PH rolls out single e-Travel QR code for travel, customs clearance

Passengers will now only have to present one QR code in all international airports nationwide starting May 10 for seamless immigration and customs clearance.

“In the past, separate QR Codes were generated for the Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Customs purposes,” the BOC said in a message to GMA News Online on Friday, explaining the new scheme. 

“However, following the recent system update, the BOC is now fully integrated with e-Travel. As a result, only one QR Code is now generated, which encompasses all declaration requirements for Immigration, Quarantine, and Customs.”

The BOC said that passengers must present their passports to the Immigration officer for e-Travel registration confirmation and their QR codes to the Customs officer for clearance upon arrival or before departure.

Aside from the e-Travel website, travelers can also fill out the electronic Customs Baggage Declaration Form (e-CBDF) and the electronic Currencies Declaration Form (e-CDF) via the eGovPH mobile app within 72 hours before arrival or departure.

“The e-CBDF must be filled out by all arriving passengers, while the e-CDF is filled out by arriving and departing passengers when they are bringing in or taking out local and/or foreign currencies beyond the allowed threshold,” said the BOC in a Thursday statement. 

Further, the BOC advised travelers who take out or bring in foreign currencies more than or equivalent to US $10,000 to declare the whole amount in the e-CDF. 

For the Philippine peso, a person may bring into or take out of the Philippines an amount not exceeding P50,000. 

For any amount beyond P50,000, the BOC requires prior written authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP); and declaration of the whole amount in the e-CDF.

The BOC warned that false declarations or non-declaration of Philippine or foreign currencies shall result in confiscation of the amount by Customs officials. 

The bureau also noted that the BSP did not issue written authorizations upon arrival or after confiscation of the excess pesos. — DVM, GMA Integrated News