MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday advised foreign as well as Filipino travelers to reconsider their New Year travel plans to the Philippines amid the country’s broader travel ban on countries with a reported incidence of the new COVID-19 variant.
In a statement, the DFA noted that “all foreign nationals, regardless of previous Philippine visas and exemptions granted, who will be flying from or been” to the following countries within 14 days of intended arrival in the Philippines will not be permitted to enter Philippine territory:
Australia
Canada
Denmark
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy,
Japan
Lebanon
The Netherlands
Singapore
Switzerland
Sweden
South Korea
South Africa
Spain
United Kingdom
“Filipino citizens who come from these areas can still enter the Philippines but will be required to complete strictly the 14-day quarantine requirement at a government facility even if RT-PCR tests show negative results,” the DFA added.
The DFA then encouraged those intending to travel to the Philippines to check with the nearest Philippine Embassy or consulate and regularly consult the website and social media sites of the Bureau of Immigration for the latest information.