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Travelers going in and out of the Philippines can now enjoy streamlined and more convenient immigration procedures following the full roll-out of the Electronic Travel Information System or eTravel system on April 15, 2023. The one-stop electronic travel declaration system was developed through the joint efforts of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Tourism (DOT), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Department of Health (DOH).

The eTravel is a single data collection platform for passengers arriving to and departing from the Philippines. The development of the system is a response to the clamor of travelers to eliminate the repetitive process of filling out similar forms and waiting in long lines, causing them to either be at the airport hours early or missing their scheduled flights entirely.

The eTravel system was officially launched on December 5, 2022 initially covering inbound travelers. As of date, the eTravel has been successfully scanned by more than 3.5 million passengers since December 2022 with about 54.04% being Philippine Passport holders while the 47.94% are Foreign Passport holders. It has also alerted airport authorities of 67,042 issues relating to COVID-19.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the eTravel system is a testament of the Department’s intensified efforts to support other government agencies in their e-governance initiatives, as directed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. in his State of the Nation Address last year. “The DICT envisions an interconnected government powered by ICT where data-sharing and synergy of all the different departments are integrated into a single system. This will promote convenience and bring government services closer to the people,” the ICT chief said.

Likewise, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco lauded the eTravel system as a tool that will optimize the operations of BI. “Not only does this speed up immigration clearance, but this initiative also ensures interoperability among border management agencies and saves government resources,” Commissioner Tansingco said.

Travelers are advised to register and update their status in the eTravel portal, currently accessible through a web browser via etravel.gov.ph, 72 hours before their intended arrival or departure in the Philippines. The system is free of charge and will soon be included in the eGov PH Super App – a one-stop platform for local and national government services that streamline government processes and transactions.