With over thousand islands, wonderful food, friendly people and one of the major Asian countries where English is an official langauge, Philippines draws tourists from all over the world as well as immigrants.
The Visa Policy of Philippines is not very stringent and citizens of a number of countries can enter Philippines visa-free for 14-59 days, after which they need to apply for . But the citizens of many countries need to submit a Philippines visa application beforehand.
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Do I Need Visa for the Philippines?
Citizens of many countries, including US citizens, EU citizens, and nationals of Canada, Australia and UK can enter the Philippines visa-free.
14 Days Philippines Visa Waiver
Citizens of two countries get a 14 day visa waiver for Philippines.
| Hong Kong | Macau |
30 Days Philippines Visa Waiver
Majority of the countries whose citizens are visa-exempt, get their visa free for Philippines for 30 days.
| All EU citizens | Andorra | Angola |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina | Aruba |
| Australia | Bahamas | Baharin |
| Barbados | Belize | Benin |
| Bhutan | Bolivia | Botswana |
| Brunei | Burkina Faso | Burundi |
| Cambodia | Cameroon | Canada |
| Cape Verde | Central African Republic | Chad |
| Chile | Colombia | Comoros |
| Congo (Democratic Rep. of and Rep. of) | Costa Rica | Cote d’Ivoire |
| Cyprus | Djibouti | Dominica |
| Dominican Republic | Ecuador | El Salvador |
| Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia |
| Fiji | Gabon | Gambia |
| Ghana | Guatemala | Guinea |
| Guinea Bissau | Guyana | Haiti |
| Honduras | Indonesia | Ireland |
| Jamaica | Japan | Kazhakhstan |
| Kenya | Kiribati | Kuwait |
| Kyrgyzstan | Laos | Lesotho |
| Liberia | Madagascar | Malawi |
| Malaysia | Maldives | Mali |
| Marshall Islands | Mauritania | Mauritius |
| Mexico | Micronesia | Monaco |
| Mongolia | Morocco | Mozambique |
| Myanmar | Namibia | Nepal |
| New Zealand | Nicaragua | Niger |
| Oman | Palau | Panama |
| Papua New Guinea | Paraguy | Peru |
| Qatar | Romania | Russia |
| Rwanda | Somoa | San Marino |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Saudi Arabia | Senegal |
| Seychelles | Singapore | Solomon Islands |
| South Africa | South Korea | St Kitts and Nevis |
| St Lucia | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Suriname |
| Swaziland | Tajikistan | Tanzania |
| Thailand | Togo | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Tunisia | Turkey | Turkmenistan |
| Tuvalu | Uganda | United Arab Emirates |
| United Kingdom | United States | Uruguay |
| Uzbekistan | Vanuatu | Vatican city |
| Venezuela | Vietnam | Zambia |
| Zimbawe |
59 Days Philippines Visa Waiver
Citizens of two countries can enter and stay in Philippines with a 59 day visa waiver.
| Brazil | Israel |
Visa Free for Philippines with a Valid US Visa/Schengen Visa
Nationals of two countries can enter the Philippines visa-free if they possess valid visa or permanent residency of other countries.
| India | 14 days | A valid visa (tourist/work) or permanent residence from the US, Canada, Australia, Schengen countries, Japan, Singapore or the UK |
| China | 7 days | A valid visa (tourist/work) or permanent residence from the US, Canada, Australia, Schengen countries, Japan |
Philippines Visa Application Process
There are four ways to apply for a Philippines visa. Note that you can apply for Philippines visa only in your home country (unless it’s a visa on arrival), not in in a third country while traveling.
1. Apply at a consulate of the Philippines
You can find out the consulate of Philippines in your country and apply the visa for Philippines in person.
2. Submit the Philippines Visa Application through a Third Party Agency.
In some countries like India, the consulates of the Philippines receive visa applications through a reputed third party or a travel agency. You can save time and money by choosing this application if it’s available.
3. Apply for Philippines Visa On Arrival, at an international airport.
Citizens of all countries who can enter the Philippines visa free, can apply for a Philippines Visa On Arrival at an international airport.
To get a Philippines Visa On Arrival, you need to fill in the Philippine Visa On Arrival application form. You can download it from the website of the Philippines Immigration Bureau (here).
4. Apply Philippines Visa Online
The Philippines eTA or Electronic Travel Authorization, popularly known as Philippines online visa or eVisa is available to citizens of Taiwan only.
The Philippines eVisa application process is pretty straightforward and simple. You need to go to the website of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, complete the application from and pay the Philippines visa fees through a credit or debit card.
Once the eVisa for Philippines has been processed and approved, an email is send to the applicant. The applicant can then print the eVisa and show it to the Immigration Officers when entering the Philippines.
Philippines visa application cannot be submitted by mail. But you can request to return the approved visa and passport via mail is the consulate in your country allows it. You may need to attach a self-addressed envelope with your application. Citizens of USA for example can take advantage of this.
What are Different Types of Philippines Visas?
As per the visa policy of Philippines, there are threes main types of Philippines visas.
1. Philippine Non-Immigrant Visas
Philippines Tourist Visa- 9A
Foreigners who need a visa to enter Philippines can apply for a Philippines Tourist Visa beforehand for the following purposes.
- Tourism
- Conducting business
- Attending a cultural, academic, or sports event
- Visiting family members
- Medical treatment
Philippines Business Visa- 9A
Foreigners who want to conduct business in Philippines can submit Philippines visa application for business purpose. It’s a short term visa to attend a meeting, conference, or sign an agreement etc.
Philippines Visa for Transit, Seamen and Treaty Traders
- Foreigners who are on their way to a third country and only want to transit through Philippines, can obtain Philippines Transit Visa- category 9B.
- A foreigner who is a seafarer traveling to the Philippines to join a vessel docked at the port in the country, can obtain Philippines Seaman Visa- category 9C.
- A foreign treaty trader wanting to trade or invest in Philippines, can obtain Philippines transit visa- category 9D.
Philippines Student Visa
Foreign student who is at least 18, can apply a student visa for Philippines in order to study in a university or take short-term non-degree courses.
Philippines Work Visa
Foreigners who want to work in the Philippines will have to apply for a Philippines Work Visa or pre-arranged employee visa. Along with that, they also need a Work Permit.
2. Philippines Immigrant Visas
There are three types of Philippines Immigrant Visas that foreigners can apply for.
Philippines Quota Immigrants
Highly-skilled foreigners who will be of benefit to the Philippines, can submit Philippines visa application for quota immigrant visa.They must be from countries that have a reciprocal agreement with the Philippines.
Former citizens of the Philippines
It’s for former Filipino citizens who had been naturalized in a foreign country and holds a foreign passport.
Philippines Spouse Visa
Foreigners married to Filipino citizens can apply for the Philippine Spouse Visa. It is a permanent residence visa, that allows you to immigrate to Philippines . However, this type of visa is only available to citizens of the following countries:
| Algeria | Argentina | Australia | Austria | Belgium | Belize |
| Bolivia | Botswana | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Brazil | Canada | Cape Verde |
| Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Croatia | Cuba | Czech Republic |
| Denmark | Ecuador | Egypt | El Salvador | Estonia | Finland |
| Fiji | France | Gabon | Germany | Greece | Guatemala |
| Honduras | Hong Kong | Indonesia | Iraq | Ireland | Iceland |
| Israel | Italy | Japan | South Korea | Latvia | Lesotho |
| Libya | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Macau | Malaysia | Malta |
| Marshall Islands | Mexico | Micronesia | Monaco | Montenegro | The Netherlands |
| New Zealand | Nicaragua | Nigeria | Northern Mariana Island | Norway | Oman |
| Papua New Guinea | Paraguay | Peru | Russia | Saudi Arabia | Senegal |
| Serbia | Singapore | Slovak Republic | Slovenia | South Africa | Suriname |
| Sweden | Switzerland | Thailand | Trinidad and Tobago | Tunisia | Turkey |
| The United Kingdom | Uruguay | USA | Venezuela |
3. Philippines Special Visas
Philippines SRRV
The Philippines Special Resident Retiree’s Visa or SRRV is issued by the Philippines Bureau of Immigration under the retirement program of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).
Philippines SIRV
Special Investors Resident Visa for Philippines or SIRV, is issued to a foreigner who invests in
- A manufacturing or service company in the Philippines
- A company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange
- A project listed on the Philippines Investment Priority Plan.
Philippines SVEG
SVEG visa or Special Visa for Employment Generation ) is issued to foreigners who hire at least ten Filipinos at their company.
Philippine Visa Requirements
Here are the general requirements for Philippines tourist visa. Depending on your visa type, you would need to submit additional documents along with the below mentioned documents.
- Original passport
- Copy of passport Id page
- Filled and signed Philippines visa application form.
- Copy of Visa or residence permit (if applying in a country that is not your country of passport)
- For travel itinerary for visa you need to provide roundtrip flight tickets.
- Hotel bookings
- Bank statements to show proof of sufficient funds
- One recent passport photo: For the Philippines visa, photo size is usually 2 cm X 2 cm. It should be showing a clear front view of applicant’s face, with a white background.
- Proof of employment, based on your status:
-If employed: Letter from your employer
-If self-employed: Business registration certificate and other proofs
-If a student : Letter from your school
How Long is a Philippines Visa valid?
The period indicated under “Valid From” to “Valid Until” in your Philippines visa are the inclusive dates during which the foreigner may enter the Philippines.
Philippines Visa Processing time
Philippines visa processing time is usually not more than 2 – 10 working days, although it might vary depending on the country where you are applying. For some specific countries, applications are sent to Manila for verification. If that’s the case, it will take longer.
How to Get a 6 Months Visa for Philippines?
You can not get 6 months tourist visa. You can get only 1 month visa as a tourist. When your visa expires you can extend your visa upto 3 times easily with a stay of 6 months plus.
How to Extend Philippines Visa?
A foreigner can extend his/her stay in the Philippines through the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. You can extend it before your stay ends.
If you enter Philippines visa free for 30 days, you can extend your stay for additional 29 days. After the initial 59 days, you can extend your stay for 1 or 2 months continuously up to 36 months.
If you enter with a Philippines visa, you can extend your Philippines visa for up to 24 months.
The fee for 29-day Philippines visa extension is currently PHP 3,030.
For more details on visa extensions, visit the Bureau of Immigration website.
India and China passport holders
Nationals of India/China who have entered Philippines with a valid visa/PR from the US, Canada, Australia, Schengen, Japan or Singapore/UK (only for Indian citizens) can apply for a “one time only” 7 day extension at the Philippines BI office.
The fee for 7 day extension is PHP 1,430.
Express Lane Fees to Extend Philippines Visa
Bureau of Immigration in Philippines charges an “Express Lane” fee of PHP 1,000 from all visa extension applications. Applicants can now pick up their passports within one hour of payment by paying express lane fee in addition to the extension fees.
Philippines Re Entry Permits
A Philippines re-entry permit or sometimes referred as reentry visa for Philippines, is issued to a foreigner previously lawfully admitted to the Philippines for permanent residence who wish to depart for temporary visit abroad.
A returning Filipino resident in possession of a valid re-entry permit does not need a visa to re-enter the Philippines.
It’s possible to extend Philippines re-entry permit at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.
Application for re-entry extension should be submitted 60 days before the date of expiration of the permit.
Do You Need a Philippines Onward Flight Ticket?
Anyone who is coming with either a Philippines tourist visa or enters under a visa waiver, has to possess a valid return ticket to the port of origin or to the next port of destination.
RELATED FURTHER READING
Flight itinerary for Visas
How Long Can a Foreigner Stay in the Philippines?
The “Period of Stay” on your Philippines visa indicates the continuous period of authorized stay in the Philippines. It starts from the date of arrival in the Philippines. This may extend beyond the period of validity of the visa, depending on the date of arrival in the country.
Fines for Visa Overstay in Philippine
Overstaying less than 6 months
The standard fine for overstaying in Philippines is at P500 per month. To pay the fines, you may visit one of the the BI satellite offices.
Overstaying more than 6 months
You may visit the main BI office in Manila and settle your overstay fees and fines. Once you have settled your fines, you will need to obtain an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the BI office.
Overstaying more than 12 months
You are required to obtain a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance before you can pay the overstay fees and fines.
You will be needed to pay the fees of the visa that you would have paid if you had extended your stay in Philippines along with the fines.
In the worst-case scenario, offenders will be deported and never allowed back into the country again.