ICYMI: Immigration to stop issuing arrival stickers to Filipino passengers

ICYMI, Filipino passengers won’t be issued arrival stickers anymore when using e-gates in airports, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

In an advisory on March 21, the BI said the new policy takes effect starting April 1.

“Consistent with the Bureau's mandate to deliver effective and efficient immigration service, all are hereby informed of the discontinuance of arrival stickers for Filipino passengers processed through E-GATES at all international ports of entry,” it said.

Filipino passengers would receive arrival confirmation through the email address provided in the government’s eTravel system.

Still, they may request a BI arrival border stamp, which would be affixed to their passports.

The agency also urged passengers to register, if not update their information, in the eTravel system at least 72 hours before the intended travel “for speedy processing.”

To date, the BI is integrating airline data with the e-gates to streamline the process for passengers.

The agency previously said that it’s emulating practices in other countries.