Look up IDC prices in the Philippines and you will find numbers that are hard to compare. One price includes PADI’s fees, another doesn’t. One includes the course materials and specialty instructor courses, the next charges extra for them. This guide goes through everything a PADI Instructor Development Course costs. It uses our own 2026 prices at Bongo Bongo Divers in Dauin as a worked example, so you can compare any offer like with like.

The short answer

For an IDC with us in Dauin, plan on PHP 121,250 paid to us (the course plus three weeks in a trainee dorm) and AUD 2,556.50 paid to PADI. Together that is about USD 3,700, EUR 3,300 or GBP 2,800 at mid-October 2026 exchange rates. Flights, meals other than lunch and insurance come on top.

Every IDC price has two parts

• The training fee, paid to the dive centre. The dive centre sets it, and it is usually the price you see advertised.
• PADI’s fees, paid to PADI for your applications and the Instructor Examination. PADI sets these, not the dive centre, and in Asia Pacific they are charged in Australian dollars.

PADI’s part is bigger than most people expect. In our example it is close to half of the total. So an IDC that looks cheap can cost as much as any other once PADI’s fees are added, and a price that already includes them can look expensive when it isn’t.

PADI’s fees in 2026

Paid to PADI	2026 fee
IDC application	AUD 350.00
Instructor Examination	AUD 1,190.00
EFR Instructor application	AUD 252.00
7 specialty instructor ratings (5 at AUD 152.90, 2 free)	AUD 764.50
Total	AUD 2,556.50

The specialty ratings are optional. Without them, PADI’s fees come to AUD 1,792. If you register all seven through our Course Director, PADI charges for five and the other two are free. If you apply for specialty ratings on your own instead, each one costs AUD 243.10. PADI can change its fees, so we confirm the ones that apply to you before you commit.

What our training fee covers

Our IDC training package is PHP 110,000. It includes:

• Two IDC preparation days before the course
• The PADI Assistant Instructor and Open Water Scuba Instructor programmes
• The Emergency First Response Instructor course, including Care for Children
• All PADI and EFR course materials and eLearning
• Seven specialty instructor courses
• Lunch every day during the IDC
• Fun dives on our house reef and all marine park fees during your training
• Learn to Teach support after you qualify, whenever we have space and courses running

Not every IDC package includes all of this. Some list the PADI course materials, the specialty instructor courses or the EFR Instructor course as extras, so check what is in a price before you compare it with ours. You can see the full list on our PADI IDC page.

Accommodation and equipment

From the first prep day to the end of the exam takes about two and a half weeks, so plan on about three weeks. Staying with us is optional, and rooms are charged by the week, subject to availability:

• Trainee dorm bed: PHP 15,000 per month, so PHP 11,250 for three weeks
• Trainee single room: PHP 20,000 per month, so PHP 15,000 for three weeks

Equipment rental is PHP 5,000 per month and does not include a dive computer, wetsuit or booties. Most instructors want their own gear sooner or later, but renting for the IDC is fine if you are not there yet. See our training facilities and rooms.

A worked example

One candidate, IDC with all seven specialty ratings, three weeks in a dorm bed, paying by GCash or local bank transfer:

Item	Cost
IDC training package	PHP 110,000
Trainee dorm bed, 3 weeks	PHP 11,250
Paid to Bongo Bongo Divers	PHP 121,250
Paid to PADI	AUD 2,556.50

At mid-October 2026 exchange rates, that is about USD 1,925 to us and USD 1,780 to PADI: roughly USD 3,700 in total. Exchange rates move, so use our IDC cost calculator to see today’s total in your own currency, for any date and room.

Costs that are not in any IDC price

• Getting here. Flights to Dumaguete, which has daily flights from Manila and Cebu, and the 16 km transfer to Dauin.
• Meals other than lunch during the IDC.
• Dive insurance, which we strongly recommend.
• A medical statement signed by a physician within the past 12 months.
• Your own dive computer, wetsuit and booties, if you rent the rest.
• Your visa. An IDC fits into a short stay, but check the entry rules for your passport, especially if you add Divemaster training first.
• Payment fees. GCash and transfers from a local bank account cost nothing extra with us. Wise adds 1% and PayPal 4.7%, which is about PHP 5,700 on the example above.
• Travel to the exam. Our Instructor Examinations are held in Dauin straight after the IDC. If a course ends with an exam somewhere else, add the trip and a few nights there.
• After you qualify, PADI charges a yearly membership fee to keep teaching. It is not part of the IDC, but it is worth knowing about.

How to keep the cost down

• Not a Divemaster yet? Our Divemaster + IDC package is PHP 160,000, which is PHP 10,000 less than booking both separately. PADI’s Divemaster application is extra (AUD 286 in 2026).
• Pay by Wise rather than PayPal (1% instead of 4.7%), or by GCash or local bank transfer if you can.
• Share a dorm instead of taking a single room.
• Register all seven specialty ratings through the Course Director: you pay for five and get two free.

Questions to ask before you compare prices

• Is the price in pesos, dollars or euros, and are PADI’s application and exam fees included?
• Are the course materials and eLearning included?
• How many specialty instructor courses are included, and who pays PADI’s rating fees?
• Is the EFR Instructor course included?
• Are prep days, lunch and marine park fees included?
• Where is the Instructor Examination held?
• What does accommodation cost per week, and which payment methods can I use?

A good dive centre will answer all of these clearly. To see your own total, try the IDC cost calculator, check our IDC dates for 2026 and 2027, or send us a message and our Course Director Anthony will confirm your price.