The customs part of the Philippines' eTravel

Checked 7 November 2026 by Darius Cheung. Independent guide, not a government website.

The Yes/No question

After the health page, a page headed "Important Information" sets out the customs rules and asks "Do you have baggage or currency to declare?" with Yes and No buttons. It appears at airports where customs take declarations online. The site's port list marks some of them, among them Clark (CRK), Davao (DVO) and NAIA in Manila (MNL). The site's text also has a note asking travellers to fill in the paper Customs Baggage Declaration and Currencies Declaration forms instead, with download links. We think that's for arrivals where the online customs part isn't offered.

The rules on that page, in short:

• Goods worth PhP10,000 or less pay no duties and taxes (Section 423 of the CMTA, the customs law).
• Filipino citizens can bring personal effects and household goods worth up to PhP150,000 duty-free, up to three times a calendar year, if not in commercial quantities.
• Each traveller may bring 2 reams of cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of pipe tobacco, and 2 bottles of liquor, duty-free, with a total value of PHP10,000 or less.
• Failing to declare dutiable goods means paying the duties plus a 30% surcharge.
• "All persons and baggage are subject to search at any time."

Prohibited outright: obscene materials, materials inciting treason or rebellion, abortion paraphernalia, adulterated or misbranded food or drugs, counterfeit goods such as fake bags and shoes, and precious-metal goods whose stamp doesn't show their true fineness.

Other Travel Details

Five boxes: accompanied family members below 18 and 18 and above, checked-in bags, hand-carried bags (all counted in pieces), and "First time visiting Philippines?". Type 0 where none apply.

The General Declaration

This page comes only after Yes. It first asks "Total Amount of goods purchased and/or acquired abroad?", in Philippine pesos or US dollars. Then 12 Yes/No items, under the reminder "Passenger should declare if bringing in any of the following":

1. Philippine currency or monetary instruments over PhP 50,000.
2. Foreign currency or monetary instruments over USD 10,000 or its equivalent.
3. Gambling paraphernalia.
4. Cosmetics, skin care, food supplements and medicines beyond personal use.
5. Dangerous drugs.
6. Firearms, ammunition and explosives.
7. Alcohol or tobacco in commercial quantities.
8. Food, fruit, vegetables, live animals, marine products, plants and their by-products.
9. Mobile phones, radios and similar gadgets beyond personal use, and radio equipment.
10. Cremains (human ashes), human organs or tissues.
11. Jewelry, gold, precious metals or gems.
12. Other goods, not mentioned above.

Items 1 and 2 are about money. If you give an amount for goods, the form wants a Yes on at least one of items 3 to 12, and says so in a message: "Please answer yes atleast one of 3 to 12 questions due to indicated Total Amount of goods purchased and/or acquired abroad!"

The currency declaration

This opens only if you carry more than the limits: PHP50,000 in pesos, cheques and similar, or USD10,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency and bearer instruments. The site's note begins "Any person bringing into or taking out of the Philippines local and foreign currencies or monetary instruments is required to declare the whole amount". It asks the currency and amount, the source (Salary, Business or Other) and the purpose (Leisure, Medical, Payables, Education or Other). If the money belongs to someone else, there are parts for the owner and the recipient; if not, tick "Please check if NOT APPLICABLE". Pesos over the limit also need a date of BSP authorization, because "A prior written authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is required" for that. The BSP gives it only for a few purposes, such as currency collecting. The limits are per person, so the site's example is a family of four bringing up to PHP200,000 and USD40,000 without it.

Signature

You sign on a pad, with Clear to start again, or reuse the signature saved in your profile. The page notes: "By Clicking "Next", you hereby certify under pain of falsification that this declaration is true and correct to the best of my knowledge".

Questions people ask

Should I answer Yes or No to the customs question?

Only you can say what you carry. Yes leads to the 12-item list and the goods amount. The page's rules say goods worth PhP10,000 or less pay no duties, and undeclared dutiable goods cost a 30% surcharge.

Why won't the General Declaration let me continue?

If you gave an amount for goods bought abroad, at least one of items 3 to 12 must be Yes. Item 12 covers other goods not listed.

Do I need the currency declaration?

Only if you carry over PHP50,000 in pesos or over USD10,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency. The limits are per person.

Why didn't I see the customs pages?

They appear for airports that take customs declarations online. Elsewhere, the site's text points to paper forms.

Where this comes from

Rules change, so check the official site before you travel. Where we quote a form's message, we copied it from the form's own public code. Some messages may rarely appear, and we don't run test submissions on government forms.

• eTravel, the Philippine Travel Information System: its English text and scripts (official site, read by us on 7 Nov 2026)