If you are an OFW in the UAE going home on vacation, the paperwork has changed. The printed OEC is gone. Returning workers now use the OFW Pass, a free digital exit clearance in the eGovPH or DMW Mobile app, linked to your employment record. Separately, every traveller, OFWs included, registers on eTravel for each international flight to or from the Philippines.
Checked on 21 October 2026 against the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai. Sources at the end.
Checklist at a glance
| What | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| OFW Pass (replaces the OEC) | Before you fly home; needed when you leave the Philippines to return to work | Free |
| eTravel registration | Within 72 hours before each international flight, both ways | Free |
| UAE residence visa | Valid on the day you return to the UAE | — |
| Philippine passport | Valid for your trip and return | — |
| OWWA membership | Keep it active (renew every 2 years) | AED 92 at MWO Dubai |
The OFW Pass
The DMW folded the Overseas Employment Certificate into a digital OFW Pass, rolled out in late 2025. For a balik-manggagawa — a worker returning to the same employer, same job and same country — it is the exit clearance. No printed OEC is needed.
Unlike the old OEC, which was single-use and valid for 60 days, the OFW Pass is linked to your employment contract and stays valid until the contract ends, according to Gulf News reporting on the DMW rollout.
How to get it
- Download the eGovPH app (or the DMW Mobile App).
- Register with your email and mobile number, and complete identity verification.
- In eGovPH, go to the NGA tab, choose DMW, then Balik Manggagawa, then Travel Pass.
- Complete your profile: passport, UAE residence visa or Emirates ID, and employer details. Check that your employer and jobsite are correct.
- Wait for DMW verification — allow several working days.
- Screenshot the QR code so you can show it at the airport without internet.
Changed employer in the UAE?
If your employer or job changed since your last deployment record, your details in the system will not match. Have your new employment contract verified by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai or Abu Dhabi before you travel, so the DMW record can be updated. Do this well before your flight.
eTravel
eTravel is the Philippines’ free digital arrival and departure card. Everyone travelling internationally to or from the Philippines registers — Filipinos, foreigners, OFWs.
- Register on the official eTravel website or in the eGovPH app.
- Do it within 72 hours before your flight.
- Register separately for your flight home and your flight back to the UAE. Each registration covers one trip.
- It is free. Ignore websites that charge for eTravel.
Travel tax and terminal fees
OFWs are exempt from the Philippine travel tax and the airport terminal fee when they leave to return to work. Your OFW Pass QR code is the proof airport and airline staff use to apply these exemptions. If your ticket already includes travel tax, ask for a refund through TIEZA.
Family members travelling with you are not automatically exempt. A foreign spouse or child entering under the balikbayan privilege may qualify for a travel tax exemption if the stay is one year or less. See our balikbayan guide.
On the UAE side
- Residence visa: make sure it is valid on the day you fly back. If it will expire during your vacation, renew before you leave.
- Six-month rule: UAE residents who stay outside the UAE for more than six months in a row can have their residence cancelled, unless an exemption applies. A normal vacation is far below this.
- Passport: renewing in the Philippines during your vacation? Your UAE residence is linked to your passport number — update your passport details with the UAE authorities after you return.
Questions people ask
Do I still need an OEC to go home from Dubai?
No printed OEC. Returning OFWs with the same employer use the free digital OFW Pass in the eGovPH or DMW app.
Is the OFW Pass valid for every vacation?
It is tied to your current employment contract, not to one trip. If you change employer, update your record first.
Do OFWs need eTravel?
Yes. Everyone registers on eTravel within 72 hours of each international flight, both ways. It is free.
Related guides
- OWWA membership in the UAE
- Philippine passport renewal in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- Balikbayan privilege for foreign spouses and children
Sources
- Department of Migrant Workers / MWO Osaka — Roll-out of OFW Pass system (22 October 2025): dmw.gov.ph
- Gulf News — “No more OEC: UAE Filipinos now need an OFW Travel Pass” (26 November 2025) and “OFW pass and eTravel: everything you need to know” (22 February 2026)
- Migrant Workers Office Dubai — OWWA membership: mwodubai.org
- TIEZA — Travel tax exemption: tieza.gov.ph
Written by Asad Waleed M, Dubai. Asad has lived in the UAE for nine years and researches visa rules from government sources. He is not an immigration lawyer or consultant, and Sifqa does not process applications. Read the editorial policy.
Last checked 21 October 2026. Found an error? Email [email protected] — it gets fixed and logged.