An Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) is a document required under the Rules and Regulations of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) from all Filipinos departing the Philippines for overseas employment, regardless of whether they are newly hired or a Balik Manggagawa (a Filipino worker returning to the same employer abroad).

Immigration officials require the presentation of the OEC at the Philippine ports every time a Filipino overseas worker leaves the Philippines. OEC serves as an exit clearance and exempts the worker from paying travel tax and airport terminal fees.

The OEC is issued by the POEA offices in the Philippines or by the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) abroad.

For Filipinos in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, OECs are issued by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), which is based at the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva and not the Philippine Embassy. Their details are as follows:

Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) / Office of the Labor Attaché

c/o The Philippine Consulate General in Geneva

Address:        14-16 Allee David-Morse, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel Nos.:        +41 (0) 22 22 716 1930

Email address:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information on the DOJ-IACAT departure formalities for international-bound Filipino passengers, please visit: https://immigration.gov.ph/images/MemorandumCircular/2016_Mar/MC_DOJ_036_RevisedGuidelines.pdf.