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Travel Essentials

Travel Essentials: Visa and Passport

Passports

Summary of Requirements

Passport

Required for all travelers

Visa

Not required for citizens of many countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States; see Visa-Exempt below
Required for citizens of countries not listed in Visa-Exempt below

Return Ticket

A return or onward ticket is required for all travelers

Additional Restrictions

The Philippine government requires that all unaccompanied minors have a waiver of exclusion obtained from a Philippine Embassy or Consulate or from the Bureau of Immigration and Detention in Manila

Passport

A passport valid for at least six months beyond the dates of stay is required for all travelers.

Visa

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States are not required to obtain a visa to enter the Philippines for a stay of up to 21 days. See A. Visa-Exempt section.

Visa-Exempt

Returning "balikbayans," or former Filipinos, may enter the Philippines without a visa and stay for a period of one year provided that they have a passport valid for six months beyond the intended stay in the Philippines, a round-trip ticket, and proof of former Philippine citizenship. Foreign spouses and children of balikbayans are granted the same privilege when traveling with the balikbayan.

Nationals from the following countries are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a period of stay of 59 days or less: Brazil and Israel.

Nationals from the following countries are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a period of stay of 21 days or less: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Holders of the following passports are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a period of stay of seven days or less:

Hong Kong Special Administrative (SAR) passports
British National Overseas (BNO) passports
Portuguese passports issued in Macao
Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports

Visa Required

Citizens of countries not listed in section Visa-Exempt are required to obtain a visa to enter the Philippines.

Visa Requirements

The following documents are required to obtain a non-immigrant visa for purposes of pleasure, business, or health:

Completed visa application
Passport valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay
Two recent, signed passport photographs for each applicant whether in one passport or not
Proof of financial capacity
Proof of status as a tourist, businessperson, etc.
Photocopy of airline and travel itinerary

This visa will allow the holder a 59-day stay in the Philippines. Please note that additional documents may be required in some cases and for other types of passports.

Visa Types

The Philippines issues the following types of visas:

Foreign Tourist Visa (for tourism, family visit, business, training/study [non-degree seeking], or health)
Transit Visa
Seaman Visa
Treaty Trader Visa
Foreign Government Official Visa
Student Visa
Employee Visa
Immigrant Visa

More Information

Note that passport and visa information is subject to change. Also, requirements for specialty visas can be complex. Travelers are advised to obtain the most current information from the primary source. For more information about visas, residence, and immigration, as well as application forms and fee information, visit the website for the Bureau of Immigration, Philippines at immigration.gov.ph, the website for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines at dfa.gov.ph, or contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines.

Source: Bureau of Immigration, Philippines Embassy of the Philippines, Washington, DC