Can I send food to the Philippines?
Yes, with conditions.
Up to 10 kg of processed food, including canned goods, needs no FDA clearance. No fresh or frozen meat, fish, or produce without Department of Agriculture clearance, and no meat from countries under a Philippine ban. Food falls outside express treatment, so expect checks.
For every Onvoyo box: Only sealed, shop-bought, shelf-stable food. Express couriers don't carry perishable food: nothing fresh, frozen, meat, dairy or produce.
More rules for the Philippines
Not allowed
- Adulterated or misbranded food, drinks, and medicines
Allowed with conditions
- Food
- Up to 10 kg of processed food, including cooked food, needs no FDA clearance. Fresh or frozen unprocessed food, such as fruit, meat, and fish, needs Department of Agriculture clearance even in personal amounts. Customs' express rules exclude foodstuff and perishables from express treatment, so food can slow a box down.
- Meat products
- Canned or fully cooked meat from countries free of African swine fever, bird flu, and foot-and-mouth disease needs no BAI clearance. Meat from countries under a Philippine ban is confiscated, and frozen or raw meat needs a BAI import clearance whatever the weight.
- Plants, seeds, and animals
- Plants and plant products need a Bureau of Plant Industry permit to import and a sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance. Pets, live animals, and animal products other than the processed meat described above need a Bureau of Animal Industry import clearance and a health certificate.
Quantity limits
- Processed food (baggage, balikbayan boxes, and parcels)
- Up to 10 kg, including cooked food, without FDA clearance. Fresh or frozen unprocessed food needs Department of Agriculture clearance.
Before you ship to the Philippines
- Tax-free limit
- Shipments with an FOB or FCA value (the goods alone, without shipping) of PHP 10,000 (about USD 160) or less pay no duty or VAT. Declare a specific value for every item: customs won't give express release to boxes marked "no commercial value" or "for customs purposes only". Medicines, food, cosmetics, and other regulated goods still have to meet agency rules unless they are for personal use and within set limits. Consignments from the same sender to the same receiver on one courier manifest are added together, and at PHP 50,000 or more they need a formal entry.
- Receiver ID
- No tax number is needed to receive a personal box. The courier needs the receiver's full name, address, and mobile number, and may ask for a copy of a valid ID. Returning residents who claim duty-free entry need a Tax Identification Number (TIN) to apply for the Department of Finance's Tax Exemption Indorsement.
- Transit
- 3-6 business days from Asia; 4-8 from North America, Europe, or the Middle East
Questions
Can I send food to the Philippines?
Yes, with conditions. Up to 10 kg of processed food, including canned goods, needs no FDA clearance. No fresh or frozen meat, fish, or produce without Department of Agriculture clearance, and no meat from countries under a Philippine ban. Food falls outside express treatment, so expect checks.
Ask about a specific item
Official sources
- 1.
Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, and Bureau of Customs
Joint Circular No. 1: Importation of FDA-DOH Regulated Products for Personal Use (opens in a new tab) - 2.
Bureau of Animal Industry (posted by the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C.)
Memorandum Circular No. 48, Series of 2021: Veterinary Quarantine Guidelines for the Import of Meat Intended for Personal or Non-Commercial Use (opens in a new tab) - 3.
Bureau of Customs
Guidelines on Arriving Travelers (opens in a new tab) - 4.
Supreme Court of the Philippines E-Library
Republic Act No. 4653 - An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring It a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles Commonly Known as Used Clothing and Rags (opens in a new tab) - 5.
- 6.
Supreme Court of the Philippines E-Library
Republic Act No. 10863 - An Act Modernizing the Customs and Tariff Administration (opens in a new tab) - 7.
Bureau of Customs (via Supreme Court of the Philippines E-Library)
Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2018 - Amended Rules on Consolidated Shipment of "Balikbayan Boxes" (opens in a new tab)
General guidance, not legal advice. Customs in the Philippines makes the final decision on every box.