Boracay Tourist Travel Requirements for Covid in July 2021

As part of the Boracay reopening on October 1 a set of travel requirements has been put into place to ensure the island remains Covid free…

On this page I’ll guide you through all the steps that you need to complete before you can travel to and throughout Boracay – from getting tested to receiving your QR code.

Boracay Travel Requirements

It’s important that you complete the following steps in their listed order, as some steps require the completion of previous steps.

1. Get a RT-PCR Covid Test

You’ll need to get tested at a licensed Covid-19 testing laboratory. The Philippine Department of Health maintains an up-to-date list of those laboratories here: https://doh.gov.ph/licensed-covid-19-testing-laboratories

You can choose between a saliva or a nose swab RT-PCR test, both are accepted. Children that are 2 years and younger are exempted from this requirement.

An important thing to note here is that your flight departure date needs to be within 72 hours after you were tested, so not after you received the result.

2. Book a Round Trip Flight

Book a flight to Boracay Airport in Caticlan (MPH). Kalibo Airport is currently designated to residents only. You’re required to wear a mask and face shield during your flight.

3. Book a DOT Accredited Hotel

Aside from the hotel needing to be DOT accredited, due to the pandemic it now also needs to have a Certificate of Authority to Operate.

Another important thing to note here is that you can only share a room with people from your own household. This will be checked at the hotel.

4. Fill out the Health Declaration Form

You’ll need your flight + hotel booking info for this as well as your ID.

You can fill out the health declaration form here: https://www.touristboracay.com/

5. Apply for a S-Pass

S-Pass is the Philippines’ national contact tracing system which is mostly required by airports and seaports. Applications need to be sent in at least 2 days before arrival.

To apply for a S-Pass you’ll need to complete these steps:

1. Go to https://s-pass.ph
2. Create an account or login
3. Once logged in click on “Are you traveling?”
4. Answer the questions in the questionnaire that follows
5. Click “Apply for Travel Coordination Permit”
6. Fill out the application form

If anything isn’t clear to you as you go through the above steps, you can alternatively also watch this detailed video walk-through of the S-Pass application process.

6. Request your QR Code

The QR code is Aklan’s local contact tracing system, and the official recommendation is to request it at least 12 hours before you depart to ensure you receive it in time.

Usually you’ll receive your code pretty quickly (Althea got hers within within 10 minutes), but it can take longer. If you haven’t received yours after a few hours I recommend you send a quick follow up email just to be sure.

To request your QR code you need to gather these documents:

• Your RT-PCR test result
• Your flight booking
• Your hotel booking
• A valid ID

Once you have these documents ready, you’ll need to send them to:

• Email: touristboracay@gmail.com
• Subject: OHDC-FamilyName-FirstName

Once you get your QR Code, make sure you don’t lose it. I recommend you keep a physical and digital copy with you at all times. Because you need it for many things: for entering and exiting Boracay, but also when entering restaurants, hotels etc.

It’s also important to note that your QR code is tied to your departure date. It only stays valid till 12 hours after your departure time. So if you for any reason end up extending your stay, make sure you update your QR code as well.

7. Install the Traze App

The Traze contact tracing app is reportedly mandatory in all Philippine airports, though some travelers didn’t get asked for it. In any case, I would definitely just install it. That way you’ll be good for sure 💪

You can download Traze here: https://www.traze.ph/download.php

8. Enjoy paradise 🥳

That’s it, you’re now ready to travel to Boracay.

Who Can Currently Travel to Boracay?

From July 1 to 31 all people from Modified General & General Community Quarantine areas are allowed to travel to Boracay.

The exceptions to this rule are people with comorbidities and women that are pregnant.

Foreign tourists are at the moment also not allowed, unless they’re already in the Philippines.

You can see the quarantine classifications of the different regions in the Philippines on the map – it has been created and is kept up to date by Wikipedia.

For an explanation of MGCQ, GCQ and MECQ quarantine classifications see this article.

Map by Wikipedia

What To Expect Once There

These are the current Covid rules and restrictions on the island:

• Outside of your room you’re required to wear a mask except when you’re swimming, eating or doing strenuous activities that require heavy breathing.
• Public ground transport vehicles have been given a max capacity of 50%. Motorized tricycles are not used, only e-trikes, and their max capacity is 4 people.
• Expect to get your temperature and QR code scanned when you enter establishments and undertake island activities.
• Swimming is allowed from 6AM to 6PM at areas marked with a red and yellow flag. Before you go swimming you need to get your temperature checked at one of the designated beach stations.
• There’s a 1AM to 4AM curfew. If you’re still out at this hour, you’ll be asked to go back to your hotel.

What White Beach is Like Now

The below video shot in 2021 shows White Beach in 4K 😎 Feels almost like being there when you watch it full screen.

Video credit goes to Tour From Home TV