🇵🇭 Philippines Customs Guide
What customs allows you to bring into Philippines — duty-free caps, banned and restricted goods, and medication rules, from official sources.
Partially verified · Authority: Bureau of Customs · Last verified
Some sections carry verbatim official quotes; anything still being verified is openly flagged — no invented numbers.
Two different questions. Airport security screening (TSA/CATSA — can it go through the checkpoint?) is separate from customs (may it enter the country at all?). This page covers customs after arrival in Philippines; for checkpoint rules, see the item guides.
Duty-free allowances
BALIKBAYAN BOX (care-send regime): personal/household effects only, FCA value ≤ PHP 150,000, max 3 sendings per calendar year (conditions: no sale/barter, non-commercial quantity, not prohibited, regulated goods need agency endorsement). Returning-resident variants PHP 350,000 (>10 yrs abroad) / PHP 250,000 (5–10 yrs) / PHP 150,000 (<5 yrs, unused in 6 months). Arriving passenger standard allowances: 2 bottles of wine/liquor (up to 1.5 liters total), 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g tobacco.
“(a) Balikbayan boxes shall contain personal and household effects only and shall neither be in commercial quantities nor intended for barter, sale or for hire; (b) The FCA value of which shall not exceed PHP 150,000; (c) This privilege can only be availed up to 3 times in a calendar year”
“…(iii) PHP 150,000 for those who have stayed in abroad for less than 5 years and have not availed of this privilege within 6 months prior to their arrival.”
Prohibited & restricted goods
BOC verbatim: prohibited goods, unauthorized restricted goods, and regulated goods without permits are not allowed (in passenger baggage and balikbayan boxes) — treat as the general import posture.
“Prohibited goods, Restricted goods unauthorized by law or regulation, and Regulated goods without necessary permits are not allowed in Balikbayan boxes.”
Medication & prescription drugs
Under DOH–FDA–BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015), FDA-DOH regulated health products and medications may be brought into the Philippines for personal use without prior FDA clearance provided they are for personal use, within quantity limits, and carried in passenger baggage (accompanied or unaccompanied), balikbayan boxes, or parcels. For prescription drugs: the imported quantity or volume should correspond to the quantity or volume specified in the prescription with the corresponding physician's PRC License number, or its equivalent for prescriptions issued by foreign physicians. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are allowed up to 50 g. Any quantity exceeding these limits without prior FDA-DOH clearance is subject to seizure and forfeiture. DANGEROUS DRUGS & CONTROLLED PRECURSORS: All dangerous drugs, controlled precursors, and essential chemicals are governed strictly under Republic Act No. 9165 by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) — prior DDB/PDEA authorization is mandatory.
“FDA-DOH regulated products may be brought in without prior FDA clearance provided they are (a) for personal use, (b) in quantities not exceeding the limits in the circular, and (c) brought in passenger baggage, balikbayan boxes, or parcels.”
“The imported quantity or volume should correspond to the quantity or volume specified in the prescription with the corresponding physician's PRC License number, or its equivalent for prescriptions issued by foreign physicians.”
“Dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals are subject to the regulations of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).”
Still being verified — nothing guessed
Accuracy beats completeness here. The following are confirmed gaps in our verified coverage for Philippines; each line names the official source we are re-checking, not a third-party answer:
- Under verification arriving-passenger alcohol/tobacco allowances verbatim (customs.gov.ph passenger guide)
- Under verification BSP currency declaration thresholds (official)
Philippines customs FAQs
What is the duty-free allowance for Philippines?
BALIKBAYAN BOX (care-send regime): personal/household effects only, FCA value ≤ PHP 150,000, max 3 sendings per calendar year (conditions: no sale/barter, non-commercial quantity, not prohibited, regulated goods need agency endorsement). Returning-resident variants PHP 350,000 (>10 yrs abroad) / PHP 250,000 (5–10 yrs) / PHP 150,000 (<5 yrs, unused in 6 months). Arriving passenger standard allowances: 2 bottles of wine/liquor (up to 1.5 liters total), 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g tobacco.
What items are prohibited or restricted at Philippines customs?
BOC verbatim: prohibited goods, unauthorized restricted goods, and regulated goods without permits are not allowed (in passenger baggage and balikbayan boxes) — treat as the general import posture.
Can I bring medication into Philippines?
Under DOH–FDA–BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015), FDA-DOH regulated health products and medications may be brought into the Philippines for personal use without prior FDA clearance provided they are for personal use, within quantity limits, and carried in passenger baggage (accompanied or unaccompanied), balikbayan boxes, or parcels. For prescription drugs: the imported quantity or volume should correspond to the quantity or volume specified in the prescription with the corresponding physician's PRC License number, or its equivalent for prescriptions issued by foreign physicians. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are allowed up to 50 g. Any quantity exceeding these limits without prior FDA-DOH clearance is subject to seizure and forfeiture. DANGEROUS DRUGS & CONTROLLED PRECURSORS: All dangerous drugs, controlled precursors, and essential chemicals are governed strictly under Republic Act No. 9165 by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) — prior DDB/PDEA authorization is mandatory.
More country guides
Verified against
Last verified:
Verified against official sources. Rules change — for high-stakes items, confirm with your airline and the screening authority. Our verification method →
- Bureau of Customs — Duty and Tax Free Privileges ↗
- Bureau of Customs — Balikbayan Box Guidelines ↗
- Bureau of Customs / FDA / DOH — Joint Circular No. 1, 2015 ↗
- Philippine Embassy, Bern / DFA — Consular Medication FAQs ↗