NAIA Lessens Long Lines While Green Lane Scanning Are Suspended

If you’ve flown into Manila recently, you probably know the drill: shuffle off the plane, join a snaking line at the arrival area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and wait while Customs officers scan every passenger’s e-Travel QR code. For many travellers—especially OFWs, balikbayans, and frequent flyers—that extra step has been a frustrating last hurdle before finally getting home.

Now, there’s good news. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has temporarily stopped scanning QR codes for most arriving passengers. All travellers still receive a QR code after registering on the e-Travel app or website and filling out the online customs declaration form, but only some will have theirs checked on arrival.

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Under the new policy, passengers with “Nothing to Declare” go through the Green Lane and no longer need QR scanning. Those with “Something to Declare” or flagged through risk assessment go through the Red Lane, where scanning and the standard customs clearance process remain in place.

This change means shorter lines at the arrival area—a welcome relief for weary travellers stepping off long-haul flights. It’s part of the BOC’s effort to ease congestion and improve passenger flow, especially since the e-Travel QR system became fully mandatory last year.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the move was prompted by traveller feedback on long queues. “We want our processes to be both traveler-friendly and security-focused. This initiative will help decongest arrival areas while ensuring that our enforcement responsibilities remain uncompromised,” he explained.

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The updated rules, based on a memorandum dated August 11, are already in place. For returning Filipinos, this could mean shaving precious minutes off the trip home. And for first-time visitors, it’s one less hurdle between touchdown and their first taste of the Philippines.

So next time you land at NAIA, you might just breeze through the arrival hall unless, of course, you’ve got something in your luggage that catches Customs’ attention.

Featured Image credit: Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Facebook Page