Envelope, box or suitcase: which format for the Philippines

Before you ask the price, decide the format

Almost everyone starts at the end: "how much does it cost to ship this to the Philippines?". But the price depends on something almost nobody is clear about at first: what format your shipment goes in. An envelope with a power of attorney is not the same as a large box of gifts, nor is a small box of medicine the same as a suitcase full of clothes.

Choosing the right format is what makes the difference between paying too much, waiting too long, or having your shipment not even go out the way it should. At Acacia Cargo we work with four formats, and this guide helps you choose yours before asking for a quote, so the price we close with you is the right one from the very first message.

TL;DR. For lightweight paperwork (apostilles, powers of attorney, certificates) use an envelope. For a single gift, electronics or medicine, a small box. For many gifts, clothes and food, an air balikbayan box. For travel luggage, a suitcase. The price is closed on WhatsApp within 2 hours.

The four Acacia Cargo formats

1. Envelope / documents

It's the lightest format. It's meant for paperwork: apostilles, powers of attorney, certificates (birth, marriage), contracts, official documents and anything that weighs little and needs to arrive in good condition.

• What you send: physical documents, nothing with volume.
• Timeframe: 2 to 7 business days (ES↔PH documents, in both directions).
• When to choose it: when what you're sending is paper and urgency matters more than space.

If your shipment is this type, you'll want the specific guide on how to send documents to the Philippines from Spain, where we explain requirements and timeframes in detail.

2. Package / small box

The middle format. It's the small box for sending something specific that isn't just paper but doesn't fill a large box either.

• What you send: a single gift, an electronic device, medicine, a one-off item.
• Timeframe: 7 to 14 days (small air packages).
• When to choose it: when you're sending a few things, with value or that need care (electronics, medication), and you don't need the volume of a balikbayan box.

3. Air balikbayan box

The classic large box, the one every Filipino family associates with a shipment from abroad. It's personal, for gifts, clothes and food, and it goes by air so it arrives within a reasonable window.

• What you send: many gifts together, clothes, food, products for the family.
• Timeframe: 7 to 15 days (air balikbayan). If there's no rush, the sea option exists and is slower (45 to 75 days).
• Tax advantage: the balikbayan box exemption allows up to PHP 150,000 (around €2,500) with no customs to pay, with a maximum of 3 boxes per year per recipient, for personal use and with a packing list (list of contents).
• When to choose it: when you combine the shipment of several people or send an "all in one" for the family.

To know what can and can't go in, read what can go in a balikbayan box and, if you're torn between air and sea, how the air balikbayan box from Europe to the Philippines works.

4. Suitcase

Sometimes what you have isn't a box: it's a suitcase. Luggage you don't want to check in, or that won't fit on your flight. Sending it with us usually works out cheaper than paying excess baggage with the airline.

• What you send: your own travel suitcase, luggage, personal belongings that are already in a suitcase.
• When to choose it: when you're travelling and prefer your suitcase to arrive on its own, or when excess baggage costs you a fortune.

You'll find the details on the suitcase shipping page.

Quick table: what you send → which format

It's a guide, not a hard rule. If your shipment mixes things (for example, clothes and a couple of devices), it usually all fits in a balikbayan box. When in doubt, we sort it out when quoting.

How to choose when you're unsure

Sometimes the contents fit more than one format. These three questions usually clear it up.

By urgency

• I need it to arrive soon: an envelope (documents, 2-7 days) or a small air box (7-14 days) are the fastest formats.
• I can wait: a sea balikbayan box (45-75 days) is the no-rush option for large volumes.

By volume and weight

• Not much: envelope or small box.
• A lot, but loose in a box: balikbayan box.
• Already in a suitcase: suitcase.

The more volume you have, it almost always pays off to bundle everything into a single large shipment instead of sending several small packages separately.

By type of content

• Paper only → envelope.
• Something valuable or delicate (electronics, medication) → small box, with care.
• Gifts, clothes, food for the family → balikbayan box, taking advantage of the PHP 150,000 exemption.
• Your luggage → suitcase.

An honest note about measurements

You won't find exact centimetres or a maximum weight per box here, and that's on purpose: those details are closed when we quote your shipment, based on what you send and where it goes from and to. What we can always tell you is which format suits you (lightweight envelope, small box, large box or suitcase) and give you the closed price on WhatsApp within 2 hours, already with the real measurements for your case. We prefer that to publishing a dimensions table that then doesn't match your situation.

Frequently asked questions about shipping format

Envelope or box to ship documents?

For documents (apostilles, powers of attorney, certificates, contracts) the format is the envelope. A small box makes sense when, on top of the paper, you're sending an item with volume. If it's only paper, the envelope is quicker and arrives in 2 to 7 business days.

Balikbayan box or suitcase to send clothes and gifts?

It depends on how you have it packed and what you're sending. If it's many loose gifts and clothes for the family, the balikbayan box is the natural choice and lets you take advantage of the customs exemption. If what you have is your travel suitcase already packed, it goes as a suitcase and usually works out cheaper than excess baggage.

Can I mix several types of things in one box?

Yes. A balikbayan box takes clothes, food and gifts together. You just need to be clear about what can and can't go in before sealing it: you'll find it in the guide on what can go in a balikbayan box.

Why don't you state the price per format on the blog?

Because the price is never fixed: it changes according to the specific weight, volume and destination. That's why we close it on WhatsApp within 2 hours, with your real case, instead of publishing a figure that then doesn't match what you send.

How many balikbayan boxes can I send per year?

The exemption allows up to 3 boxes per year per recipient, with a value of up to PHP 150,000 (around €2,500), for personal use and accompanied by a packing list.

Keep reading

• What can go in a balikbayan box
• Air balikbayan box from Europe to the Philippines
• How to send documents to the Philippines from Spain
• Suitcase shipping

You know the format: get your closed price

Once you're clear on whether your shipment is an envelope, a small box, a balikbayan box or a suitcase, the next step is just one: ask for the quote. We close the price on WhatsApp within 2 hours, with the real measurements for your case and no surprises.

• Get your online quote
• WhatsApp us at +34 626 78 54 28
• Visit us at Carrer de Pelai 9, 08001 Barcelona — Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 20:00 (cut-off for dispatch at 18:00)

We serve you in Spanish, English and Filipino.