Getting a Refund on Terminal Fees and Travel Taxes in the Philippines: What You Need to Know in 2026

Terminal Fee vs. Travel Tax: What's the Difference?

	Terminal Fee (PSC)	Travel Tax
Collected by	The airport operator (e.g., New NAIA Infra Corp at NAIA, or the local airport authority elsewhere)	TIEZA, a national government agency
What it funds	Airport upkeep, security, and facility upgrades	Tourism infrastructure, CHED scholarships, and NCCA culture programs
Who pays	Almost every departing passenger, domestic or international, regardless of nationality	Filipino citizens, permanent residents, and foreigners who've stayed in the PH over a year, on international flights only
2026 rate at NAIA	₱390 domestic / ₱950 international	₱1,620 economy / ₱2,700 first class

Both are usually already built into your ticket price these days, which is exactly why people forget they paid them, and forget they can get them back.

How Much Are You Actually Paying in 2026?

The terminal fee, officially the Passenger Service Charge (PSC), went up sharply at NAIA after New NAIA Infra Corp (NNIC) took over airport operations. Since September 14, 2025, international departures from NAIA carry a ₱950 PSC, up from ₱550, while domestic departures now cost ₱390, up from ₱200. NNIC says the increase, the first in two decades, is meant to fund the airport's modernization. Rates differ elsewhere, though: Clark International Airport, for instance, has charged ₱750 for international and ₱300 for domestic flights since 2022. Always check your e-ticket or booking confirmation for the exact line item, since it varies by airport.

The travel tax, on the other hand, is a flat national levy. Most adult Filipinos flying out on an international flight pay the Full Travel Tax: ₱1,620 in economy or ₱2,700 in first class. Kids aged 2 to below 12 pay the Standard Reduced Travel Tax, half of that, at ₱810 or ₱1,350. And legal spouses and unmarried children under 21 of OFWs qualify for the Privileged Reduced Travel Tax, just ₱300 economy or ₱400 first class.

When Can You Get a Terminal Fee Refund?

You're entitled to a PSC refund if any of these apply to you:

• Your flight was cancelled by the airline.
• You no-showed or chose not to travel.
• You were offloaded.
• You were charged the fee despite belonging to an exempt category.

TIEZA and airport operators recognize several exempt groups who shouldn't be charged the PSC in the first place, including OFWs, athletes certified by the Philippine Sports Commission, deportees, passengers denied entry, holders of a valid Hajj visa, diplomats returning to their post abroad, infants, and flight crew. If you were billed anyway, that's also refundable.

How to Claim Your Terminal Fee Refund

1. File with your airline first. Since the fee is usually collected and held by the airline before being remitted to the airport, this is your fastest route. Each carrier has its own deadline and process: Cebu Pacific accepts requests through its online Guest Feedback form under "Refund of Taxes for Unused Tickets," typically within 12 months of the ticket purchase date; AirAsia requires filing within six months of the original departure date or one year from booking, whichever is shorter; Philippine Airlines offers a same-day cashless GCash refund for OFWs who weren't able to present their OEC at booking, available starting four hours before the flight and requiring that you've already checked in.
2. Have your documents ready: your e-ticket or itinerary showing the PSC charge, a valid government ID, and, if you're claiming an exemption, your supporting certificate (OEC, PSC athlete certification, Hajj visa, and so on).
3. If the airline doesn't refund you in time, your claim moves to the airport operator once your ticket's validity period lapses, usually 15 months from issuance, and the airline has remitted the fee. At NAIA, that's now handled through New NAIA Infra Corp; at Clark, you can visit the Terminal Fee Refund counter or file online through the PSC Refund Declaration Form on the airport's website, attaching your documents and bank details for disbursement.
4. Don't assume you've missed the deadline. Airport authorities have previously allowed claims going back several years for unrefunded fees, particularly for OFWs and other exempt categories, so it's worth checking even on an old ticket.

When Can You Get a Travel Tax Refund?

TIEZA will refund your travel tax if:

• You didn't travel at all, because your flight was cancelled, you no-showed, or you simply chose not to go, and your ticket is unused and non-rebookable.
• You qualified for an exemption but paid the full tax anyway.
• You qualified for the reduced rate but were charged the full amount.
• You were downgraded from a higher class after already paying the tax for it.
• You were taxed twice on the same ticket.
• You were taxed even though you weren't legally liable for it, for example, a foreign tourist who hasn't stayed in the country for a full year.

How to Claim Your Travel Tax Refund

1. Gather your proof. You'll always need your original passport and your original TIEZA Official Receipt (or your ticket, if the tax was bundled into your airfare). Beyond that, the documents depend on your situation: an airline certification that your ticket is unused with no fare value for unused-ticket claims, an airline certification or flight manifest copy for downgrades, proof that both payments cover the same ticket for double-payment claims, or proof of your exemption status (OEC, balikbayan entry stamps, immigration records showing a stay under one year) if you were wrongly taxed.
2. Fill out TIEZA Form No. 353, the official Travel Tax Refund Application.
3. File your claim either through TIEZA's Online Travel Tax Refund system, in person at a TIEZA Travel Tax Center, or at an airport counter. If you paid the tax at the airport and didn't end up flying, ask about the Same-Day Refund (SDR), which can sometimes be settled on the spot or within 24 hours.
4. Wait for your check. Refunds are issued as a check payable to the person named on the ticket. If someone else is claiming on your behalf, they'll need a Special Power of Attorney; for a minor, a parent presents the child's birth certificate. Processing generally takes around one to three months.
5. Don't wait too long. You have two years from your date of payment to file. After that, the claim expires.

Heads Up: The Travel Tax Might Be Scrapped Entirely

Here's something worth watching closely this year. The House of Representatives passed House Bill 8464, the Travel Tax Abolition Act of 2026, on third reading in March, with overwhelming support and the backing of President Marcos Jr., who included it among his priority bills for Congress. Several senators, including Joel Villanueva, have filed companion measures pushing for the same thing, arguing the decades-old tax no longer fits how Filipinos travel today.

As of this writing, the Senate has yet to pass its own version, so the law isn't in effect and the travel tax is still being collected. But it's worth knowing what's in the bill: once it does take effect, no agency would be allowed to collect the travel tax anymore, and anyone who already paid for a flight scheduled on or after the effectivity date would get an automatic refund, no application required. Until that actually happens, though, the refund process described above is still your only way to get your money back.

A Few Tips to Avoid Losing Your Refund

Keep every receipt, boarding pass, and ticket confirmation until well after your trip, since these are exactly what you'll need to prove your claim. Check your specific airline's refund deadline rather than assuming TIEZA's two-year window applies to terminal fees too, since airlines often set much shorter cutoffs. And if you belong to an exempt category, like being an OFW, it's faster to declare it before you even buy your ticket rather than paying first and chasing a refund later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the terminal fee the same as the travel tax? No. They're charged by different agencies for different purposes, and you have to claim refunds for each one separately, even though both might appear on the same ticket.

I'm an OFW. Do I need to pay either of these? No, OFWs with a valid Overseas Employment Certificate are exempt from both the terminal fee and the travel tax. If you were charged anyway, both amounts are refundable.

How long do I actually have to file? For the travel tax, you have two years from the date of payment. For the terminal fee, it depends on your airline's policy, often six to twelve months, after which your claim shifts to the airport operator.

If the travel tax is abolished, do I still need to file for past trips? Yes. The abolition bill, if signed, would only guarantee automatic refunds for flights scheduled on or after the law's effectivity date. Anything paid before that still needs the regular TIEZA refund process described above.

For many BPO employees working the graveyard shift, caffeine dependency has become an exhausting lifestyle loop, but it is entirely reversible; by following a gradual tapering schedule—reducing intake by 25% each week—and replacing caffeine rituals with hydration, steady-energy snacks, and movement, you can reclaim your sleep quality and achieve stable, natural energy levels without the need for stimulants.