I. Preliminary Statement: There Is No General “Immigration Clearance Fee” Charged by the Bureau of Immigration

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) does not collect any fee from a Filipino citizen simply for stamping the passport and allowing departure from the Philippines. The act of immigration clearance upon exit — the inspection of documents and the departure stamp — is performed free of charge.

What many travelers loosely call “immigration clearance fees” are in reality the following:

Philippine Travel Tax (collected by TIEZA);
International Passenger Service Charge (airport terminal fee);
Mandatory contributions and processing fees required to obtain the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) for OFWs;
Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) registration and guidance counseling fee for fiancé/spouse/emigrant visa holders;
(In very rare cases) fees for lifting a Hold Departure Order or Alert List Order.

All other departure-related fees are either taxes, airport charges, or contributions required to obtain the documentary exemptions or clearances listed above.

II. Philippine Travel Tax (TIEZA)

Legal basis: Presidential Decree No. 1183 (1977), as amended by Republic Act No. 9446 (2007), Republic Act No. 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009), and further amended by Republic Act No. 11312 (2019).

Current rates (as of December 2025 — these rates have remained unchanged since 2009):

First class passage: PHP 2,700.00
Economy class passage: PHP 1,620.00
Reduced rate (50%): PHP 810.00 (applicable to certain qualified dependents of OFWs, students abroad with CHED/DepEd endorsement, etc.)
Reduced rate (PHP 300–400): Legally qualified reduced rates under specific bilateral agreements or for certain delegates.

Who is completely exempt? (Section 3 of PD 1183 as amended)

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) holding a valid Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or OWWA E-receipt
Infants below 2 years old
Philippine government officials and personnel on official travel (with travel authority)
Diplomatic passport holders and UN laissez-passer holders
Philippine Olympic team members and certain accredited athletes
Balikbayans whose stay in the Philippines did not exceed one year (but only if they are former Filipinos or dual citizens; natural-born Filipinos who never lost citizenship pay full tax even if living abroad)

Payment is now usually included in the airline ticket by virtue of airline–TIEZA agreements. If not included, it is paid at the TIEZA counter at the airport or at any TIEZA-accredited outlet before departure.

Failure to pay travel tax will prevent check-in or boarding.

III. International Passenger Service Charge (IPSC / Airport Terminal Fee)

NAIA (all terminals): PHP 550 for international departures (integrated into the airline ticket since August 1, 2019 for NAIA Terminal 3, and progressively for other terminals; by 2025 fully integrated nationwide in most cases)
Mactan-Cebu International Airport: PHP 850–900 (2024–2025 rate)
Clark International Airport: PHP 650
Other airports: PHP 600–900 depending on the airport authority

Exemptions:

OFWs with valid OEC / OWWA receipt (may claim refund if already included in ticket)
Infants below 2 years
Transit passengers remaining airside (24–48 hours depending on airport)
Certain diplomatic personnel

Since integration into the ticket, OFWs must present the OEC at airline check-in counter to obtain the exemption or refund.

IV. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs): Fees Required to Obtain Exit Clearance (OEC)

The Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) is the only document that functions as a mandatory exit clearance for departing OFWs. Without it, the Bureau of Immigration will offload the worker at the airport.

Government-mandated fees and contributions (2025 rates):

OWWA membership contribution – US$25.00 (equivalent in PHP at the Bangko Sentral guiding rate on the day of payment). Valid for two (2) years. Mandatory under Republic Act No. 10801 (OWWA Act).
PhilHealth contribution – Based on monthly salary (minimum PHP 400–900 per month depending on salary bracket in 2025). Mandatory for documented OFWs under the Universal Health Care Act.
Pag-IBIG (Home Development Mutual Fund) contribution – PHP 100–200 per month (employee share). Mandatory for land-based OFWs earning at least PHP 5,000 monthly; voluntary for lower salaries or seafarers.
POEA/DMW processing fee – FREE since 2020 (online issuance via DMW POPS-BaM system). No more PHP 100–200 processing fee.
Mediation fee (if recruited through agency and there was a monetary claim settled) – maximum PHP 5,000 (rare).
Seafarers: Additional SRF (Seafarer’s Registration Fee) – PHP 100 (one-time).

Recruitment agencies are prohibited from charging placement fees to land-based OFWs except in specific countries allowed by the DMW (e.g., South Korea EPS workers pay a small fee). Any agency charging placement fee to a non-exempt worker is committing illegal recruitment.

With a valid OEC, the OFW is exempt from travel tax and airport terminal fee.

V. Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Clearance for Fiancé/Spouse/Partner/Emigrant Visa Holders

Legal basis: Batas Pambansa Blg. 79 (1980), Memorandum Circular No. 2023-001 of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), and BI Operations Order No. SBM-2015-025.

Who must register with CFO and obtain the clearance sticker/certificate?

Filipino fiancé(e), spouse, or partner of a foreign national (K-1, CR-1, IR-1, DCF, etc.)
Filipino emigrants/permanent residents going to any country for the first time under an immigrant visa
Filipino participants in international exchange visitor programs (J-1 au pair, etc.)
Filipinos adopted by foreign nationals traveling on adoption visas

Fees (2025):

Registration and guidance counseling fee: PHP 400.00
Additional fee for Peer Counseling Program or Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for certain countries: sometimes PHP 500–1,000 if conducted by accredited NGOs

The CFO sticker is affixed to the passport or a separate certificate is issued. The Bureau of Immigration officer will not allow departure without it if the traveler falls under the covered categories.

Failure to present CFO clearance is one of the most common reasons for offloading of fiancé/spouse visa holders.

VI. Minor’s Travel Clearance (DSWD)

Legal basis: Republic Act No. 7610, Republic Act No. 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act), and DSWD Administrative Order No. 12 series of 2017.

A Filipino minor (below 18 years old) traveling abroad:

Alone, or
With a person who is not the legal parent or legal guardian

must secure a DSWD Travel Clearance Certificate.

Fee: None. The DSWD does not charge any fee for the issuance of the minor’s travel clearance (confirmed as of 2025).

Related expenses are only for notarization of parental consent (≈ PHP 200–500) and authenticated documents.

VII. Lifting of Hold Departure Order (HDO), Watchlist Order (WLO), or Alert List Order (ALO)

If a Filipino is subject to an HDO (usually from a criminal case) or WLO/ALO (immigration lookout), clearance must be obtained from the court or the Department of Justice/BI.

Fees vary:

Motion to lift HDO in court: Attorney’s fees + court filing fees (PHP 5,000–20,000 typical)
Allow Departure Order from DOJ: Usually no government fee, only administrative cost

VIII. Summary Table of Mandatory Government Fees for Departure (2025)

Traveler Category	Travel Tax	Terminal Fee	OWWA	PhilHealth	Pag-IBIG	CFO Fee	OEC Fee	DSWD Fee
Ordinary tourist / balik-manggagawa without OEC	Full (1,620/2,700)	Pays (included)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Documented OFW with valid OEC	Exempt	Exempt	US$25	Required	Required/Voluntary	N/A	Free	N/A
Fiancé/spouse of foreign national	Full/Reduced depending on status	Pays	N/A	N/A	N/A	PHP 400	N/A	N/A
Minor traveling with non-parent	Full/Reduced	Pays	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Free

IX. Conclusion

The Bureau of Immigration itself collects no clearance fee from departing Filipino citizens. All fees commonly associated with “immigration clearance” are either national taxes (travel tax), airport charges (terminal fee), or mandatory welfare contributions and registration fees required to obtain the specific exit documents (OEC, CFO sticker/certificate) that certain categories of travelers must present to the BI officer.

Travelers are strongly advised to secure all required documents and pay the corresponding fees before proceeding to the airport to avoid offloading and unnecessary expense.