> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.fizen.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Philippines Travel Tax 2026: Who Pays, Who Is Exempt and Do Tourists Pay It?
- URL: https://blog.fizen.io/philippines-travel-tax-2026/
- Published: 2026-11-02T09:25:59.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T09:27:40.000Z
- Description: The Philippine travel tax is a Filipino and long-stay-resident levy, not a tourist fee. TIEZA's amounts, the exemption foreign tourists use, how to pay if you must, and where the abolition bill stands.
- Author: Quinn Dao
- Tags: Travel & Nomad, Guides

**Quick answer:** As of 2 November 2026, the Philippine travel tax is P1,620 for economy and P2,700 for first class, set by TIEZA, and foreign tourists staying less than one year are on TIEZA's exemption list. In practice it is a levy on Filipinos and on foreigners who have lived in the country over a year, and a bill to abolish it has passed the House but not the Senate.

**Key takeaways**

- **Short-stay foreign tourists are exempt.** TIEZA's exemption page lists non-immigrant foreigners whose stay in the Philippines is less than one year, with a copy of the passport page showing the arrival stamp.
- **The amounts are P1,620 (economy) and P2,700 (first class).** Reduced rates are P810 and P1,350, and P300 and P400 for dependents of overseas Filipino workers.
- **Long-stay foreigners are the grey area.** The airport guide says foreign visitors who have stayed more than one year pay; ask TIEZA if you are near that line.
- **It is not abolished yet.** The House passed House Bill 8464 on 16 March 2026; as of late August the Senate had not, and I found no report of a signed law.

You are at the Manila check-in desk with a tight connection when someone mentions the travel tax, and for a second you wonder whether you are about to owe P1,620 on top of everything. For almost every tourist, the answer is no. The tax exists, the amounts are real, and the exemption foreign visitors rely on is written down. Here it is, with the dates, as of 2 November 2026.

The people who should read the fine print are digital nomads and expats who have been in the Philippines for a long time. The rest of this guide separates the two groups.

## Do foreign tourists have to pay the Philippine travel tax?

Short-stay foreign tourists do not. TIEZA, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority that collects the tax, lists "non-immigrant aliens" with non-taxable immigration status whose stay in the Philippines is less than one year as exempt; the proof it asks for is a copy of the passport page with the stamp of your last arrival. The levy is described as applying to individuals leaving the country.

That reading matches the official airport guide, whose travel tax page (last updated 5 May 2026) says the payers are Filipino citizens, certain foreign permanent residents and foreign visitors who have stayed more than one year. It does not spell out the short-stay tourist case, so the TIEZA exemption wording is the stronger source.

## How much is the travel tax in 2026?

TIEZA's published amounts (GMA News also reported the full rates in March 2026):

| Category                                                      | Economy | First class |
| ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ----------- |
| Full travel tax                                               | P1,620  | P2,700      |
| Standard reduced rate                                         | P810    | P1,350      |
| Privileged reduced (dependent of an overseas Filipino worker) | P300    | P400        |

None of this is a tourist fee. It is the same tax Filipinos pay when they fly out, which is why it fills Philippine news every time a politician proposes scrapping it.

## Who is exempt from the travel tax?

TIEZA's exemption page runs to more than a dozen categories. The ones a reader of this blog might meet:

- Foreign tourists and other non-immigrant foreigners staying less than one year (the passport arrival stamp is the proof).
- Infants two years old and under.
- Overseas Filipino workers with a valid contract, and crew of international aircraft.
- Foreign diplomats and accredited officials, United Nations staff, and some students on government scholarships.

All applicants bring the original passport.

## I have lived in the Philippines for over a year. Do I pay?

Possibly, and this is the part I could not confirm from a single page. TIEZA words the foreign exemption as a stay of less than one year, and the airport guide lists foreign visitors with more than a year of stay among payers. Neither page defines how the year is counted if you have left and re-entered. If you have been in and out for a long time, ask TIEZA by phone or email before you travel (its central office number is on tieza.gov.ph) and keep your arrival stamp page handy.

## How do you pay the travel tax if you must?

TIEZA runs an online travel tax portal, and the airport guide says you do not need an account to pay there. At the airport, TIEZA counters sit near check-in, and card payments there carry a surcharge. The guide also warns to check whether your airline already collected the tax, because paying twice can double the charge; refunds exist for duplicate or exempt payments, and a payment made at the airport on the day of travel can be refunded the same day.

## Will the Philippine travel tax be abolished?

It is moving, but it is not law. The House passed House Bill 8464 on third reading on 16 March 2026 (Manila Bulletin), and President Marcos listed abolition among his priority bills. TIEZA supports abolition but asked senators in March for a start date of January 2027, because most of its budget comes from the tax (GMA News). In August 2026 the Senate President said the chamber was targeting passage within the year (Manila Bulletin). As of 2 November 2026 I found no report of Senate passage or a signed law, so assume the tax applies until you read otherwise.

## What should you do about the airport itself?

Do the paperwork before you leave the hotel: confirm your registration rules in our [Philippines travel requirements guide](https://blog.fizen.io/philippines-travel-requirements-etravel-2026/) on the way in, and read the [NAIA arrival guide](https://blog.fizen.io/manila-airport-naia-arrival-guide-2026/) for the ride out. The last small thing is connectivity: a Globe 4G and 5G country plan is listed in the Fizen catalogue as of 2 November 2026, installed before you fly. Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan, no code). You can pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, or by card. [fizen.io/esim](https://link.fizen.io/s/yxdq-0Nx9T?ref=blog.fizen.io) works too.

## Frequently asked questions

#### Do tourists pay the Philippines travel tax?

No, not normally. TIEZA's exemption list covers foreign non-immigrants whose stay is less than one year, and the proof is the passport page with your arrival stamp.

#### How much is the travel tax in the Philippines?

P1,620 for economy and P2,700 for first class, according to TIEZA, with reduced rates of P810 and P1,350 and a P300 and P400 rate for dependents of overseas Filipino workers.

#### Do foreigners living in the Philippines pay the travel tax?

Foreigners who have stayed more than one year are listed among payers by the official airport guide, and TIEZA's foreign exemption applies to stays under one year. If you are near that line, ask TIEZA before you fly.

#### Can the travel tax be paid online?

Yes. TIEZA has an online travel tax portal, and the airport guide says no account is needed. Check first whether your airline already collected the tax, to avoid paying twice.

#### Has the Philippine travel tax been abolished?

Not yet. The House passed House Bill 8464 on 16 March 2026, and as of late August 2026 the Senate had not passed a counterpart. I found no report of a signed law as of 2 November 2026.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/04/ee/04eee3a6-7d95-474c-80a5-48f84338363b/content/images/2026/11/philippines-travel-tax-2026.png) 

#### Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit

Land in the Philippines already online. Fizen eSIM covers 150+ countries, with Globe 4G and 5G plans for the Philippines. A new Fizen programme puts US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan). Pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, or by card via Stripe. The same app pays QR Ph codes for visitors. Prefer the web? fizen.io/esim works too.

[Get my eSIM gift](https://link.fizen.io/s/B3Aenpj7fz?ref=blog.fizen.io) 

### Terms and conditions

- **Information only.** Fizen publishes this article to inform, not to sell. Nothing here is an offer, solicitation or sale of any product or service, and it is not financial, legal, tax, immigration or security advice for any specific situation.
- **For readers in the United States.** This is information only, not an offer or sale, and not advice. Fizen products and services are not offered to US Persons.
- **QR Pay availability.** QR Pay is for cross-border use by travellers and foreigners in Vietnam and the Philippines only, and is not available to residents of those countries in their own country. It is funded only with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, with no bank link or card; USDT on another network, or another token, cannot be deposited. KYC, KYT, AML and sanctions checks apply. Use of QR Pay is governed by the Fizen QR Pay Terms.
- **Not affiliated.** Fizen is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a partner of any Philippine authority, airport operator, airline, ferry company, tour operator or publication named here.
- **Rules and prices change.** Rules, fees, fares and schedules are as published on the dates given and change without notice. Check the official source or operator before you travel.
- **Data only.** A travel eSIM provides mobile data, not a local phone number, voice calls or SMS. Your phone must support eSIM and must not be carrier-locked. Plan details were read from the Fizen catalogue on 2 November 2026.
- **eSIM welcome credit.** New users get US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app. It is a promotional discount, not money, applied at checkout up to 30% of each plan, valid 12 months, one per person; terms at docs.fizen.io/help-center/fizen-esim/welcome-credit.

### Sources

- [TIEZA, Travel Tax (amounts and online system)](https://tieza.gov.ph/travel-tax/?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [TIEZA, Travel Tax Exemption](https://tieza.gov.ph/travel-tax-exemption/?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [TIEZA, Online Travel Tax Services System](https://tieza.gov.ph/online-travel-tax-services-system/?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [Better NAIA (the airport's guide; mnlairport.ph redirects here), Philippine Travel Tax, last updated 5 May 2026](https://betternaia.com/articles/travel-tax?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [GMA News, TIEZA wants travel tax abolition pushed to January 2027, 10 March 2026](https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/979464/tieza-wants-travel-tax-abolition-pushed-to-january-2027/story/?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [Manila Bulletin, Travel tax abolition bill gets final House nod, 17 March 2026](https://mb.com.ph/2026/03/17/travel-tax-abolition-bill-gets-final-house-nod?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [Manila Bulletin, House tourism panel chief upbeat with Senate promise to pass travel tax abolition bill this year, 24 August 2026](https://mb.com.ph/2026/08/24/house-tourism-panel-chief-upbeat-with-senate-promise-to-pass-travel-tax-abolition-bill-this-year?ref=blog.fizen.io)
- [Fizen Help Center, QR Pay getting started](https://docs.fizen.io/help-center/fizen-qr-pay/getting-started?ref=blog.fizen.io)

TIEZA pages read on 2 November 2026; airport guide dated 5 May 2026; abolition status from reports dated 17 March, 10 March and 24 August 2026\. eSIM details read from the Fizen catalogue on 2 November 2026.

### Related reading

- [Philippines travel requirements](https://blog.fizen.io/philippines-travel-requirements-etravel-2026/)
- [NAIA arrival guide](https://blog.fizen.io/manila-airport-naia-arrival-guide-2026/)
- [Philippines scams 2026](https://blog.fizen.io/philippines-scams-2026/)
- [Best eSIM for the Philippines](https://blog.fizen.io/best-travel-esim-for-philippines-2026/)
- [Cash or card in the Philippines](https://blog.fizen.io/philippines-cash-or-card-tourist-2026/)