The Bureau of Immigration once again notified travelers throughout the holiday season that foreign and local travelers arriving and departing from the country's ports of entry and exit must register in the one-stop electronic travel declaration system.

For BI officials staffing the bureau's counters at international airports and seaports to handle immigration formalities, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco emphasized that all travelers, both arriving and departing, must register on e-Travel.

Tansingco said e-travel registration, which can be completed through the official website https://etravel.gov.ph or the eGov PH app, improves border control services and gives travelers a smooth and easy travel experience.

The BI chief further urged the airlines to cooperate in the implementation of the project, stressing that the airlines must inform all passengers that eTravel system registration is required.

"We have sent reminders to airline companies to remind passengers to register on the eTravel platform before arrival or departure from the country," Tansingco stated.

He added that they are set to procure eTravel kiosks to allow individuals who have no access to smartphones or the internet to register on the spot.

According to the regulations, all departing and arriving Filipino travelers, as well as flight crews and foreign passengers, must register on eTravel.

Foreign diplomats and their dependents, foreign dignitaries and members of their delegation, holders of diplomatic and official/service passports, and holders of 9(e) diplomatic visas are among the passengers who are exempted from registering.

eTravel, which was initiated several months ago, is a collaborative project between the Department of Information and Communication Technology, the Department of Tourism, the BI, other government agencies, and stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry.

The eTravel replaced the arrival and departure cards that international passengers were required to fill out by the BI before being cleared by immigration officers. It lessened paper-based requirements by harmonizing all data needs on one joint platform.