Manila International Airport (MNL)

Arrival at Manila (NAIA)

Lots of people complain about Manila Airport (MNL). Sorry, but we cannot understand them. Maybe, they have never been lost in London's Heathrow (LHR) or misguided in Paris' Charles de Gaulle (CDG) during a strike.
Follow our guided and illustrated^* tour and enjoy your arrival at Manila NAIA.

The first feeling is warm and humid air when you leave the plane. Walk through the windowed alleys and follow the signs to the luguage pick-up zone. Do not run. Your lugguage needs more time than you do to get to the belt.

The alleys are seldom as empty. When 3 heavy carriers arrive within 15 minutes, the walk can quickly turn in a stop and go.

It is a good idea to check here if you have your passport, your disembarkation card and the ticket with the lugguage tags on hand. These 3 items will be requested during your journey trough Manila Arrival.

Transit passengers find information at the "Airline Passenger Transfer Desk". This desk is only useful for international transfers. The transfer to domestic destinations is handled outside the International Terminal. Check our Transfer section.

If you have a question or a problem of any kind, do not hesitate to ask the cheerful staff at the information desk. This desk is situated just before the immigration counters.

The first obstacle will be the lines into the immigration counters. You need to be able to show the immigration officials that you have at least six months remaining in your current passport and an onward international flight, if you do then you will be automatically allowed entry for up to 21 days without a visa. This can be renewed to 59 days and more. Have a look at our Visa Information for further details.

A few meters later you will have to pass the health control. Since WHO has issued Bird Flue and SARS alerts, the Philippines authorities control your body temperature on arrival. The control stations are situated at the end of the two "Y" branches of NAIA international terminal.
It seems that they are not permanent, but we had to pass these controls ever since spring 2007.
If you just caught a cold the day before leaving your cold country, we recommend to take one ore two Aspirins or Paracetamols 2 hours before landing in Manila NAIA.

In the baggage carousel a number of conveyor belts will bring you your luggage. Above each conveyor belt is a flight information board letting you know which conveyor belt your luggage will arrive at.

There are free trolleys available.

As said earlier, your patience will be tested in this area. Sometimes it takes an awful long time until your lugguage arrives. Count about 30 minutes and sometimes much more...

Next step will be the customs desks. You will have to present your Baggage Declaration Form. If you have something to declare - do it. If you do not and the custom officials find them they will seize the items and you will be fined.

Before you reach the Arrival Lobby there is a last check, the Lugguage Tag Check Point. Have your ticket with the tag ready. If the tags on your ticket correspond to the tags on your lugguage you pass.

In the Arrival Lobby you should change some US Dollars (USD) in Philippine Pesos (PHP). The exchange rates are not too bad.

Outside you may get a hotel taxi or bus, an ordinary taxi or the transfer shuttle for the 2 Domestic Terminals. For the later, consult our Transfer section.

For transit passenger there is now a free shuttle bus to the other two terminals. When you get out of the arrival lobby, keep on your right. There is a sign indicating "Airport Shuttle". Often the small bus is already waiting. Consult our Transfer section.

Hotel guests proceed just over the road to the booth shown in the picture. There you find a desk that processes your hotel transfer. Either there is a bus, a mini-bus or a taxi.

The hotel taxis are far more expensive then other metered taxis. But the hotel taxis are save and bring you to YOUR hotel and not the one, your driver earns a tug commission.

Payment is made in advance by the passenger, who is handed a ticket to be presented to the cabbie in the queue. The fare is usually several times more expensive than what a regular metered cab would charge for the same distance. If you want one, you will have to go up to the departure curbside and hail one - something we do not recommend for the first-time visitor to Manila.

More information in our "Go Downtown" section.

There are no photos from security sensitive areas like: customs, immigration and checkpoints.