Travel Insurance

[SchatzieCharlie 4]

My son and I are planning to go home to the Philippines 6 coming June. I am a naturalized citizen and so is my son (K1/K2). My question is, do we both need to get a travel insurance? 

[Timona 4,207]

As far as I know, travel insurance is personal choice 

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Moved from COVID-19 forum to the Philippine regional forum, for country-specific input ***

 

10 hours ago, Timona said:

As far as I know, travel insurance is personal choice 

 

Travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage is a requirement for certain travelers to the Philippines.

 

[flicks1998 1,044]

11 hours ago, SchatzieCharlie said:

My son and I are planning to go home to the Philippines 6 coming June. I am a naturalized citizen and so is my son (K1/K2). My question is, do we both need to get a travel insurance? 

The Philippines breaks it down between Nationals and Foreign Nationals.

 

Foreign Nationals, under most visa classes but not all, are required to have the minimum of $35K in travel insurance that covers for Covid expenses.  Typically visa classes would be 9a, BB, etc.  Foreign nationals entering on work visas are not required to have travel insurance for obvious reasons.

 

For Nationals, there is no insurance requirement.  

 

If you have regained your Philippine citizenship after you acquired your US citizenship and you have a Philippine passport, entering the Philippines on that passport will qualify you as a National.  If you will enter the PI on your US passport (which I do not suggest doing in most circumstances), its possible the airline may consider you a foreign national.  If this is your plan, I would suggest calling PAL even if you do not plan on flying them to the Philippines.  They will have a much better idea than other non-national air carriers.  Also, PALs website, under the Covid section, provides details between the different groups.

 

https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/covid-19/arrivingintheph

[LouieDepalma 3]

Sorry I can't seem to get the quote thing to work for me today.  So I will just use manual quotes.

 

"For Nationals, there is no insurance requirement."

 

"If you have regained your Philippine citizenship after you acquired your US citizenship and you have a Philippine passport, entering the Philippines on that passport will qualify you as a National."

 

So someone who is a green card holder in the US or lawful permanent resident but has not acquired US citizenship and still holds a valid Philippine Passport is considered a National?

 

Therefore they would not need to purchase the travel insurance policy?

 

Has anyone actually traveled to the Philippines recently and can confirm this.

I looked at several websites, and it is just confusing.

 

 

 

 

[Chancy 6,241]

16 minutes ago, LouieDepalma said:

So someone who is a green card holder in the US or lawful permanent resident but has not acquired US citizenship and still holds a valid Philippine Passport is considered a National?

 

Becoming a US LPR does not revoke PH citizenship.  So yes, a green card holder remains a Philippine national.  Travel insurance is not required for a PH national to be allowed entry to the PH, but a valid PH passport is required.