07 January 2021 – Further to Public Advisory No. 43-2020 and Public Advisory No. 01-2021 on the inbound travel from countries with new variant of COVID-19 and pursuant to the Resolution no. 92 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) dated 05 January 2021, the concerned public is informed that only the following foreign nationals coming from, or with travel history within the last 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines in countries/jurisdictions covered by travel restrictions for the COVID-19 variant, will be allowed entry into the Philippines, with immediate effect:

• Diplomats and representatives of international organizations accredited to the Republic of the Philippines and their qualified dependents with valid and subsisting 9(e) visas, who shall likewise be exempted from quarantine protocols provided that:

• They undergo Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing upon arrival at the airport;
• Submit/present a duly executed Undertaking (Annex C) to the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) personnel at the port of entry; and
• Observe strict 14-day self-quarantine at their declared accommodation or quarters;

• Foreign dignitaries who shall observe existing testing and quarantine protocols upon arrival in the Philippines; and

• Foreign nationals travelling to the Philippines for medical and emergency cases, including their foreign medical escorts, if any.

Please note that Item E of the IATF Res. No. 92 states that “Cognizant of the current limited knowledge as to the effect of available vaccines on the transmissibility of COVID-19, any individual arriving in the Philippines who may have received vaccination for COVID-19 in other countries/jurisdictions shall still be required to observe the mandatory testing and quarantine protocols.”

The concerned public is also advised to refer to the Advisory of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on the Revised Guidelines as per IATF Res. no. 92 dated 06 January 2021, which can be viewed from:

https://www.immigration.gov.ph/images/Advisory/2021/01_Jan/2021Jan07_advisory.pdf.

Foreign nationals not covered by the above exemptions shall still not be permitted entry into the Philippines, notwithstanding any previous IATF resolutions or exemptions.

For a copy of IATF Resolution No. 92, please visit:

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2020/12dec/20210105-IATF-Resolution-no-92.pdf .

All overseas Filipinos traveling to the Philippines during this period are again reminded of the limited quarantine facilities in place and are thus strongly urged to reconsider travel plans to the Philippines for the duration of the travel restrictions.

Those entering the Philippines from the affected countries and jurisdiction, including Switzerland, are also reminded that they will be required to undergo and complete a strict mandatory 14-day stringent quarantine at a DOH-approved facility, regardless of negative RT-PCR result. The list of facilities suitable for stringent quarantine may be accessed at the following link: https://bernepe.dfa.gov.ph/images/Facilities_Suitable_for_Stringent_Quarantine.pdf.  

Embassy calls on the public to carefully reconsider their travel plans, including postponing their trips until after the end of the travel restrictions to avoid personal inconvenience and possible additional expenses as well as help prevent the incidence of the new COVID-19 variant in the country.

The Embassy again reminds travellers to always check ahead of travel dates with their airlines before their scheduled departure date or before booking a ticket as information published could change at any time.

Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/PHinSwitzerland/posts/3479932332232983