (ITR)
- Certificate of Employment (best if it indicates your salary and how long you have been with the company) or business registration docs for self-employed
The above items should be sufficient to prove that you are still working here in the Philippines (which means you have something to return for) and that you can fund this trip. In some cases, the officers might ask for more proof.
However, some countries might take bringing a copy of COE/business registration negatively, as it’s not something that tourists usually bring. It’s sort of like a damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-don’t kind of situation. My advice is to just make sure you have a soft copy that you can easily access and present to PH officials. You can also see to it that the COE is specifically addressed to the Immigration Officer in the Philippines to erase doubts that it would be used for something else.
Recommended Documents for Freelancers
If you’re a freelancer, you probably don’t have a company ID and no one to get a Certificate of Employment from. Here’s what you should have.
- A copy of your Income Tax Return for the past year. If you pay taxes yourself, you should have it. If the clients pay/paid for you, they usually give you a copy of it when they release the check. If not, ask if they could provide you a copy.
- Certificate of Employment-type of document. Ask your client(s) if you could give you a document certifying that you’re doing business with them. The address and telephone number of the client must be indicated. Best if it also includes the salary and how long you have been working with them.
- Business Registration Certificate. If you’re registered as a Sole Proprietor, a copy of this should also be very helpful.
I always have a copy of those three to be safe. On a recent trip, they were particularly more inquisitive. They asked where I would be staying, what I do for a living, what company I work for, how much money I have. I forgot my ID then but thankfully I had a Certificate of Employment from a client and answered their questions confidently. They let me through.
Here’s the format I followed when I asked my clients to provide some sort of certification that I was working for them. Make sure you have your client’s contact numbers. Best if this is printed on an official letterhead.
Sample Certificate Employment PDFRecommended Documents for Fresh Graduates who are Still Unemployed
For fresh grads who are still unemployed, the best course of action is to find a sponsor who is an a family member. Prepare the following documents:
- Authenticated affidavit of support indicating the relationship within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, together with the supporting documents.
- An affidavit of undertaking/ guaranty
According to a friend who is an Immigration Officer, in addition to the documents above, the traveler must also provide proof that the sponsor can support the trip. This may be the sponsor’s ITR or bank documents.
You’re most likely going to be asked by the Immigration Officer why you’re traveling. If it is a graduation treat, you can say so. If you have a document to prove you just graduated, that can help too.
However, note that having the above papers does not guarantee anything but it can help.
Additional Requirements for Travelers with NO Financial Capability
Travelers who can’t financially support the trip themselves must have a sponsor, who is ideally an immediate relative. They should have the following documents handy:
- Authenticated affidavit of support indicating the relationship within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, together with the supporting documents.
- An affidavit of undertaking/ guaranty
According to a friend who is an Immigration Officer, in addition to the documents above, the traveler must also provide proof that the sponsor can support the trip. This may be the sponsor’s Certificate of Employment, ITR, or bank documents.
However, note that having the above papers does not guarantee getting through, but it will definitely increase your chances.
Automatic Second Inspection
Please note that if you belong to any of the following, you will be automatically subjected to a secondary inspection:
- Travelers without financial capacity to travel escorted/accompanied by a foreigner who is not related;
- Minor traveling alone or unaccompanied by either parent or legal guardian without the required travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). More info here: How to Get a DSWD Clearance
- Repatriated irregular workers, in which case, travel may not be allowed without the clearance from the IACAT (generate data);
- Partners and spouses of foreign nationals intending to depart to meet and/or marry his/her fiance without the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate
- Passengers traveling to countries with existing deployment bans, alert levels and travel advisories and those in possession of a visas to the said countries
- Passengers who stayed abroad for more than one (1) year during a previous departure from the country as a tourist/temporary visitor, intending to depart for the second and/or subsequent time.
Travel Authority for Government Employees
In addition, government employees must also provide a travel authority. You’ll find more info in the table below.
Travelers who are Accompanied by a Filipino Sponsor
If you’re sponsored by a FILIPINO TRAVELING WITH YOU, you must produce an Affidavit of Support with Undertaking containing the following details:
- Sponsor’s financial capacity
- Sponsor’s undertaking for your tourist travel with intent to return
- Sponsor’s complete residential address and contact details
- Sponsor’s corporate registration papers, if applicable
The affidavit must be notarized.
More often, though, if the accompanying sponsor is a Filipino relative, the officer does not ask for it. But if you want to make sure, better have it ready.
You can find a sample of Affidavit of Support here!
Travelers who are Invited or Sponsored by a Filipino Abroad
If you’re invited or sponsored by a Filipino based abroad, you need to provide an Affidavit of Support with Undertaking, stating that the inviter will shoulder the trip expenses in part or in full, and that the visitor you will be under their responsibility during the stay in that country.
It should contain the following information:
- the visitor’s personal information
- the inviter’s personal information
- the inviter’s legal status abroad (citizen, resident, temporary resident, etc.)
- the inviter’s financial capacity
- the details of the trip
- the reason for the invitation
You should also present documents proving that the inviting party can afford to sponsor you. This may be bank certificates or tax documents. Proof of relationship may also help.
If the inviting party is a corporation or organization, you must also include the sponsor’s corporate registration details.
Sample Invitation Letter Visiting AbroadStrictly speaking, the inviter/sponsor and the visitor should be within fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity (up to first cousins by blood or marriage). SOMETIMES, they accept an Affidavit of Support from non-relative if everything else looks good. It’s on a case-by-case basis, so there is still a good chance that the affidavit will be rejected and you will still be offloaded even if you have an affidavit of support from a non-relative.
The document must be authenticated at the Philippine Embassy in the inviter’s country. This is where they put a gold seal and red ribbon on the document. If the affidavit is executed in the Philippines, it must be notarized. In one of my sister’s visits, she created one and had it notarized for a cousin whom she invited. She also made one for me before while she was here, and that’s what I presented that one time it was asked of me. The Officer looked at it, read it, and let me through.
SEE SAMPLE AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT WITH UNDERTAKING HERE!
Travelers who are Accompanied or Sponsored by a Foreigner
This is one of the most usual questions we get: What are the requirements if I’m traveling with or if I’m going to meet a foreign boyfriend, girlfriend or friend abroad?
According to the same memorandum, the following will be subject to secondary inspection:
- Travelers without financial capacity to travel escorted or accompanied by a foreigner who is not related
- Partners and spouses of foreign nationals intending to depart to meet and/or marry their fiance without the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate
I’m not sure whether or not that memorandum is still followed, but if it is, then you’re most likely to undergo a secondary inspection.
According to a friend who is an Immigration Officer, this is one of the cases that the Bureau usually takes a closer look at and watch out for because of the high risk of human trafficking. An Affidavit of Support/Guarantee/Undertaking can help. BUT not always. Strictly speaking, only a RELATIVE within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity can support a traveler but SOMETIMES, they accept an Affidavit of Support from non-relative if everything else looks good. The keyword there is SOMETIMES. It’s on a case-by-case basis, so there is still a good chance that the affidavit will be rejected and you will still be offloaded even if you have an affidavit of support from a non-relative.
Aside from this, the traveler needs to show proof of relationship with the foreign sponsor. This can be photos together. You might also be asked how long you have known each other and how you met.
If you have no physical proof of relationship or you’re meeting the foreign sponsor for the first time, you are most certainly going to be offloaded. Online communication, no matter how long it has been going on, is just not strong enough. They will have to protect the Pinoy traveler, especially if they have no financial capacity to travel because they will be very vulnerable abroad.
Final Note: Summary
All these lead us to three important points:
- Have all the requirements: Valid passport, roundtrip ticket, and visa (if applicable).
- Bring a copy of documents that can prove you will travel as a tourist (and that you will not be working or looking for a job there and/or that you can afford this trip): Company ID, ITR, Certificate of Employment (or Business Registration Certificate), hotel reservation (if applicable), the credit card you used to book the ticket (or a copy of it if it’s not yours).
- Be honest, consistent, and confident. If they ask questions, answer truthfully. Being honest makes you more confident because you know the details no matter how stressful it gets. Know your trip — you don’t need to have a printed itinerary but at least have a sort of plan in your head. Where will you stay? What sites will you visit? When will you return? The last thing you want is to appear like you’re lying even when you’re telling the truth.
Travelers found misrepresenting the purpose of their trip as tourist shall not be cleared for departure.
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