The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that beginning on 1 April, all incoming Filipinos from abroad will no longer be given arrival stickers when they pass through the electronic gates (e-gates) installed in all international ports of entry in the country.

In a public advisory, BI commissioner Norman Tansingco revealed that the agency decided to streamline e-gates processing to maximize its efficiency and transition to label-free border clearance.

He added that all inbound Filipino travelers will receive an email confirming their arrival at the email address they provided in their eTravel registration, in place of the stickers.

Tansingco explained that the removal of the e-gates’ sticker-printing feature is also consistent with the agency’s mandate to deliver “effective and efficient immigration service” to the traveling public.

However, he stressed and clarified that despite the stickers’ removal, passengers may still request to have their passports affixed with arrival stamps by immigration officers stationed at the international ports if they wish.

“The purpose of the e-gates, which were introduced five years ago, is to give Filipino travelers a hassle-free travel experience upon their return to the Philippines by expediting the immigration arrival clearing process,” Tansingco said.

Major international airports in the country now have a total of 21 electronic gates installed, and more are expected to be added this year.

Tansingco also said that the BI’s new law should be passed. He believes that the BI can more aggressively add new technologies to further increase the efficiency of the immigration service.