The Philippines has re-opened its territory to fully vaccinated tourists since last February. Meanwhile, travelers from abroad began to be able to visit this country last April. So, for those who want to execute your vacation plans, you should read these latest updates regarding the One Health Pass (OHP).
What is Philippine’s One Health Pass?
Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak, many countries have been vigilant and made various efforts to anticipate a pandemic in their countries so that the pandemic does not get worse.
So, in this regard, the Philippines applies a protocol that every citizen entering or leaving the Philippines must include a health declaration travel form, namely OHP, in their documents.
This health certificate is a mandatory document for travelers when visiting the Philippines.
By checking their card, the government can find out the health status of every passenger who comes to the Philippines, whether they are negative for Covid or not. That way, they can minimize the transmission of the Coronavirus.
Then, what if you do not have this health certificate? You will most likely be stuck at the immigration office. Immigration office staff will ask you to do One health pass registration first by filling out a form containing around 20 questions. Make sure the data you fill in matches your identity card or passport..
If you already have an OHP certificate, you must show it to the immigration staff along with other required documents such as visas, etc.
How to Apply for One Health Pass/eArrival Pass?
In general, those who wish to visit the Philippines must prepare this health document 72 hours before arrival. You can fill it out on the day of departure or 2-3 days before you fly to the Philippines. You can even fill out the registration form while at the airport.
How you fill the upgraded version of OHP is also quite easy. It’s almost like how to fill up one health pass before it’s upgraded. You just need to access its new official page and follow the steps.
This upgraded version of OHP also allows integration with the Bureau of Customs. So, instead of filling out many forms for different agencies, the forms you fill out once will be automatically consolidated on one platform.
One Health Pass Latest Update
Is One Health Pass still required in the Philippines 2022? Based on the December 2022 update, there have been several changes regarding the implementation of the OHP. First, the upgraded OHP health certificate was changed to eTravel.
So, if you try to access the official OHP page, the page will redirect you to the eTravel official domain.
Later, the health certificate you must include at the airport immigration office is the QR Code of eTravel. This system has a simpler and more practical design. With this new system, you only need to answer 10 questions too instead of 20 questions.
You need to remember that this health certificate registration does not ask for information related to credit cards or the like. So, if the web you’ve accessed asks that, you have to be careful because it’s a scam.
Apart from being a health declaration travel form, this upgraded version of the OHP also provides other advantages. It eases passengers from arrival formalities.
In other words, you no longer have to fill out an Arrival form that passengers usually have to fill in 2 hours before landing. This is because your immigration information has been integrated when you successfully register eTravel.
So, instead of the Arrival form paper, you only need to show the QR Code of your eTravel. You can show a printed or a screenshot version of your eTravel. Make sure that the code you print or screenshot is clear so it’s easier to scan.
How to Register One Health Pass
How do you register for this health declaration form? Here are the steps.
- Go to the official eTravel Philippines page via your cell phone or laptop.
- Fill in the answers to the existing questions.
- Click Check on the approval box if you have answered all the questions.
- Click Continue.
- Fill in the columns with the information you have .
- Click Submit.
- After you have successfully registered, you will receive a QR Code.
There are many categories of questions that you have to answer while registering e.g. the type of passport holder, the travel details, personal profile, email, health declaration form, and so on.
How do I get a One Health Pass or its upgraded version? After successfully registering, you will receive an email about your eTravel and its QR Code.
The QR Code for those who are fully vaccinated has a white-green background. Meanwhile, unvaccinated people will receive a QR Code with a white-red background.
That’s all information about One Health Pass and its latest upgraded version. Ready for vacation? Book your flight tickets and hotel now via Airpaz. Have a nice holiday!
