Field guides23 guides
Guides for getting through NAIA
Every Better NAIA field guide in one place: the paperwork, fees, and transport that catch travellers out at Manila's airport, and how to get past them. Pick a topic below.
Before you fly8
- Your first international flightThe whole journey in order: eTravel, travel tax, your terminal and check-in counter, immigration, security, and boarding. Type your flight number and it fills in the details.
- Your first domestic flightID and ticket, bag drop, security, and your boarding gate, in order. Type your flight number and it fills in your terminal and check-in counter.
- eTravel declarationWho needs the QR code, when to submit it, and how to avoid the lookalike sites that try to charge you.
- Philippine Travel TaxCurrent rates, exemptions, where to pay online or at the airport, and how to claim a refund.
- BIMP-EAGA travel tax exemptionHow Mindanao and Palawan residents flying select BIMP-EAGA routes qualify for a reduced travel tax, and the papers to bring.
- Avoid getting offloadedWhy immigration defers departures, who gets questioned, the documents to prepare for every traveller type, and sample answers for the interview.
- Carry-on and checked baggage rulesWhat you can bring through NAIA security: liquids, vapes, lighters, power banks, and a quick reference table for the rest.
- Air Passenger Bill of RightsWhat you can ask for when your flight is delayed, cancelled, overbooked, or downgraded, plus who to contact at NAIA when it isn't honoured.
OFW resources4
- OEC and OFW PassThe exit clearance every OFW needs: what the OFW Pass replaced, who counts as Balik-Manggagawa, the sixty-day validity, and the travel tax and terminal fee relief it carries.
- Getting your OEC onlineThe exact path to the OFW Pass in eGovPH, the DMW Online Services fallback for when the app stalls, and how early to apply.
- Terminal fee refund for OFWsThe terminal fee is inside your ticket, so you claim it back instead of skipping it. The documents to keep before you fly, and where to send them.
- OFW LoungeThe free OWWA rest area for OFWs: who can enter, the six-hour limit, where it is in Terminals 1 and 3, and what to show at the door. May bersyong Tagalog.
Transport4
- Getting to and from NAIAGrab, UBE Express airport buses, yellow taxis, the LRT/MRT workaround, and the NAIA–Clark shuttle.
- Moving between NAIA terminalsThe free inter-terminal shuttle, the UBE Express NAIA Loop, and PAL's transfer buses, plus which one to take and when.
- Traffic into NAIAHow fast the roads into each terminal are moving right now, what counts as normal at this hour, and the worst hours of the week.
- NAIA ParkingLive slot availability across every terminal, current rates, and which lot to pick before you drive over.
At the airport6
- Connecting flights at NAIAMinimum connection times, the same-terminal vs. terminal-transfer rules, baggage and immigration steps, and how much buffer to allow.
- Immigration e-gatesWho can skip the manned counter: arrivals, OFWs, and pre-screened Filipino passport holders, plus what to do if the gate turns red.
- Dining options at the airportEvery restaurant and café by terminal: what is open to everyone before security, and what waits past the gates.
- Smoking and vaping at NAIAWhere the designated smoking areas are at each terminal, and which lounges allow vaping airside.
- Luggage storage at NAIAWhere to stash your bags during a long layover or a side trip: terminal-by-terminal options, rates, and contacts.
- The Wings Transit Hotel and SpaSleep through a long layover at Terminal 3: capsule and room rates for 7.5 and 15 hours, what the rate covers, and the spa and shower prices.