Philippines duty-free allowance

What arriving travelers can bring into Philippines without paying duty — from official customs guidance.

Alcohol

2 bottles

shared PHP 10,000 cap

Full rule

2 bottles of liquor (within the combined PHP 10,000 excisable-goods cap)

Tobacco

400 cigarettes

same PHP 10,000 cap

Full rule

2 reams of cigarettes (400 sticks) OR 50 cigars OR 250g pipe tobacco (same combined PHP 10,000 cap, CAO 01-2017)

Goods & gifts

PHP 10,000

more for returning residents

Full rule

general de minimis: goods worth PHP 10,000 or less enter duty/tax free (CMTA Sec 423); returning residents: PHP 150,000 (<5 yrs abroad) / PHP 250,000 (5-10 yrs) / PHP 350,000 (10+ yrs) personal effects; OFWs: extra PHP 150,000 for home appliances (one of each kind); balikbayan boxes PHP 150,000 up to 3x/year

Cash · declare from

USD 10,000+

PHP capped at 50,000

Full rule

PHP 50,000 local currency limit (BSP authorization above) and USD 10,000+ foreign currency declaration - commonly cited BSP rules, not on the opened customs pages

Depends on: heavily residency/duration tiered: regular traveler vs returning resident (3 duration bands) vs OFW; balikbayan frequency cap

Good to know

the returning-resident duration bands (150k/250k/350k by years abroad) are the most complex residency logic in this survey; alcohol+tobacco share one PHP 10,000 value cap instead of separate quantity-only limits

From Philippines's official customs guidance, checked 2026-07-31 ·verify at the source · Guidance, not law — allowances change and the customs officer has the final say. Verify before you fly.

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