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Arriving from abroad? What you need to validate your vaccination status

Philstar.com

December 31, 2021 | 1:33pm

Arriving from abroad? What you need to validate your vaccination status

This file photo shows Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay.

Bureau of Immigration Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be recognizing vaccine certificates from the US, Canada and nine other countries for arrival quarantine protocols, according to the government's pandemic response task force.

Under Resolution 154-E, and on the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases says the national COVID-19 vaccination certificates of the following countries will be accepted and recognized as proof of vaccination:

Armenia
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany
Kuwait
New Zealand
Oman
Sri Lanka
Thailand
United States of America

These certificates can also be used for intrazonal and interzonal travel, although the entire Philippines is currently under Alert Level 2.

This list, IATF said, is in addition to similar certificates from other countries and jurisdictions "whose proofs of vaccination the IATF already approved for recognition in the Philippines, and without prejudice to such other proofs of vaccination approved by IATF for all inbound travelers."

Fully-vaccinated travelers from "green list" countries must undergo facility-based quarantine until cleared through an RT-PCR test taken on the third day from arrival. They can then go on home quarantine until the 10th day from arrival.

Fully-vaccinated arrivals from "yellow list" countries must go on facility-based quarantine until cleared by an RT-PCR test taken on the fifth day since arrival. Their home quarantine will last until the 14th day from arrival.

pic.twitter.com/DAmtYgzxhJ
— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) December 30, 2021

Validation of vaccination status

Under IATF Resolution 154-C, validation of vaccination status for Overseas Filipino Workers and for relatives traveling with them is currently through "national digital/physical vaccination certificate of the foreign government where they were vaccinated without the need of a reciprocity agreement."

Filipinos who are not migrant workers but were vaccinated abroad need to show the official digital vaccination certificate issued by the government where they were vaccinated "which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF" or a World Health Organization-issued International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV).

Foreigners vaccinated in the Philippines need to show their VaxCertPH digital vaccination certificate or Bureau of Quarantine/World Health Organization-issued ICV.

Foreigners vaccinated abroad must show their "WHO-issued ICV, or the national/state digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF."

According to a list in Resolution 154-E, the following countries and jurisdictions are accepting the VaxCertPH certification for reciprocal acceptance of their government vaccination certificates: