The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will do away with paper-based departure cards starting May 1.

Instead, passengers will fill out the departure cards using the online portal eTravel not earlier than 72 hours to not later than three hours from the scheduled time of the flight.

The platform, initially launched in December, harmonizes and consolidates data collection processes at ports of arrival.

“This is a major step in streamlining documents presented by departing travelers, allowing for faster and more efficient immigration processing,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement over the weekend, adding the platform can also be used by arriving passengers soon.

Dennis Javier, eTravel technical working group chairperson, said travelers may register at the portal starting April 15.

The system is an initiative of a sub-technical working group of the Inter-Agency Task Force, chaired by the BI.

It is a joint project with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Tourism, Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, and National Privacy Commission. (PNA)