The Philippines imposes certain rules and regulations in the importation of leather, hides, and other non-food, non-feed, processed products of animal origin following DA Administrative Circular 2, Series of 2023.

Importers/travelers must adhere to the guidelines in the importation of these products and must acquire the necessary regulatory permits or other relevant documents to the Philippines before arriving to different ports of entry in the Philippines to avoid confiscation of products.

1. Fully finished leather products/ goods; fully tanned hides and skins; fully dressed furs and fur products; souvenir items made from washed and dyed feathers; feather-fishing lures

• Sample commodities in this list: 
  • Fully finished leather products/ goods (e.g. leather belts, wallets, shoes, watch straps, bags, etc.). 
  • Fully tanned hides and skins that undergone a full tanning process so that they are preserved from putrescence and are thermally stable for use in a manufactured products (does not include wet blue, brown, and white).
• SPS Import Clearance is NOT REQUIRED
• Documents to be presented upon arrival: 
  • Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC) OR commercial invoice OR proof of purchase indicating source of origin
  • Waybill

2. Processed hides and skins; salted or dried hides and skins

• Sample commodities in this list:
  • Processed hides and skins that have been pickled or limed; includes wet blues (hides tanned with chromium salt; they are thermally stable but not usable in this form), wet brown (hides tanned with vegetable tanning agent/s; thermally stable but not usable at this form), wet white (hides tanned with various organic and/or inorganic agents which leave it white in color; thermally stable but not usable, require re-tanning before suitable for end-use), and wet-salted.
• SPS Import Clearance is REQUIRED 
• Documents required for SPS Import Clearance application: Proforma invoice OR proof of purchase indicating source of origin
• Documents to be presented upon arrival: 
  • Approved SPSIC, Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC)
  • Commercial invoice/proof of purchase indicating source of origin
  • Waybill
• Any commodity under this description that arrives without an SPS Import Clearance shall be subject to existing rules and regulations governing importation of agricultural products.

3. Untanned (raw) &/or untreated hides, skin, and fur skins of animal origin

• Sample commodities in this list: 
  • Untanned (raw) hide or skin – outer covering of ruminants, porcine, ratites, equines and porcine that is raw and has not been chemically processed into permanent and durable form of leather. Raw skins, hides, and wool; furs or pelts that have not been fully dressed; unprocessed animal and bird carcasses and trophies that will be used for taxidermy; unprocessed hoofs, horns, wool, feathers, and down.
• SPS Import Clearance is REQUIRED 
• Documents required for SPS Import Clearance application: Proforma invoice OR proof of purchase indicating source of origin
• Documents to be presented upon arrival: 
  • Approved SPSIC, Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC)
  • Commercial invoice/proof of purchase indicating source of origin
  • Waybill
• Any commodity under this description that arrives without an SPS Import Clearance shall be subject to existing rules and regulations governing importation of agricultural products.

4. Non-food, non-feed, processed products of animal origin from countries free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and related Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs)

• Sample commodities in this list:
  • Processed horns and/or skulls used for religious activities; processed handicrafts, processed taxidermy in display form; washed wool, etc.
• SPS Import Clearance is NOT REQUIRED 
• Documents to be presented upon arrival: 
  • Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC) OR commercial invoice OR proof of purchase indicating source of origin
  • Waybill
  • Product/process certification coming from the seller or consignor shall be submitted
  • CITES/non-CITES certification (if applicable)

Application for SPS Import Clearance

• Log in to this link to apply for SPS Import Clearance
• Select the Department of Agriculture then Select "Create/Open SPS Import Clearance for BAI One Time Importer"
• To attach documentary requirements, kindly click the "Document Requirements" in your application and you will be redirected to the attachment fields. Please limit all your attachments to at least 5 megabytes only. Only PDF or JPG files will be accepted.