Travel tax payment is a step that’s often overlooked but just as important as many other travel requirements in the Philippines. Here’s how to do it via eGov PH app.
So you’re finally out for your much-awaited, much-deserved trip outside of the country. As you wait in queue at a check-in counter at the airport, you do a quick rundown of the essentials: Passport? Check. Flight itinerary? Check. eTravel QR Code? Check again. Just when you thought you’re good to go, the check-in officer asks if you have paid your travel tax. And let’s be real—in most cases, the answer is “no” if you bought your ticket online.
Travel tax payment is a step that’s often overlooked but just as important as many other travel requirements in the Philippines. And now, there shouldn’t be any reason for you to miss that out, as the Department of Tourism (DOT) is making it a requirement for the generation of the eTravel QR code, which you can do 72 hours or three days before your flight.
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DOT, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), has launched a new feature on the eGov PH app and eTravel system that enables you to pay the required fee before proceeding to generate your QR code.
First announced last July 24, the integration of the Travel Tax Declaration system into these online platforms makes payments more secure and streamlined, according to the DOT. “This centralized, secure, and user-friendly digital platform simplifies the payment process for Filipinos and foreign nationals departing the country, eliminating the need for in-person transactions at airport counters and significantly enhancing the overall passenger experience,” the travel authority said in a media release.
Aside from ensuring that you complete your requirements before heading to the airport, the new system serves as a paperless way for you to accomplish them before checking in or passing through immigration.
To get started, download the eGov PH App on Google Play or the App Store. Login to your account if you already have one. Otherwise, sign up with one valid government ID. Scroll over to NGAs and tap TIEZA services. Then, click TIEZA Travel Tax and fill out the necessary passenger and trip details. We recommend keeping your flight itinerary handy to ensure that the information you will provide matches all those on your booking. Proceed to paying using GCash, Maya, or any credit or debit card.
All Filipino citizens, permanent resident aliens, and foreign passport holders residing in the Philipines for more than a year are required to pay travel tax before flying out of the country. It costs P1,620 if you’re flying economy class and P2,700 if you’re booked business class. Exempted from paying the tax are overseas Filipino workers (OFW), Filipino permanent residents abroad who stayed less than a year in the country, and children who are 12 years old and below.
It was first imposed by the government in June 1956 under Republic Act No. 1478 to fund the Board of Travel and Tourist Industry (BTT), which is responsible for promoting the country’s tourism sector. TIEZA announced in July 2025 that the Philippine government had collected P3.9 billion in travel taxes in the first half of 2025, exceeding the pre-pandemic collections by 19 percent. 50% of the amount is allocated for tourism infrastructure through TIEZA, 40% goes to tourism-related education, careof the Comission on High Education (CHED), and 10% is for heritage preservation under the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA).
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