A Philippines tourist visa (also called Philippines 9A visa) is required only for a select few nationalities. These nationalities are highly scrutinized and must submit a long list of documents.
You can apply for a Philippines tourist visa only in the country of legal residence or nationality. If there is no Philippine embassy or consulate, you must apply at the nearest one with jurisdiction over your country. You cannot apply while traveling in a different country.
QUICK SUMMARY:
- Who requires it: 36 countries
- Validity: 3 months (single-entry) or 6 months (multiple-entry)
- Allowed stay: 30 days (visa-required nationals) or 59 days (visa-exempt nationals)
- Visa fee: 40 USD (single-entry) or 80 USD (multiple-entry)
- Processing time: 10 working days, excluding local and Filipino holidays
- Extensions: Allowed up to 24 months (visa-required) or 36 months (visa-exempt) of stay in total
Read the Philippines Visa Guide to learn more about different visa options for tourists, their eligibility and requirements.
Table of Contents
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What is the validity of Philippines tourist visa?
The Philippines tourist visa validity depends on whether it’s a single-entry or multiple-entry visa.
| Visa Type | Validity |
| Single-entry Tourist Visa | 3 months |
| Multiple-entry Tourist Visa | 6 months |
NOTE: Multiple-entry visas may be granted only to foreign nationals affiliated with a Filipino citizen or if you have family in the Philippines. Multiple-entry visas are not usually granted to tourists.
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What is the allowed duration of stay?
Regardless of the visa type, the allowed duration of stay in the Philippines is 30 days for all Visa-Required nationals.
For Visa-Exempt nationals holding a Philippines tourist visa, the maximum allowed duration of stay is 59 days.
The day you enter is considered Day 0. The length of stay is calculated from the next day after the day of arrival. Technically, you will get 31 days or 60 days of total stay.
If you want to stay longer than the allowed 30 days or 59 days of stay, you will have to apply for your Philippines visa extension at the nearest Bureau of Immigration office.
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When to apply for Philippines tourist visa?
The processing times depend on the reviewing embassy and your individual circumstances. Usually, it’s around 10 working days, not including local and Filipino holidays. Multiple-entry visas take even longer to process. It’s wise to apply at least a month in advance.
To summarize:
- Latest to apply: 1 month before traveling
- Earliest to apply: 3 months before traveling
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Who requires a Philippines tourist visa?
Nationals of the following countries require a tourist visa for the Philippines.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cuba
- Egypt
- Georgia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Nauru
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Ukraine
- Yemen
NOTE: Visa-Exempt nationalities are also eligible to apply for Philppines tourist visa if they wish to stay longer than 30 days in the Philippines. However, it’s usually easier (although not cheaper) to enter on visa exemption and apply for an extension within the country instead.
The above nationalities are also eligible for the e-Visa if they are legally residing in 45 designated countries. For more information, refer to the Philippines e-Visa article.
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What documents are required?
The documents required for the tourist visa differ between embassies. In general, you need the following documentation.
- Original passport
- Photocopy of the passport biodata page
- Recent passport-size photo
- Completed tourist visa application form
- Flight itinerary or reservation
- Hotel accommodation reservation
- Proof of financial ability. It could be any number of these:
- Bank statements for the last 6 months
- Employment certificate/letter
- Business registration/license (if business owner or self-employed)
- Property documents
- Proof of legal status/residency if you’re applying in a country different from your nationality.
- Copy of the latest Philippine visa issued (if held a previous Philippine visa)
- Documents proving ties to the home country or country of residence, such as:
- Employment certificate
- Property documents
- Police clearance certificate (only required by some Philippine embassies)
NOTE: Documents not in English must be translated into English and certified.
Passport requirement
To apply for a Philippines tourist visa, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the authorized period of stay in the Philippines.
A tourist visa usually allows up to 30 or 59 days of stay. That means your passport must be valid for at least 6 months plus 30 or 59 days at the time of entering the Philippines on a tourist visa.
Philippines tourist visa is a full-page sticker, so your passport must contain at least 2 blank pages. One page for the visa sticker, and one for entry and exit stamps.
Photo requirements
You need one or two passport-size photos, depending on the embassy. The photo should meet the following requirements.
- Must be of size 3.5cm x 4.5cm or 4cm x 6cm or 2inch x 2inch (depending on the embassy)
- Must be in color on a white background
- Must have taken recently within the last 6 months
- Must show a clear front view of the face
- No eyeglasses and no sleeveless shirts
- No blurred or low-quality photos
Tourist visa application form
You must complete the tourist visa application form on the Online Visa Appointment System (OVAS). After completing it, you must print and sign it.
However, the OVAS has been down since May 2024. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs instructs applicants to fill out the application forms manually. That means, you will have to download the form from the embassy website, fill it out and submit it along with the required documents at the embassy. See the list of Philippine Overseas Missions here.
Flight itinerary
You must provide a flight itinerary for entering and leaving the Philippines. This can be a simple flight reservation. Philippine embassies recommend not purchasing flight tickets before the visa is approved.
The Philippines embassy says:
“Applicants are reminded NOT to finalize the booking of your tickets, prior to the approval of your visa applications. You may submit a flight itinerary temporarily created by booking a reservation with an airline.”
I recommend using a dummy ticket service provider to obtain a flight itinerary for your Philippines tourist visa.
If you are a Visa-Required national, then the flight ticket out of the Philippines must be within 30 days of entry. For Visa-Exempt nationals, the exit flight can be within 59 days of entry.
Hotel reservation
You must submit hotel bookings for your entire stay in the Philippines. Again, the Philippines embassies recommend not paying for the hotels. You can simply book refundable and pay-at-check-in hotels for your visa application. Read this hotel reservation for visas guide to learn more.
Bank statements
Bank statements must be for the last 6 months with a minimum average balance of at least 1,500 USD.
If applying from a country that the Philippines deems as high-risk (e.g. India, Bangladesh, etc.), these bank statements must be signed and stamped by the bank officer verifying their authenticity.
If applying from a low-risk developed country such as the US or UAE, these can be statements downloaded from your bank’s website. No sign or stamp from the bank is necessary.
Employment certificate
The employment letter or certificate must include your remuneration (monthly or annual salary), job title or position, period of employment and no objection to your travel to the Philippines (NOC), etc.
If NOC is not included in the employment letter, a separate NOC or leave approval letter must be submitted.
If you are a business owner, you must provide your business registration, business bank statements, tax registration, etc.
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How much is the Philippines tourist visa fee?
The fee for 3-month single-entry visas is 40 USD for Visa-Required nationals. For Visa-Exempt nationals, it’s 30 USD.
The fee for 6-month multiple-entry visas is 80 USD for Visa-Required nationals. For Visa-Exempt nationals, it’s 60 USD.
To summarize:
| Visa Type | Visa-Required Nationals | Visa-Exempt Nationals | Chinese Nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-month single-entry | 40 USD | 30 USD | 25 USD |
| 6-month multiple-entry | 80 USD | 60 USD | 50 USD |
The currency and mode of payment depend on the embassy. Philippine embassies in countries like the US or the UK accept card and cash payments. Whereas the Philippine embassies in India or Bangladesh, etc, require bank drafts in local currencies.
NOTE: Some embassies accept the applications over email and will charge an expedited fee at the time of visa issuance. This expedited fee is usually 12-15 USD, payable in local currency.
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How long is the processing time?
The Philippines tourist visa processing time is 10 working days, excluding local and Filipino holidays.
Applications from Visa-Required nationalities are sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila for processing and approval. Applications from Visa-Exempt nationalities are processed within the embassy/consulate.
The embassy, consulate, or DFA Manila may request additional documents at any time during the process, in which case, the processing time resets. The processing time will restart from the day you submit the additional documents to the embassy.
Keep in mind that any public holiday in the Philippines is also a holiday at the Philippines embassy or consulate. This can further delay the processing. There are about 18-20 national holidays in the Philippines.
If you account for weekends, public holidays in the country of application, and public holidays in the Philippines, you are left with limited working days. If you are requested to provide additional documents and there are major holidays in the Philippines, it can take several weeks.
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How to apply for Philippines tourist visa?
Step 1: Pre-assessment
Some Philippine embassies, such as the ones in the UAE, Vietnam, etc., require pre-assessment of your visa application to determine your eligibility.
You will have to email digital copies of all the required documents to the embassy. The embassy will then assess if you are eligible for the visa. Then you will be sent instructions on how to and when to submit the visa application.
Step 2: Online visa application
You have to fill out and submit the tourist visa application on the Online Visa Appointment System (OVAS). And then you must print and submit it along with all your other documents to the Philippines embassy or consulate. But the visa appointment system has been down since May 2024, which means you must download, fill and print the manual application form. Find the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate website here.
Step 3: Submit the application at the Philippines embassy/consulate
a. Submit via email
Philippine embassies/consulates in some countries allow you to apply via email, e.g., The Philippines Embassy in Mexico. In such a case, you will scan and send all the required documents via email.
When the visa is approved, you will be informed by email to appear at the embassy. You will then pay the fee and pick up your visa.
b. Submit in person
You will simply appear at the embassy or consulate in person, pay the visa fee, and submit your documents. You may be contacted for additional documents.
Here are a few notes to keep in mind:
- Look for the visa application form on the embassy’s webpage. Download, print, and fill it out.
- Check if the embassy requires you to book an appointment or if walk-ins are also allowed.
- Prepare all documents. Make copies of originals. Most embassies will have a pre-authorization of some sort to confirm you have all the documents before proceeding with the application.
- See if the embassy wants you to bring the documents in person or if you can send them via a courier.
- Don’t pay for flight tickets before the visa is issued. Visas will never be expedited to match your travel schedule, and you won’t be reimbursed for flights if the visa is not issued.
When your visa is approved, you will be informed by email. You will have to go back to the embassy to pick up your passport with the visa.
Do not forget to fill out the Philippines eTravel within 72 hours before your arrival in the Philippines. Along, with your passport and tourist visa, you would also need to show your eTravel QR code.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an interview for the Philippine tourist visa?
Generally, no, there is no interview for the Philippines tourist visa. However, some may be requested to attend an interview by the embassy.
How much is the bank balance required for a Philippine visa?
Not all Philippine embassies clearly specify the required bank balance for the visa. Some do and it’s all over the place. For example, the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE requires at least 5,000 AED (about 1,350 USD) and the one in Cairo, Egypt requires 3,000 USD.
If the Philippine embassy that you will be applying from does not specify, have at least 1,500 USD in your bank account to increase your chances of visa approval.
Credits: Maps are made with mapchart.net
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