Philippine Visa Requirements for Foreign Nationals

A. Types of Philippine Visas And their Requirements

Purchase your flight ticket (“ticketed reservation”) only when you get your visa approved.

A flight reservation can either be:
(1) Confirmed Reservation – a reservation has been created but the reservation is on hold as shown by a flight itinerary ; or
(2) Ticketed Reservation – reservation has been finalized (usually by payment to the airlines) as shown by a flight ticket which has, among others, the unique ticket number, and the bar code /QR code which airline staff scan before you are allowed to board the plane.

The Consulate will not :
(1) Expedite the visa processing to accommodate the visa applicant’s flight schedule;
Depending on the applicant’s nationality (i.e. if the applicant’s country has a visa agreement with the Philippines), visa processing will take 2 or 10 business days (in some cases, authorization from Manila).
(2) Refund the visa application fee if the visa is issued later than your flight departure date or if the visa application is denied;

NOTE:
In all types of visa application, the visa officer can request additional documents to determine whether or not the applicant can be issued a visa.
Whether or not you can enter the Philippines visa-free, note the following restrictions:
•Beginning 01 October 2016, the Consulate will accept only electronic passports and machine readable passports for visa applications. Non-machine readable passports (hand-scripted passports) will not be accepted for visa applications.
•Beginning 01 January 2017, Philippine immigration authorities will not allow entry into Philippine airports and seaports of foreign nationals holding non-machine readable passports.
•Children aged below 15 years travelling to the Philippines unaccompanied by a parent must comply with a Philippine requirement called a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG).
•For passport holders who are allowed visa-free entry for a stay of up to 30 days: a visa is required for a stay exceeding 30 days
•Persons who were previously deported from the Philippines or included in the “blacklist order” of the Department of Foreign Affairs or Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines will not be allowed entry to the Philippines.

1. The Philippines grants visa-free entry to passport holders of certain countries while requiring a visa to other countries. Check if your passport will require a visa for entry to the Philippines by searching the table below for the country that issued your passport:

2. Types of Philippines Visas

Applying for a Philippine visa will require that the applicant’s passport be valid for six months beyond the applicant’s date of departure from the Philippines. The passport must have at least one blank visa page.

a. Tourist Visa (For pleasure or business) 9 (a) Visa
b. Visa for Minors – Travelling Either Alone or Accompanied by a Guardian
c. Non-Quota Immigrant Visas
     1. Spouse of a Filipino citizen (13-a)
     2. Unmarried Children under 21 years old of a Filipino citizen (13-a)
     3. Natural Born citizens of the Philippines who have acquired foreign citizenship (13-g)
d. Quota Visas
e. Student Visas – 9 (f) Visa
f. 47 (A) (2) visa
g. Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV)
h. Special Resident Retiree Visa (SRRV)
i. Seaman/Seafarer Visa

B. Foreign Nationals Exempt from Philippine Visa Requirements

Nationals of countries which have diplomatic relations with the Philippines are generally allowed entry into the country without securing a temporary visitor’s visa from the Consulate if their stay does not exceed thirty (30) days. Visitors availing of this no-visa privilege must enter the Philippine for tourism purpose and must hold a round-trip or onward travel airline ticket, which must be presented before Philippine immigration authorities upon arrival at the port of entry in the Philippines.

U.S. passport holders are covered under this rule. If the intended stay in the Philippines is beyond 30 days, an application for a temporary visa must be filed at the Consulate.

There are nationals of other countries who are classified as Restricted Nationals by the Philippine Government. These Restricted Nationals are not entitled to the 30-day no-visa privilege and must apply for a temporary visa. Contact the Visa Section at (213) 639-0980 ext. 221 to inquire whether your country of nationality falls under this category.

C. BALIKBAYAN PROGRAM

Returning balikbayan may enter the Philippines without a visa and stay for a period one (1) year for tourism purposes. Under the Balikbayan Program (Republic Act 6768) of the Philippine government, the term balikbayan includes:

A Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the country for a period of at least one (1) year from date of last departure;

A Filipino overseas worker;

A former Filipino citizen and his family members as this term is defined hereunder, who has been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines provided that the former Filipino citizen can show proof that his or her former Philippine citizenship (e.g. old/cancelled Philippine passport, Birth Certificate, or naturalization papers) upon arrival in the Philippines.

Foreigner spouses and children travelling with the former Filipino citizens may avail of this privilege by presenting before immigration officials legal documents establishing relationship with the former Filipino citizen upon arrival in the Philippines. These documents could either be a Marriage Certificate (for spouses) or Birth Certificate (for children). This privilege can only be availed of by family members/relatives if they are traveling to the Philippines together with the balikbayan (former Filipino).

(The term “family” shall mean the spouse and the children of the balikbayan who are not balikbayans in their own right travelling with the latter to the Philippines).