eTravel Philippines - the free QR code you need before you land
Every passenger arriving in the Philippines must be registered on eTravel and carry the QR code. It is free, it takes a few minutes, and it is the single most common thing UK families forget on the day they fly.
Filipino-speaking agents · Tagalog, Bisaya & English · UK hours · Deposit from £49, pay monthly · Free 48-hour fare hold · Up to 40kg bagahe on selected fares · NHS discount · ATOL & ABTA protected
Ano ang eTravel, at bakit kailangan?
eTravel is the Philippine government arrival registration system - the digital replacement for the old paper arrival card. You fill in your passport details, flight and where you are staying, and it issues a QR code. According to UK government travel advice, you must have that QR code to show you registered within the 72 hours before your arrival, and some airlines will not allow you to board your flight to the Philippines if you cannot show it. That is the part people underestimate: it is not only an immigration formality, it can stop you at the gate in London.
It is free - libre ito
eTravel is free of charge. The official site is etravel.gov.ph, and it can also be done through the eGovPH app. There are copycat sites that charge a "processing fee" for something the Philippine government gives away, and they tend to advertise hardest in the weeks before Christmas. If you are being asked to pay, you are on the wrong site. We will send every passenger on your booking the correct link.
Timing - the 72-hour window
Register within the 72 hours before you arrive in the Philippines. Too early and the system will not take it; too late and you are doing it in the check-in queue at Heathrow on a phone with one bar of battery. In practice the sensible moment is the evening before you fly. Save the QR code to your phone and take a screenshot as well - the airport wifi is not something to depend on - and if you are travelling with parents or grandparents, do theirs at the same time as yours rather than assuming they have.
Every passenger needs their own
It is one registration per traveller, including children and babies. A family of five needs five QR codes. This is where large family trips go wrong: somebody registers the adults and nobody registers the youngest. If you have booked a group with us, ask and we will send the list of who still needs to do it.
Checked on 22 August 2026 - and please check again before you fly
Entry rules are set and enforced by the Philippine authorities and they do change. Everything on this page was checked against the official source on 22 August 2026: UK FCDO travel advice for the Philippines and etravel.gov.ph. We are a UK travel agency, not an immigration adviser, so treat this as a plain-English starting point rather than legal advice - and if your situation is unusual, check with the Philippine Embassy in London. What we will do is go through your paperwork with you before you pay for anything, so nobody finds out at the check-in desk.
Kami na ang bahala - we check this with you before you book
Most of the trouble we see is not complicated, it is just late: a passport with five months left, an eTravel QR nobody registered, a travel tax that did not need paying. When you book your flights home with us we go through all of it with you first, in Tagalog, Bisaya or English. And the trip itself stays affordable - secure your seats with a deposit from GBP 49 and pay the balance in instalments, hulugan ang natitira. Ask for our free 48-hour hold if you need to check dates with family: we hold the seat and the price and you pay nothing while you decide. Selected fares carry up to 40kg of bagahe, and we offer an NHS discount - say so when you enquire if you work for the NHS.
Frequently asked questions
Is eTravel free?
Yes. eTravel registration is free of charge on the official site, etravel.gov.ph, or through the eGovPH app. Any site charging a fee is not the official one.
When should I register for eTravel?
Within the 72 hours before you arrive in the Philippines. The evening before your flight is usually the easiest time.
What happens if I do not have the eTravel QR code?
Some airlines will refuse to let you board your flight to the Philippines without it, and you should expect delays with immigration on arrival. It is not worth the risk when registration is free and takes minutes.
Do children need their own eTravel registration?
Yes. Every arriving passenger needs their own registration and QR code, including infants and children.
Will you check my documents before I fly?
Yes. We go through passport validity, eTravel, travel tax and anything your travelling companions need before you pay. It costs nothing and it is the cheapest part of the whole trip.
Do your agents speak Tagalog?
Yes. Our team speaks Tagalog, Bisaya and English and we work UK hours. If it is easier for a parent or grandparent to explain their own dates, put them on with us.
Get a price for your trip home
Fill this in and a Filipino-speaking agent will come back to you with real options and the total price including bags. No payment now.
Kausapin mo kami — talk to a person
Tell us where home is, roughly when you want to travel, who is going and what you are carrying, and we will come back with real options and the total price including bags. If it is easier for a parent or grandparent to explain the dates themselves, put them on with us — we do that every week.