Is it your first time to travel abroad? Your first time to take an international flight? Wondering what to do in NAIA or Mactan-Cebu, Davao, Palawan, or Clark international airports? Or do you know someone flying overseas for the first time, for leisure or for work perhaps, and you want to help them out to know the process from checking-in for the flight to immigration check, boarding and all?
If you answer yes to the above questions, you are in the right place because we at Piso Fare PH will explain the whole international departure process step by step, starting with when you arrive at the airport until you are seated in the plane.
BEFORE YOU SHOW UP FOR YOUR FLIGHT
First things first, weeks before your trip you must make sure that you have already completed the e-travel form. The e-travel form replaces the immigration departure card that departing passengers used to fill-up years before.
You can access the e-Travel Form via online. Just head to the official website of the Philippine Travel Information System at etravel.gov.ph and sign-up using your active email address. Alternatively, you may also download the form via the eGovPH app via Google Play or iStore. This is FREE. You shouldn’t pay anything to get this form.
The following details will need to be entered in the e-Travel form Philippines:
- Email address
- Complete name
- Birthday
- Date of departure or flight date
- Date of arrival
- Purpose of your trip – are you traveling abroad for a vacation or holiday, business, medical reason, etc.
- Where you will be staying – this can be the address of the hotel that you booked or the home address of your relative or friend, if you will stay with one.
Once you are done completing the form, submit it. You will then receive an email with a QR code and confirmation of your e-Travel.
When you get to the immigration counter, the Immigration Officer (IO) may ask you for the email or the QR code. Or they may not since they can see it on their system when they scan your passport.
Now, what if you really just forgot to do this before you show up at the airport. Can you still fill-up the e-Travel form? Yes, the Immigration department has a tablet station, you can fill it there, but that is very inconvenient. Our advice is to accomplish the form BEFORE you head to the airport, preferably days before, so this is one thing you don’t have to worry about on the day of your flight.
The second thing that we recommend that you do before going to the airport is to check-in online for your flight. This will save you a long queue time at the airline’s check-in counters.
Just in case you are someone who plans to fly abroad but does not have a passport yet, here is a list of requirements for Philippine passport application.
Ready for your flight? Here’s a useful airport travel guide for first time international travelers. Share this with your friends!
ON THE DAY OF YOUR FLIGHT
STEP ONE: Exciting time! Get to the international airport
You are now heading to the airport for your international flight! Is it via Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Jet Star? Whatever your airline is, please be at the airport at least 3 hours in advance. If you are flying out of NAIA, beat the Manila traffic by leaving your place real early.
Check again your plane ticket or itinerary, check what terminal is assigned for your flight. Remember that NAIA has four terminals – Terminal 1, 2, 3, and 4.
For those in the provinces, usually there is only 1 international terminal so head your way there.
Okay, now you are in the airport and in the correct terminal building. Find a gate to enter, the security guard will ask you to show your passport and confirmed ticket. Your hatid to the airport, family and friends, will not be allowed to enter the departure hall.
STEP TWO: Travel Tax and Check-in
Once inside, make your way into the counter where it says, “Travel Tax” and pay the travel tax but only if you have NOT PAID this yet when you booked your ticket. Check your booking confirmation, if in the fees breakdown you can see “PH Travel Tax”, then this has already been paid.
If you are unsure whether you have paid or have not paid yet, instead of going to the Travel Tax counter, head straight to the check-in counter of the airline and line-up. The staff there can tell you if you have paid the tax or not yet. If you have not, the staff will advise you to go to the Travel Tax counter and pay.
Travelers going out of the country need to pay a travel tax, which usually costs P1,620 for Economy class passengers and P2,700 for First Class passengers. You will show your passport and ticket at the counter, pay the tax, and they will give you 2 copies of the receipt. One copy is for you to keep, the other copy is for the check-in counter staff.
After paying, go back to the same check-in counter (you don’t have to line up again) and give the second copy of the travel tax receipt to the staff and he/she will then hand you your boarding pass.
*The airline staff will only give you your boarding pass if you have paid the travel tax.
Exception: Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs, permanent residents abroad, and kids 2 years and below are exempted from paying the Philippine travel tax.
Take care of your boarding pass!
Special Lanes at the Check-in Counters
If you are a senior, PWD, pregnant – there is a special line for you and you can head there directly. If you hold a first class or business class ticket, the airline usually also has a separate line for you so you can check-in faster.
If you checked-in online with only a hand-carry bag, you are set to go to the next step.
If you checked-in online but have some luggage for check-in, go to the counter with screen that says “Online Check-in” or “Bag Drop.
STEP THREE: Immigration Check
Once you get your boarding pass, it’s now time to go to the immigration area.
Almost all first timers traveling abroad will be nervous when it comes to facing the immigration officers. It’s a normal thing, some seasoned travelers still experience anxiety when it’s their turn for immigration check. It’s okay.
Anyway, as you enter the area, someone will check your passport and boarding pass before letting you in. Once inside, you must queue again.
*Seniors and PWDs have a priority line for them. They can line up in the special lane with one companion for speedier immigration processing.
DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS OR VIDEOS IN THE IMMIGRATION AREA!!!
Heed the advice above about not using any camera while in the immigration area, else you will be reprimanded.
If you are flying with companions, you will approach the immigration counter one by one, you cannot go as a group. Unless you are traveling with a kid, then the kid can accompany you to the counter.
When it is your turn at the immigration counter, hand in your passport and boarding pass. If you are traveling to a country which requires a visa like Japan, UAE, USA, Canada, etc, the immigration officer will look for a valid visa too. Refrain from giving any document that the IO did not ask.
The officer will take your photo and the interview will start or he/she will start asking you questions as soon as you hand in your passport and boarding pass. The IO will usually ask about some personal details like what is your destination, what is the purpose of your travel, when are you coming back, who you are traveling with if you are not flying-out solo, where will you stay in your destination, how many days is your trip / vacation, what is your job, etc. Answer calmly and truthfully the questions so there will be no issues.
The IO may ask you to show your company ID or certificate of employment, show it. If you are a businessman or self-employed, the IO might ask you to show your business documents.
*Government employees need to present a valid travel authority.
Piso Fare PH will be posting a separate article for How to be NOT OFFLOADED from the flight, what documents to bring as support for your travel.
The number of questions you will need to answer will depend entirely on the IO. Typically, for those first time abroad, the immigration officer usually asks lots of questions. It is their job to ascertain you are indeed traveling for the purpose you said and that you can afford it.
If you successfully passed the interview, the next step is security check.
STEP FOUR: Security Check
After immigration is the security check. While you are waiting for your turn in the body scanner, remove anything in your pocket and remove your belt. Sometimes officers ask you to remove the shoes, too. Transfer the stuff that you removed into your hand-carry bag or get a basket and put them there, together with your carry-on bag.
Remember that if you are carrying liquid like perfumes, lotion, shampoo, etc., they must be in 100 ml containers. Bottle containers over 100 ml will be confiscated even if there is only 10 ml of liquid inside.
You will undergo body scanning and your things will pass through the x-ray machine.
STEP FIVE: Wait for boarding time
It is now waiting time for your flight. When you are done with the security check, it is best to locate your boarding gate first. The gate is indicated in your boarding pass. Once located and you have an hour or two to spare before your boarding time, you can roam around the airport, shop in the outlets, or go grab a meal or snack.
Sometimes the boarding gate is not indicated in the boarding pass, this could be because the plane for your flight has not arrived yet. If this is the case, regularly check the screens around the airport to see if the gate information is now available for your flight.
Boarding time is the time when the airline staff will start allowing passengers to get inside the airplane. If you are not there when the gate is closed, you will no longer be allowed to board the plane.
So, it is highly important that you memorized your gate and boarding time. Ideally, 30 minutes before boarding you are already waiting at the gate, this way you have a time allowance just in case there is a sudden change of boarding gate or time. Also, listen to the announcements, flight delays, cancellations, change of gates, change of boarding time, etc. That will be announced through the PA system.
Once boarding time commences, wait for the airline staff to call your row to stand and line-up. Don’t be like other passengers who stand up and queue even if only the seniors, PWDs, first class passengers are being called yet.
STEP SIX: It’s time to board the aircraft
Check your boarding pass, look for your seat number, and find it on the plane.
Your seat number is alphanumeric, there’s a number followed by a letter. The number indicates your row and the letter indicates the position of your seat, whether aisle, middle, or window. If you have a hard time locating your seat, you can always request help from any cabin crew.
*You can pre-select a window seat during booking for a fee.
Once you find your seat, you can then place your hand carry bag on the overhead bin or under your seat, if it fits there. If the overhead compartment above your seat is full, try looking at overhead bins near your seat for any vacant place to store your bag. If you can’t find any, request help from the flight attendant.
If you have a small bag, wallet, or pouch, you may put it in your lap.
If your seat is by the window, do not pull down the window shade in preparation for departure.
Finally, with your bag safely stored away, you may now take your seat and enjoy your flight! May your first time travel abroad be memorable and wonderful!
Follow us Piso Fare PH on Facebook for more useful travel guides and promo fare updates. Thank you!