Travelling to the Philippines From Australia – Everything You Need To Know

Just for context: I flew from Adelaide, South Australia to Manila, Philippines (then back to AU). I’m an Australian Permanent Resident and a Filipino citizen. This is my first solo travel but I’ve flown to a couple other countries with my husband prior to this. 

Note: I will also be sharing my experiences travelling back to AU from the PH in the article that I will be publishing in the next couple of weeks.

Booked flights

I planned my round-trip flights (ADL to MNL and MNL to ADL) a few months before my actual travel dates mainly to try to save some money. I decided to fly with Qantas to avoid any flight cancellations and feel more at ease throughout the journey.

These are the Qantas flights that I took during this trip:

• Adelaide to Sydney (QF730)
• Sydney to Manila (QF 19)
• Manila to Sydney (QF 20)
• Sydney to Adelaide (supposed to be QF 733 but got changed to QF 739)

Preparation

Before setting off on my trip, I made sure to handle a few important tasks. First on the list was packing my luggage. I packed essentials like clothes, medication, and of course my family’s pasalubong (gifts/ souvenirs from AU). I also organised the necessary travel documents including my passport, e-ticket itinerary, and printed e-travel QR code. Completing the e-travel declaration within 72 hours before departure to and from the Philippines is required. 

Flight from Adelaide to Sydney 

As I mentioned earlier, I flew out from Adelaide where I’m currently based. Unfortunately, there are currently no direct flights between Adelaide and Manila. So, I opted for a Qantas international connecting flight, which routed me through Sydney before reaching Manila. 

Here’s a rundown of my experience at the Adelaide Airport:

• Check-in: At the check in counter,  I presented my passport and boarding pass, checked in my luggage, and enquired about re-checking my bags in Sydney. I was advised that this wouldn’t be necessary for this trip.
  
• Security: After check-in, I proceeded to security. I placed my bags and personal items on the tray for X-ray screening, making sure that my pockets were empty. I then passed through the body scanner. I was also randomly selected for an additional screening, where an officer swabbed the inside of my carry-on bag with a piece of paper and inserted it in a machine. Seconds later, I was cleared to continue.
  
• Boarding: Following security, I made my way to my designated gate and awaited boarding. When it was time, I just joined the line. I also needed to show the staff my boarding pass a couple more times at this stage.

And that sums this part up. Once on board, I stowed my bag, settled into my seat, and awaited my arrival in Sydney.

Flight from Sydney to Manila

Here’s the process I experienced after that:

• Security: This was just your usual airport security procedures and baggage x-ray. 
  
• Passport scanning area (any passport): I lined up and scanned my PH passport using a machine.
  
• Immigration: An immigration officer checked my passport (matched it with my face) and boarding pass. 
  
• Boarding: I located my designated boarding gate and waited for the boarding call. Upon boarding, I presented my passport and boarding pass to the crew.

Following that, I once again stowed my bag, took my seat and prepared for the long flight ahead.

Flight to the PH

Typically, I doze off almost immediately after taking my seat on flights, but this time was different. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I was flying solo for the first time, causing me to be a tad on edge. This may also explain my heightened awareness of the turbulence, which to me seemed more noticeable than usual. It’s either that or it may have been because of the stormy season in the Philippines, given that rain dominated most of my time there.

Now, back to the flight experience itself – it was alright overall. I did manage to grab about an hour and a half of sleep, and they kept us well-fed with a variety of meals, including the main meal (dinner), ice cream, chocolate, and other snacks.

The in-flight entertainment also wasn’t bad. They had relatively new movies, TV series, and I think even podcasts. I really appreciated this because watching a couple of movies helped pass the time. 

Manila airport

COVID travel requirements

There weren’t any COVID-related travel requirements that I knew of when I travelled to the Philippines. However, I decided to still carry proof of my COVID-19 vaccinations— COVID-19 digital certificate and my International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate, just in case. These can be obtained from your  MyGov’s Medicare section.

Conclusion

That’s basically everything that I have experienced during my recent travel to the Philippines from Australia. Honestly, the journey was nerve-wracking and exhausting, with plenty of waiting around at the airport and moments of uncertainty. But, it was all worth it as I finally reunited with my family after 3 long years. 

As a final note, keep in mind that travel regulations can change even at short notice, so it would be wise to always stay updated by checking the latest advisories and requirements. Also, keep an eye out for part 2 where I’d discuss my experiences travelling back to Australia from the Philippines. I will be posting that this Thursday so stay tuned!

Disclaimer All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.

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