***IMPORTANT*** FROM 16 JUNE 2023 ONWARDS, MNL TERMINAL 2 WILL BE USED SOLELY FOR DOMESTIC ROUTES. INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS RUN BY PHILIPPINE AIRLINES (PR) NOW OPERATE OUT OF TERMINAL 1. THIS POST WILL BE RETAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A REFERENCE.
This Airport Guide sets out the arrivals process – from quarantine to immigration to customs – for Philippine passport holders returning home from overseas through Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 2.
Post last updated from first- or second-hand experience : 28 January 2023 (based on a 25 January 2023 arrival)
Post last updated/reviewed using other information : 01 April 2023
NOTE: This article offers general guidance and is not intended to be a definitive resource. The facilities and procedures discussed here are subject to change without prior notice.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: All international flights operated by Philippine Airlines (PR) will move to T1 by 16 June 2023 (source). For more information, consult PR’s official website and verified social media channels.
In this post, we’ll explore the international arrivals process at Terminal 2 (T2) of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (common abbreviation: “NAIA” / IATA code: MNL) – the main airport serving Greater Manila in the Philippines.
If you’re departing from Terminal 2 on an international flight, please use the separate Airport Guides I’ve written covering departures landside (before outbound border control) and departures airside (after outbound border control).
For a broader overview of Terminal 2, please click here to navigate back up to my portal post about the entire facility.
To learn more about the airport as a whole, please click here to view my comprehensive guide to MNL.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: All international flights operated by Philippine Airlines (PR) will move to T1 by 16 June 2023 (source). For more information, consult PR’s official website and verified social media channels.
CONTENTS
- Intended audience
- Before you fly: Pandemic-related entry requirements and pre-flight preparations
- Step 1: Enjoy the view as you land
- Step 2: Disembark from the plane
- Step 3: Quarantine inspection
- Step 4: Immigration
- Step 5: Baggage reclaim and Customs
- Step 6: Leaving the terminal
- Appendix: Pandemic-related measures
***IMPORTANT*** FROM 16 JUNE 2023 ONWARDS, MNL TERMINAL 2 WILL BE USED SOLELY FOR DOMESTIC ROUTES. INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS RUN BY PHILIPPINE AIRLINES (PR) NOW OPERATE OUT OF TERMINAL 1. THIS POST WILL BE RETAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A REFERENCE.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
This guide was written from the perspective of, and primarily for, travellers who hold Philippine passports.
Foreign nationals, unaccompanied minors, and other travellers with special conditions are subject to more complex arrival requirements which I am unable to advise on out of first-hand experience. Having said that, much of the information set out below – such as the layout of MNL’s arrivals area and the general flow of entry procedures – will be of interest to all passengers regardless of circumstances.
BEFORE YOU FLY: PANDEMIC-RELATED ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND PRE-FLIGHT PREPARATIONS
Please bear in mind that no visa-related advice is offered in this guide. Contact the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in your country and/or the relevant government agencies – such as the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Quarantine – if you require information other than what’s presented below.
Summary of quarantine-related entry requirements
In 2023, the Philippine government scrapped all remaining pandemic-era testing and vaccination requirements.
Electronic Travel Declaration (eTravel)
All arriving passengers must register their personal and travel information on the Philippine government’s Electronic Travel Declaration (eTravel) website. The information collected here covers both immigration and customs, although only customs officials will directly scan your system-generated QR code at arrival. (Immigration officials have direct access to your registered data on their terminals and do not require a QR code.)
Registration is free of charge and requires no app to be installed. Note that you can only log your details within 72 hours before arrival.
WARNING: There are reports of fraudulent/misleading websites that charge fees for eTravel registrations. Ignore them – the eTravel service is completely free of charge. Make sure that the website address you are using is https://etravel.gov.ph/, which can be counter-checked against the links provided in official sources.
STEP 1: ENJOY THE VIEW AS YOU LAND
STEP 2: DISEMBARK FROM THE PLANE
From the aerobridge, walk out into the arrivals corridor and follow it until you reach the quarantine checkpoint.
STEP 3: QUARANTINE INSPECTION
Making your way down the corridor, you’ll eventually be funnelled left into the quarantine checkpoint. Be ready to present your eTravel QR code, as well as supporting documents (such as your vaccination/test certificate) if you’re asked to submit them.
If everything is in order, you’ll be allowed back into the arrivals corridor. Keep going all the way to the end; don’t turn into the staircase marked “Transfers” that you’ll pass along the way (unless you’re actually transferring flights).
STEP 4: IMMIGRATION
At the end of the arrivals corridor, turn left and take the escalator or stairs down to the immigration checkpoint.
From April 2022, Philippine passport holders are no longer required to fill out arrival/disembarkation cards (source).
Separate counters are used for Filipino citizens and foreign nationals. When using a manned counter, simply present your Philippine passport to the immigration officer for inspection and stamping. (Keep your boarding pass close to hand in case it’s asked for.) Absent any special circumstances – such as a notice against your name in the immigration bureau’s records – the whole process will take mere minutes.
Holders of Philippine passports can also use a bank of automated e-gates on the far right side of the immigration hall. At T2, you may be directed by staff to use these e-gates by default (instead of the manned counters) if you’re using a Philippine passport to enter the country.
The following video (not by me!) explains how to use an e-gate to pass through border control.
In place of an inked stamp, an arrival sticker will be printed as you exit through to the other side. Don’t forget to collect the sticker from the printer receptacle (it’s easy to overlook this bit) and affix it to a blank space in your passport.
STEP 5: BAGGAGE RECLAIM AND CUSTOMS
From border control, simply walk forwards straight into T2’s baggage hall.
There are times when a flight’s assigned carousel isn’t immediately displayed on the screens in the baggage hall. Enquire directly with the airport staff if this happens and they’ll point you to the correct one.
During your flight, the cabin crew will have distributed blank customs declaration forms. These are meant to be collected at the customs barrier as you pass through, although this isn’t consistently done. To avoid inconvenience, you should complete the form before landing and have it ready for submission just in case.
Bear in mind that all baggage is subject to inspection at the customs officers’ discretion – this may involve an x-ray check and/or a hand search with follow-up questions as needed.
STEP 6: LEAVING THE TERMINAL
After exiting the terminal, make your way to the sheltered road that runs along the front of the building.
As shown in the following street view, the pavement running alongside T2’s arrivals access road is divided into numbered “bays”. If you’ve asked someone to collect you from the terminal, I’d advise agreeing on a specific bay number to make it easier for them to locate you.
If you plan to hire a cab, look for the nearest zebra crossing and walk over to the centre island. Here you’ll find service booths for coupon taxis and metered taxis.
The road-based options for travelling onwards from MNL T2 to other parts of Greater Manila (and beyond) are outlined in my separate airport transportation guide.
APPENDIX: PANDEMIC-RELATED MEASURES
In 2023, the Philippine government scrapped its last remaining pandemic-era emergency directives. Public transport operates at full capacity and disease-control protocols – including mask wearing and social distancing – are no longer enforced.
Be aware that some establishments (such as healthcare facilities) might impose stricter requirements within their own premises and ask visitors to put on a mask before entering.
Within striking distance 
Thanks for this, reduced my time in line.