How Much Is the Travel Tax in the Philippines?

The Philippine travel tax is PHP 1,620 per person for economy-class travel and PHP 2,700 for first-class travel, charged on international departures from the Philippines. Reduced rates apply to children aged two to eleven and to dependents of overseas Filipino workers, and several categories of travelers pay nothing at all. The tax is imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183 on Filipino citizens, permanent resident aliens, and non-immigrant aliens who have stayed in the country for at least one year before leaving.1Lawphil. Presidential Decree 1183 – Amending and Consolidating the Provisions on Travel Tax

How Much You Pay

The amount depends on your ticket class and whether you qualify for a reduction. There are three tiers:2Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Travel Tax

  • Full travel tax: PHP 2,700 for first class or PHP 1,620 for economy. This is the default for most adult travelers.
  • Standard reduced rate: PHP 1,350 for first class or PHP 810 for economy. This applies to children between two and eleven years old.3Air France. Philippine Travel Tax
  • Privileged reduced rate: PHP 400 for first class or PHP 300 for economy. This covers qualifying dependents of overseas Filipino workers, meaning legitimate spouses and unmarried children under twenty-one.

The class is determined by the seat you paid for on the ticket, not by a complimentary upgrade at the gate. The same rates apply at every international departure point in the Philippines, regardless of destination.

Who Has To Pay It

Three groups owe the tax on any international departure from the Philippines: Filipino citizens, permanent resident aliens, and non-immigrant aliens who have been in the country for one year or longer.1Lawphil. Presidential Decree 1183 – Amending and Consolidating the Provisions on Travel Tax Short-term tourists and business visitors whose stay is under a year are not covered.

If you bought your ticket inside the Philippines, the travel tax is usually already built into the total ticket price. You will not see a separate charge at the airport, but it appears as a line item in the fare breakdown on your e-ticket. If you bought your ticket outside the Philippines, the tax is generally not included, and you pay TIEZA directly before departure.3Air France. Philippine Travel Tax Check the tax breakdown on your ticket before your travel date so you know which situation you are in.

Who Is Exempt

Presidential Decree No. 1183 lists categories of travelers who owe nothing. The most commonly used exemptions are:4ASEAN. Presidential Decree No. 1183

  • Infants aged two or younger on the date of travel.
  • Overseas Filipino workers traveling to their job site with a valid Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers.5Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Documentary Requirements for Travel Tax Exemption Certificate Applications
  • Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay in the Philippines has been less than a year.
  • Foreign diplomats and consular staff, including immediate family and authorized household staff, with certification from the Department of Foreign Affairs.6Philippine Consulate General. Travel Tax Exemption
  • UN officials and employees, including dependents whose fares are paid by the UN or its agencies.
  • Philippine government officials and employees traveling on official business, excluding those from government-owned and controlled corporations.
  • Crew members of international ships and aircraft joining or returning to their vessels.
  • Bona fide students whose studies abroad have been approved by the appropriate government scholarship body.

OFW dependents who pay the privileged reduced rate of PHP 300 or PHP 400 are not fully exempt. The full exemption and the reduced dependent rate are separate benefits, and mixing them up is a frequent mistake at TIEZA counters.

The Balikbayan Exemption

Under Republic Act No. 9174, returning Filipinos who qualify as Balikbayans are exempt from the travel tax provided their stay in the Philippines does not exceed one year. If you overstay that window, the full travel tax applies on your departure.7Philippine Embassy in Berlin. Balikbayan Program

The Balikbayan category covers three groups: a Filipino citizen who has been continuously abroad for at least one year, an overseas Filipino worker, or a former Filipino citizen who has become a naturalized citizen of another country and is returning to the Philippines. The exemption extends to the Balikbayan’s spouse and children traveling with them.8Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne. Balikbayan Program Republic Act No. 6768 originally established the program, which also provides a visa-free entry privilege of up to one year.9Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Republic Act 6768 – An Act Instituting a Balikbayan Program

Documents You Need To Claim an Exemption or Reduced Rate

A valid passport and your airline ticket are the baseline. Each category then requires its own supporting proof:6Philippine Consulate General. Travel Tax Exemption

  • Infants: passport or original birth certificate showing the child is two years old or younger on the travel date.
  • OFWs hired through the Department of Migrant Workers: the original Overseas Employment Certificate, which itself serves as the exemption document when traveling to the work site. No separate exemption certificate is needed.5Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Documentary Requirements for Travel Tax Exemption Certificate Applications
  • OFWs directly hired abroad: a Certificate of Employment from the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in the country of work, or an employment contract authenticated by that office.
  • Filipino permanent residents abroad: copies of the passport’s identification and arrival stamp pages, plus proof of permanent residence such as a U.S. Green Card or equivalent.
  • Children claiming the standard reduced rate: a certified copy of the birth certificate to verify age.
  • Diplomats: certification from the Office of Protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs or from their Embassy or Consulate.

If your existing documents do not already serve as the exemption certificate, you need a Travel Tax Exemption Certificate from TIEZA. TIEZA accepts online applications, and the certificate can also be processed at TIEZA branch offices or at their counters in major international airports.6Philippine Consulate General. Travel Tax Exemption Bring documents early. Any mismatch between what you present and what appears on the airline manifest can delay approval.

How To Pay

For most travelers flying out of the Philippines on a ticket bought locally, the tax is already included in the ticket price. Check the tax line items on your e-ticket to confirm it was collected.

If the tax was not collected with your ticket, you have two main options. TIEZA operates payment counters in the departure areas of international airports, where you can pay before check-in. TIEZA also runs an online payment portal: enter your passport and flight details and pay by credit card or other electronic methods.10Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Pay Travel Tax Online Once payment goes through, an official receipt is generated electronically. Keep that receipt, digital or printed, because you will be asked for it at check-in.

Refunds if You Were Charged in Error

If the travel tax was collected through your airline ticket but you were actually exempt, you can claim a refund. The claim typically requires the original exemption documents (such as an OEC, a Travel Tax Exemption Certificate, or a Reduced Travel Tax certificate) along with the original ticket numbers as reference. For tickets bought through an airline, the claim is usually filed with that airline’s accounting department.3Air France. Philippine Travel Tax Hold on to the originals of your exemption documents until you file, since the refund cannot be processed without them.