Immigration issues new arrival, departure card

The Bureau of Immigration has started issuing new arrival and departure cards for international passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Immigration OIC Deputy Commissioner Marc Red Mariñas said the distribution of the new travel cards to the different airlines start last July 1.

Copies of the cards are also available at the immigration arrival and departure areas of all three terminals of the NAIA, Mariñas said.

The old arrival and departure card was phased out because it did not provide sufficient information about a traveler who enters or leaves the country, he said.

Issuing arrival and departure cards is a universal practice of immigration agencies in many countries and is considered essential to document passengers for border management and compiling passenger statistics.

The card is surrendered by a passenger to the primary immigration inspector upon his arrival or before his departure.

With the launching of BI’s new cards, passengers are now asked to write their full name, nationality, passport number, contact number, flight/voyage number, purpose of trip, occupation, port of exit/destination, and their address here and abroad.

Travelers are also required to sign, date and declare that the information written in the card is true, correct and complete.