The Philippine travel tax is charged on passengers departing the country, commonly ₱1,620 in economy, and it is often bundled invisibly into a fare. Most people pay the full amount without checking whether they had to — and a good number of them did not.
Children pay half, and it is easy to miss
A child aged between 2 and 11 on the date of travel, holding a Philippine passport, pays a reduced rate of ₱810 rather than the full amount. No supporting documents are needed.
Infants aged two and under are exempt entirely.
Who is exempt
TIEZA lists around nineteen categories of exempt passenger. The ones that come up most often are these.
- Overseas Filipino workers, subject to TIEZA's conditions
- Filipinos who are permanent residents abroad and meet the stay requirements
- Infants aged two and under
- International flight crew on duty
- Diplomats and Philippine officials travelling on official business
- Foreign passport holders on a non-immigrant stay of under a year, on presenting their passport ID pages and last arrival stamp
If you already paid too much
An overpayment can be reclaimed. If you paid the full rate but qualified for the reduced rate or an exemption, you can apply for a refund of the difference at any TIEZA travel tax office or airport counter.
| What to expect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Any TIEZA travel tax office, or an airport counter |
| Processing time | Roughly 30 to 90 days |
| Processing fee | ₱200 |
Keep the ticket, the receipt and proof of the category you are claiming under. A refund on a child's fare is usually worth more than the processing fee; on a single adult economy ticket, check the arithmetic before you commit to the paperwork.
A word on how it appears on a tour price
Travel tax is a government charge, not part of what a tour operator sells, which is why it appears as an exclusion on most package listings — including ours. That is normal and correct. What is not normal is failing to mention it at all, so that it arrives as a surprise at the airport.
Whoever you book with, ask what the travel tax treatment is before you pay a deposit, and whether children in your group have been declared at the right age.