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Home » Visa Guides » Philippines

Philippines Visa for Tourists in 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

Updated: July 15, 2024

Philippines Tourist Visa Extension Image

The Philippines has a very liberal visa policy with a long list of visa-exempt nationalities. The nationalities that require a Philippines visa must apply for one at the embassy in their country of legal residence. 

An e-Visa website was introduced in 2023 but it’s not currently operational. Visa extensions are permitted for all tourists and under certain circumstances can be done online.

Table of Contents

  • Visa Policy and Visa Types
  • Philippines Entry Requirements
  • Visa Exemption (VISA-FREE)
  • Visa Exemption with Substitute Visa (VISA-FREE)
  • Philippines e-Visa
  • Philippines Tourist Visa (9A)
  • Philippines Transit Visa (9B)
  • Philippines Visa Extension
  • Entry and Exit Procedure at the Border
  • Frequently Asked Questions

***

Visa Policy and Visa Types

The Philippines visa policy is simple enough offering visa exemption to 156 nationalities. Indian and Chinese nationals are also visa exempt if holding a substitute visa such as the US, Canada, etc. 

Here is the summary of Philippines visa types for tourists. 

  • Visa Exemption: 156 countries can enter visa-free for 14, 30, or 59 days.
  • Visa Exemption with substitute visa: India and China can enter visa-free if holding a strong third-country visa.
  • Tourist Visa: 39 countries must get a tourist visa from an embassy.
  • Transit Visa: A transit visa is necessary for short stays of less than 72 hours.

***

Philippines Entry Requirements

Philippines Visa Requirements by Nationality
Philippines Visa Requirements by Nationality | Made with mapchart.net

Tourists traveling to the Philippines must meet the following entry requirements.

01. Passport validity: The passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the allowed period of stay in the Philippines. 

If you are entering on a 30-day visa exemption, your passport must have a minimum validity of 6 months + 30 days (total of 7 months) at the time of arrival. 

If you are entering on a tourist visa, your passport must have a minimum validity of 6 months + 59 days (total of 8 months) at the time of arrival. 

02. Blank pages: There is no specific blank page requirement for the Philippines. Immigration requires sufficient space for 1 entry and 1 exit stamp in your passport. The airline may require you to have at least 1 blank page in your passport. 

03. Onward ticket: Immigration is known to strictly enforce proof of onward ticket requirement. Airlines may enforce it strictly too, especially the low-cost ones. 

04. Electronic arrival card: Philippine eTravel registration must be filled out within 72 hours (3 days) before arrival in the Philippines.

***

Visa Exemption (VISA-FREE)

The following 156 countries are visa-exempt.

59 Days

  1. Brazil
  2. Israel

30 Days

  1. Andorra
  2. Angola
  3. Antigua and Barbuda
  4. Argentina
  5. Australia
  6. Austria
  7. Bahrain
  8. Barbados
  9. Belgium
  10. Belize
  11. Benin
  12. Bhutan
  13. Bolivia
  14. Botswana
  15. Brunei
  16. Bulgaria
  17. Burkina Faso
  18. Burundi
  19. Cambodia
  20. Cameroon
  21. Canada
  22. Cape Verde
  23. Central African Republic
  24. Chad
  25. Chile
  26. Colombia
  27. Comoros
  28. Congo, Dem. Rep. of
  29. Congo, Rep. of
  30. Costa Rica
  31. Croatia
  32. Cyprus
  33. Czech Republic
  34. Denmark
  35. Djibouti
  36. Dominica
  37. Dominican Republic
  38. Ecuador
  39. El Salvador
  40. Equatorial Guinea
  41. Eritrea
  42. Estonia
  43. Eswatini
  44. Ethiopia
  45. Fiji
  46. Finland
  47. France
  48. Gabon
  49. Gambia
  50. Germany
  51. Ghana
  52. Greece
  53. Grenada
  54. Guatemala
  55. Guinea
  56. Guinea Bissau
  57. Guyana
  58. Haiti
  59. Honduras
  60. Hungary
  61. Iceland
  62. Indonesia
  63. Ireland
  64. Italy
  65. Jamaica
  66. Japan
  67. Kazakhstan
  68. Kenya
  69. Kiribati
  70. Kuwait
  71. Kyrgyzstan
  72. Laos
  73. Latvia
  74. Lesotho
  75. Liberia
  76. Liechtenstein
  77. Lithuania
  78. Luxembourg
  79. Madagascar
  80. Malawi
  81. Malaysia
  82. Maldives
  83. Mali
  84. Malta
  85. Marshall Islands
  86. Mauritania
  87. Mauritius
  88. Mexico
  89. Micronesia
  90. Monaco
  91. Mongolia
  92. Morocco
  93. Mozambique
  94. Myanmar
  95. Namibia
  96. Nepal
  97. Netherlands
  98. New Zealand
  99. Nicaragua
  100. Niger
  101. Norway
  102. Oman
  103. Palau
  104. Panama
  105. Papua New Guinea
  106. Paraguay
  107. Peru
  108. Poland
  109. Portugal
  110. Qatar
  111. Romania
  112. Russia
  113. Rwanda
  114. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  115. Saint Lucia
  116. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  117. Samoa
  118. San Marino
  119. Sao Tome and Principe
  120. Saudi Arabia
  121. Senegal
  122. Seychelles
  123. Singapore
  124. Slovakia
  125. Slovenia
  126. Solomon Islands
  127. South Africa
  128. South Korea
  129. Spain
  130. Suriname
  131. Sweden
  132. Switzerland
  133. Tajikistan
  134. Thailand
  135. Togo
  136. Trinidad and Tobago
  137. Tunisia
  138. Turkey
  139. Turkmenistan
  140. Tuvalu
  141. Uganda
  142. United Arab Emirates
  143. United Kingdom
  144. United States of America
  145. Uruguay
  146. Uzbekistan
  147. Vanuatu
  148. Vatican
  149. Venezuela
  150. Vietnam
  151. Zambia
  152. Zimbabwe

14 Days

  1. Hong Kong SAR
  2. Macau SAR

NOTE: Hong Kong British passports and Macau Portuguese passports get only 7 days visa-free.

***

Visa Exemption with Substitute Visa (VISA-FREE)

Indian nationals who hold a valid used/unused multiple-entry tourist, business, or resident visa or permanent residence permit from Australia, Canada, Japan, Schengen, Singapore, UK or the US can enter the Philippines VISA-FREE for 14 days. This is extendable by 7 days up to a total of 21 days.

Chinese nationals who hold a valid or unexpired tourist, business, or resident visa or permanent residence permit from Australia, Canada, Japan, Schengen, or the US can enter the Philippines VISA-FREE for up to 7 days. This is extendable by 14 days up to a total of 21 days.

The visa or residence permit must be valid for the entire duration of the stay.

The day you enter is considered Day 0.

***

Philippines e-Visa

The Philippines e-Visa website was introduced in August 2023 as a pilot to facilitate simpler visa application processing. It was intended for use by Indian and Chinese passport holders. 

After a brief period of operation for Chinese tourists, the e-Visa system was suspended indefinitely in November 2023. 

The e-Visa was never operational for Indian tourists. Indians see a “Beta Testing” message when trying to apply.

For citizens of Taiwan, there exists an online Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) which functions like an eVisa. The ETA cost 1800 NT (~47 USD) and allows stays of up to 30 days.

***

Philippines Tourist Visa (9A)

Philippines Tourist Visa Sample
Philippines Tourist Visa Sample | © Visa Traveler

You can apply for a Philippines tourist visa only in person and only at the Philippine Embassy in your country of nationality or legal residence. If there is no embassy in your country, you must apply at the embassy in the region with jurisdiction over your country. You cannot apply in any other country or while already traveling.

Visa required countries

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Albania
  3. Algeria
  4. Armenia
  5. Azerbaijan
  6. Bangladesh
  7. Belarus
  8. Bahamas
  9. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  10. China
  11. Cote d’Ivoire
  12. Cuba
  13. Egypt
  14. Georgia
  15. India
  16. Iran
  17. Iraq
  18. Jordan
  19. Lebanon
  20. Libya
  21. Moldova
  22. Montenegro
  23. Nauru
  24. Nigeria
  25. North Korea
  26. North Macedonia
  27. Pakistan
  28. Serbia
  29. Sierra Leone
  30. Somalia
  31. South Sudan
  32. Sri Lanka
  33. Sudan
  34. Syria
  35. Tanzania
  36. Timor-Leste
  37. Tonga
  38. Ukraine
  39. Yemen

Tourist visas can be either single-entry or multiple-entry. Multiple-entry visas may be granted only to foreign nationals affiliated with a Filipino citizen, or if you have family in the Philippines.

Single-entry visas cost 30-40 USD whereas multiple-entry visas cost 60-80 USD. They are valid for 3 months and allow stays of up to 59 days on each entry.

Some embassies will require you to book an appointment while others accept walk-in applications. Some will need you to send the documents via a courier.

For more information, such as what documents to prepare and how to apply, check this Philippines Tourist Visa Guide.

***

Philippines Transit Visa (9B)

If you’re a visa-required traveler who will only briefly transit in the Philippines, you should consider a Transit visa which allows you to stay in the country for up to 72 hours.

Transit visa applications go through your nearest embassy and cost 20 USD.

You will need the following documents:

  1. Completed visa application FA Form No. 2-A (sample form, get an actual one from your embassy)
  2. Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of intended departure from the Philippines
  3. One recent color photo 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, showing a clear front view of your face, with a white background; no eyeglasses or sleeveless attire.
  4. Round trip flight itinerary to country of origin or next country of destination
  5. Payment of visa fee (20 USD)

For more information, check with your nearest Philippine embassy.

***

Philippines Visa Extension

Philippines Visa Extension
Philippines tourist visa extension clearance, fee and stamp

Standard tourist visas (9A) and the visa exemption can be extended up to a total of 36 months of stay for visa-exempt nationalities or 24 months for visa-required nationalities.

Some extensions can be done online at the eServices website. For others, you have to go to the Bureau of Immigration in Manila or other provinces. Extensions cost roughly between 25 and 75 USD per month.

Extension rules depend on how long you’ve already spent inside the Philippines and become more confusing the longer you stay. For specific and detailed information, check out this Philippines visa extension guide.

***

Entry and Exit Procedure at the Border

No matter your visa status, proceed directly to Immigration upon landing. There are no visas on arrival in the Philippines, at least not for tourists.

Visa holders will receive a passport stamp for 59 days of stay whereas visa-exempt nationals will get 14, 30, or 59 depending on nationality.

The Philippine Immigration is notorious for diligently checking onward travel arrangements. Make sure you have your onward ticket prepared and ready to show.

e-Travel Registration

The e-Travel Registration is a replacement for the former eArrival Card. All arriving passengers must fill it out within 72 hours (3 days) before arrival in the Philippines.

Completing and submitting the registration is completely free of charge. You will be issued a QR code which you should show when asked.

e-Gates

Currently, the e-Gates at certain airports in the Philippines can only be used by Filipino travelers.

***

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can a foreigner stay in the Philippines without a visa?

Most visa-exempt foreigners can stay in the Philippines for up to 30 days.

Can I get a visa on arrival in the Philippines?

The Philippines does not have a visa-on-arrival program for tourists. If you require one, you must procure a visa before you travel.

Can I stay in the Philippines for 6 months?

Yes, all visas and the visa-exempt status are extendable. To stay 6 months, you will have to extend at least twice, of which at least once in person at a Bureau of Immigration. Read more about extending your stay in the Philippines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: THIRUMAL MOTATI

Thirumal Motati

Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER
We are not affiliated with immigration, embassies or governments of any country. The content in this article is for educational and general informational purposes only, and shall not be understood or construed as, visa, immigration or legal advice. Your use of information provided in this article is solely at your own risk and you expressly agree not to rely upon any information contained in this article as a substitute for professional visa or immigration advice. Under no circumstance shall be held liable or responsible for any errors or omissions in this article or for any damage you may suffer in respect to any actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the information in this article. Please refer to our full disclaimer for further information.

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please refer to our full disclosure for further information.

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About Thirumal Motati, founder and travel writer at visa traveler

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I'm here to help you navigate the visas and travel the world.

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