Travel Tax Exemption: OFWs and the TEC
Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority · travel
Quick answer
Overseas Filipino workers, Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay is under 1 year, and infants 2 years and below are exempt under Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1183. Apply for a Travel Tax Exemption Certificate online with a 2x2 photo taken within 6 months, your passport page and your ticket.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from TIEZA's official published sources: TIEZA | Travel Tax Exemption (https://tieza.gov.ph/travel-tax-exemption/, retrieved 2026-09-01); TIEZA | Reduced Travel Tax (https://tieza.gov.ph/reduced-travel-tax/, retrieved 2026-09-01); TIEZA | Full Travel Tax (https://tieza.gov.ph/full-travel-tax/, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with TIEZA before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
Exemption means ₱0.00. That is a saving of ₱1,620.00 on an economy ticket and ₱2,700.00 on first class, and it applies to a narrower group than most people assume.
Who is exempt
Under Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1183, as amended:
| Exempt | Condition |
|---|---|
| Overseas Filipino workers | - |
| Filipino permanent residents abroad | Whose stay in the Philippines is less than 1 year |
| Infants | 2 years and below |
| Non-immigrant aliens with non-taxable immigration status | Whose stay in the Philippines is less than 1 year; requires the passport page with the stamp of last arrival |
| Foreign diplomatic and consular officials and staff accredited to the Philippines | Includes immediate family members and household domestics with authorisation |
TIEZA publishes a longer numbered table with the documentary requirement for each section. In all cases you must bring your original passport.
Exempt is not the same as reduced
This is the single most common error, and it costs OFW families money in both directions.
| Traveller | Outcome | Economy | First class |
|---|---|---|---|
| The OFW | Exempt | ₱0.00 | ₱0.00 |
| The OFW’s spouse | Privileged reduced | ₱300.00 | ₱400.00 |
| The OFW’s unmarried child below 21 years | Privileged reduced | ₱300.00 | ₱400.00 |
| The OFW’s child with a disability, above 21 years | Privileged reduced | ₱300.00 | ₱400.00 |
| A minor, 2 years and a day to the 12th birthday | Standard reduced | ₱810.00 | ₱1,350.00 |
| An infant 2 years and below | Exempt | ₱0.00 | ₱0.00 |
| Everyone else | Full | ₱1,620.00 | ₱2,700.00 |
The dependent rates are granted only if the dependent is travelling to the OFW’s worksite. The travel tax guide sets out the full eligibility tables and the documents each category needs.
The Travel Tax Exemption Certificate
TIEZA runs a TEC online application. Scan everything before you start.
| Standard requirement | Format |
|---|---|
| 2x2 ID picture, taken within the last 6 months | JPG only |
| Identification page of your passport | PDF or JPG |
| Airline ticket or flight booking | PDF or JPG |
Specific exemption categories carry additional requirements on top of those three, listed against each section of TIEZA’s table.
The timing rule that closes the online route
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Online processing | Within 1 day of complete documentary requirements, under RA 11032 |
| Flight timing | Your flight must be at least 1 day after the online application date |
| If you are inside that window | The application must be processed on-site, at a TIEZA Travel Tax Office or an airport counter |
Apply the day before you fly and you are already too late for the online route.
If you paid anyway
Airlines commonly collect the tax with the fare, so exempt passengers frequently pay it without noticing.
| Rule | What TIEZA states |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Claims for refund must be made within 2 years from the date of payment |
| Where | On-site at any TIEZA Travel Tax Office or airport counter |
| Form | A check for deposit to the payee’s account only, uncrossable on request by a properly identified payee |
| Someone else claiming | A Special Power of Attorney is required |
| A minor payee | The parent presents the minor’s original birth certificate, unless the parent signed the passport for the minor |
An exempt OFW who paid the full economy rate is owed the whole ₱1,620.00. The calculator works out the refund for each category, and the payment guide covers the process.
The documents that prove it
Exemption and reduction both rest on documents from other agencies, and those have their own published costs.
| Document | Published fee | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| DMW Balik-Manggagawa OEC | None | The document TIEZA names for dependent claims |
| OEC | Valid 60 days, single exit | The OFW’s own proof of status |
| PSA marriage certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 | For a spouse claiming the ₱300.00 rate |
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 | For a child’s claim, and for a minor’s refund |
| OWWA membership | USD $25.00, valid until the contract ends or 2 years | Often assembled in the same trip |
A spouse spending ₱130.00 on a marriage certificate to claim the ₱300.00 rate instead of ₱1,620.00 clears ₱1,190.00 net.
What this page does not cover
TIEZA does not publish, on the pages read for this guide, a fee for the Travel Tax Exemption Certificate itself, a validity period for the certificate, a processing time for refunds, a list of airport counter locations and hours, or whether a digital certificate is accepted at check-in. None of those are stated here.
Related
The travel tax guide covers all four rate categories. The payment guide covers paying and claiming back. The calculator compares the outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
- Are OFWs exempt from travel tax?
- Yes. TIEZA states that under Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1183, as amended, overseas Filipino workers are exempt from paying travel tax.
- Who else is exempt?
- Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay in the Philippines is less than 1 year, and infants 2 years and below. TIEZA also lists non-immigrant aliens with non-taxable immigration status staying under 1 year, and accredited foreign diplomatic and consular officials including immediate family and household domestics.
- Is my spouse exempt too?
- No. An OFW's spouse pays the privileged reduced rate of ₱300.00 economy or ₱400.00 first class, not zero, and only if travelling to the OFW's worksite. Exemption and reduction are different outcomes.
- What do I need for the online exemption certificate?
- TIEZA names three standard items as clear scans in PDF or JPG: a 2x2 ID picture taken within the last 6 months, JPG only; the identification page of your passport; and an airline ticket or flight booking. Specific categories have additional requirements.
- Do I need my original passport?
- Yes. TIEZA states that in all cases you will be required to bring your original passport.
- What if my child is under two?
- Infants 2 years and below are exempt. From 2 years and one day to the 12th birthday on the date of travel, the standard reduced rate of ₱810.00 economy applies instead.
- I already paid. Can I still claim exemption?
- TIEZA publishes a refund route for anyone who paid more than their category required. Claims must be made within 2 years from the date of payment, and are processed on-site at a TIEZA Travel Tax Office or airport counter.
- When do I have to apply?
- Before the day you fly, if you want the online route. TIEZA states the flight date must be at least 1 day after the online application, otherwise the application must be processed on-site.
More TIEZA guides
Sources
- TIEZA | Travel Tax Exemption, retrieved
- TIEZA | Reduced Travel Tax, retrieved
- TIEZA | Full Travel Tax, retrieved