Visa policy of the Philippines

The visa policy of the Philippines is governed by Commonwealth Act No. 613, also known as the Philippine Immigration Act, and by subsequent legislation amending it.

The Act is jointly enforced by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Visitors from 157 countries are permitted visa-free entry for periods ranging from 14 to 59 days.

Generally, foreign nationals who wish to enter the Philippines require a visa unless the visitor is:

• A citizen of a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• A citizen of a non-ASEAN member state whose nationals are allowed to enter the Philippines visa-free.
• A balikbayan (a member of the Filipino diaspora) who is only returning to the Philippines temporarily.

Visa policy map

Visa policy of the Philippines

  Philippines

  Visa not required (59 days)

  Visa not required (30 days)

  Visa not required (14 days)

  Electronic travel authorization (ETA)

  Visa required in advance

Visa exemption

History

The Philippine visa waiver program is governed by Executive Order No. 408,^[1] signed by President Carlos P. Garcia on November 9, 1960, and by subsequent executive issuances amending it. While visas are issued by the Bureau of Immigration, the program itself is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which maintains a list of countries eligible to participate in the program.

In principle, nationals of countries which maintain diplomatic relations with the Philippines and whose nationals are not classified as restricted nationals by the DFA are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa.

On July 1, 2013, the Bureau of Immigration began implementing an extended visa waiver for covered nationals from 21 to 30 days, which the Philippine government hoped would boost tourism^[2]

In March 2015, it was proposed to extend the visa exemption to citizens of China and India.^[3]

In January 2025, the Philippines welcomed a group of Afghan nationals who had worked alongside American forces, providing them with a safe and supportive environment to continue their visa processing for resettlement in the United States. This effort highlights the Philippines' role as a reliable partner in international humanitarian initiatives, offering assistance and refuge to those affected by conflict following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.^[4]

On May 19, 2025, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced the Philippines' new visa exemption policies for Indian nationals, which will grant 14 days visa-free entry for all Indian tourists and an enhanced 30 days conditional visa-free entry for Indian tourists with valid visas or permanent residencies from select countries. The new visa exemption rules took effect on June 8, 2025, following the official announcement from the Philippine Embassy in India on June 7, 2025.^[5]

On July 1, 2025, the Philippines introduced visa exemption policy for Taiwanese nationals traveling to the country for a short term touristic visit, following the announcement from Manila Economic and Cultural Office on June 19, 2025.^[6][7]

Visa exempt nationals

Eligible nationals availing of visa-free entry must possess passports valid for at least six months beyond their contemplated period of stay.^[8][9]

Visa-exempt foreign nationals may extend their stay two months per extension but not exceeding the maximum period of 2 years.^[9] Foreign nationals who require a visa may extend their stay one month per extension but not exceeding the maximum period of six months and must have a ticket valid for onward travel.^[8]

Citizens of the following countries and territories do not require a visa for the Philippines:^[10]

59 days Brazil Israel 30 days All ASEAN member states All European Union member states All European Free Trade Association member states All Gulf Cooperation Council member states Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Costa Rica Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Fiji Gabon Gambia Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kyrgyzstan Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Maldives Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia   Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Solomon Islands South Africa South Korea Suriname Tajikistan Tanzania Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Zambia Zimbabwe 14 days Hong Kong[11][12] IndiaT Macao Portugal1 TaiwanT 2 7 days United Kingdom3

_{T - For tourism purposes only. Extension of visa-free stay is not possible.
1 - For passports issued to permanent residents of Macau only.
2 - Temporary policy until June 30, 2026
3 - For British Nationals (Overseas) only.}

Date of visa changes

August 30, 1962: Malaysia (as Federation of Malaya) and Thailand[13] February 1, 1963: Bolivia[14] January 1, 1966: Sweden[15] January 1, 1967: Denmark and Norway[16] January 1, 1970: Israel[17] July 1, 1970: France[18] April 1, 1971: Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands[19] August 22, 1972: Brazil (replaced by another agreement from October 25, 1973)[20][21][22] January 1, 1975: Iceland[23] January 1, 1978: Austria[24] May 13, 1994: Mongolia[25] June 22, 1994: Macao[26] July 12, 2005: Laos[27] September 19, 2007: Russia April 15, 2014: Belize, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan[28] June 8, 2025: India[29] July 1, 2025: Taiwan (effective until June 30, 2026)[30][31] Cancelled: April 15, 2014: Somalia[32]

Non-ordinary passports

Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports of the following countries enjoy an extended length of stay when compared to ordinary passports:

Argentina4 Austria4 Brazil1 Chile1 Croatia2 Cuba2 Denmark4 Estonia2 Finland4

Germany1 Hungary2 Italy4 Mexico2 Morocco2 Norway4 Panama2 Peru2 Poland2

Romania2 Russia2 Slovakia4 Slovenia2 Spain4 Sweden4 Tunisia3 Venezuela1

_{1 - 3 months
2 - 90 days
3 - 2 months
4 - 59 days}

Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports of the following countries may enter without a visa while ordinary passport holders require one:

AlbaniaD O S ArmeniaD O S BangladeshD O S ChinaD O S EgyptD

IndiaD O S IranD O S JordanD O S PakistanD Timor-LesteD O S

_{D - diplomatic passports
O - official passports
S - service passports}

Conditional visa exemption

Nationals of China traveling as tourists and holding a valid visa issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, Schengen countries, Singapore or United States may enter and stay without a visa for up to 7 days.^[33]

Nationals of India traveling as tourists and holding a valid tourist, business or resident visa issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, Schengen countries, Singapore, United Kingdom or United States may enter and stay without a visa for up to 30 days. They may enter from any port of entry.^[34]

Online application

Citizens of Taiwan may apply for Electronic Travel Authorizations issued by Manila Economic and Cultural Office by paying 1500 NTD online. The validity of this multiple entry ETA allows visitors to stay in Philippines for no more than 30 days.^[35]

Citizens of China may obtain e-Visas from Consulate General of the Philippines, Shanghai after transferring the visa fee to a designated bank account since November 15, 2023. Visitor with e-Visa may stay in Philippines for a maximum of 59 days. Single entry e-Visa costs 50 USD while multiple entry e-Visa valid for 6 months costs 125 USD.^[36] However, the operations of the Philippine e-Visa System in China is temporarily suspended from November 28, 2023 until further notice.

Visa required

Citizens of the following countries must obtain a visa from the Philippine embassies or consulates, prior to travel:^[10]

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina China 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

APEC Business Travel Card

Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing the "PHL" code on the reverse that it is valid for travel to Philippines can enter visa-free for business trips for up to 59 days.^[10]

ABTCs are issued to nationals of:^[37]

Australia Brunei Chile China Hong Kong Indonesia Japan South Korea Malaysia

Mexico New Zealand Papua New Guinea Peru Russia Singapore Taiwan Thailand Vietnam

Types of visas

The Philippine Immigration Act prescribes fourteen different visas grouped into two broad categories:

• Section 9 visas (non-immigrant visas), for temporary visits such as those for tourism, business, transit, study or employment
• Section 13 visas (immigrant visas), for foreign nationals who wish to become permanent residents in the Philippines

Some visas have been introduced by subsequent legislation or proclamation of the President which are not classified by the Philippine Immigration Act as either being a Section 9 or Section 13 visa. These visas are called special visas and are issued to groups such as retirees, investors and entrepreneurs.

List of visas

Visas in the Philippines

Type	Visa	Description
Non-immigrant[38]	9(a)	Pleasure, business or health
	9(b)	Transit
	9(c)	Seaman on a ship docking in a port of entry in the Philippines
	9(d)	Alien businessman
	9(e)	Foreign government officials and their dependents, assistants and employees
	9(f)	Students
	9(g)	Pre-arranged employees and their dependents
Immigrant[38]	13	Quota immigrants, of which no more than fifty of any one nationality or without nationality may be admitted within one calendar year. Immigrants who are issued Section 13 visas belonging to one of the seven listed sub-categories under CA 613 are considered non-quota immigrants, and may be admitted despite the quota.
	13(a)	The spouse or unmarried child (below 21) of a Filipino citizen.
	13(b)	Children born during a temporary visit abroad to mothers granted permanent residence in the Philippines.
	13(c)	Children born after the issuance of the visa of the accompanying parents.
	13(d)	Women who lost Filipino citizenship by virtue of marriage to a foreign spouse, and her unmarried children (below 21).[a]
	13(e)	Permanent residents returning to the Philippines from a temporary visit abroad to resume permanent residence.
	13(f)	The spouse and/or unmarried children (below 21) of an alien admitted to the Philippines for permanent residence prior to the approval of the Philippine Immigration Act.[b]
	13(g)	Natural-born Filipinos and their dependents who have naturalized in a foreign country and wish to permanently reside in the Philippines. This visa was provided for under Republic Act No. 4376, passed in 1965.[c]
Special	47(a)(2)[41]	Special Non-Immigrant Visa. This is a non-immigrant visa granted to several categories of foreign nationals: Those employed as executives, supervisors, specialists, consultants, contractors or personal staff at enterprises registered with special economic zones, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the Board of Investments (BOI), or the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) Those employed in enterprises that have existing agreement/s with the Philippine government or any of subdivisions and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations, for the completion of a project Exchange professors, scholars, trainees, participants, students, fellows and social workers under sponsorship of locally or internationally recognized educational, scientific, cultural, relief and charitable organizations, institutions, agencies or foundations, including representatives of non-recognized foreign governments to those organizations Volunteers registered with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), including foreign personnel of international rescue/aid organizations providing assistance on occasion of natural disasters and major emergencies Dependents of any foreign national covered under the previous categories
	SIRV[42]	Special Investor's Resident Visa. This is a non-immigrant visa granted to foreign nationals and their dependents who have shareholdings in Philippine corporations engaged in the manufacturing or services sectors, involved in projects listed under the Investment Priority Plan, or are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. This visa is issued by the BI in coordination with the Board of Investments.
	SVEG[43]	Special Visa for Employment Generation. This is a non-immigrant visa granted to foreign nationals and their dependents who employ at least ten Filipinos in a lawful enterprise or business venture.
	SRRV[44]	Special Resident Retiree's Visa. This is a non-immigrant visa granted to foreign nationals and their dependents who wish to retire in the Philippines. This visa is issued by the BI in coordination with the Philippine Retirement Authority.
	SNIV[45]	Special Non-Immigrant Visa. This is a non-immigrant visa granted to foreign nationals and their dependents who are employed by the regional, area and/or regional operating headquarters of multinational corporations.
	SEVOBU[46]	Special Employment Visa for Offshore Banking Unit. This is a non-immigrant visa granted to foreign nationals and their dependents who are employed by the Philippine offshore units of foreign banks.

Visitor statistics

This section is transcluded from Tourism in the Philippines. (edit | history)

Rank	Country	May 2025[47]	2024[48]	2023[49]	2022 [50]	2021 [51]	2020[52]	2019[53]	2018[54]	2017[55]	2016[56]	2015[57]	2014[58]	2013[59]	2012[60]	2011[61]	2010[62]
1	South Korea	552,925[63]	1,569,071	1,439,336	428,014	6,456	338,877	1,989,322	1,587,959	1,607,821	1,475,081	1,339,678	1,175,472	1,165,789	1,031,155	925,204	740,622
2	United States	442,756[64]	1,076,663	903,299	505,089	39,326	211,816	1,064,440	1,034,396	957,813	869,463	779,217	722,750	674,564	652,626	624,527	600,165
3	Japan	189,696[65]	388,316	305,580	99,557	15,024	136,664	682,788	631,801	884,180	635,238	495,662	463,744	433,705	412,474	375,496	358,744
4	Australia	134,247[66]	272,215	266,551	137,974	2,184	55,330	286,170	279,821	259,433	251,098	241,187	224,784	213,023	191,150	170,736	147,649
5	Canada	120,044[67]	223,944	221,920	121,413	6,781	55,273	238,850	226,429	200,640	175,631	153,363	143,899	131,381	123,699	117,423	106,345
6	China	114,496[68]	312,222	263,836	39,627	9,674	170,432	1,743,309	1,255,258	968,447	675,663	490,841	394,951	426,352	250,883	243,137	187,446
7	Taiwan	83,682[69]	208,736	194,851	23,604	1,619	48,644	327,273	240,842	236,777	229,303	177,670	142,973	139,099	216,511	181,738	142,455
8	United Kingdom	80,336[70]	160,296	154,698	101,034	4,348	39,980	209,206	201,039	182,708	173,229	154,189	133,665	122,759	113,282	104,466	96,925
9	Singapore*	63,772[71]	157,264	149,230	53,448	653	19,998	158,595	171,795	168,637	176,057	181,176	179,099	175,034	148,215	137,802	121,083
10	Germany	37,088	79,886	74,731	39,013	2,037	25,893	103,756	92,098	85,431	86,363	75,348	72,801	70,949	67,023	61,193	58,725
11	France	41,206[72]	60,743	51,601	23,949	1,425	24,530	88,577	74,400	64,777	55,384	45,505	38,946	39,042	33,709	29,591	27,302
12	Malaysia*	31,030	95,713	97,639	46,805	1,620	23,359	139,882	145,242	143,566	139,133	155,814	139,245	109,437	114,513	91,752	79,694
13	India	35,272[73]	78,995	70,286	51,542	7,202	29,014	134,963	121,124	107,278	90,816	74,824	61,152	52,206	46,395	42,844	34,581
14	Hong Kong SAR	27,541	79,276	80,512	8,589	354	12,444	91,653	117,992	111,135	116,328	122,180	114,100	126,008	118,666	112,106	133,746
15	Spain	15,998	46,146	34,063	19,194	1,220	9,621	49,748	44,133	36,954	32,097	24,144	19,353	17,126	15,895	14,648	12,759
16	Netherlands	15,600	34,726	31,956	19,306	1,510	8,961	41,313	37,051	33,821	31,876	28,632	25,236	22,595	22,195	21,029	19,227
17	Thailand*	15,527	45,896	40,952	16,300	1,464	9,788	61,292	59,793	48,727	47,913	44,038	45,943	47,874	40,987	37,862	36,713
18	Indonesia*	15,245	57,085	53,707	24,596	1,888	13,734	70,819	76,652	62,923	44,348	48,178	46,757	45,582	36,627	34,542	31,997
19	Italy	14,814	29,943	22,496	12,933	1,212	8,976	38,951	35,182	30,437	25,945	21,620	19,865	17,668	16,740	15,798	16,350
20	United Arab Emirates	12,257	40,026	33,769	2,084	2,733	2,518	10,192	15,402	16,399	17,634	16,881	17,000	15,155	12,684	13,404	12,734
21	Switzerland	12,242	27,050	24,048	11,092	598	7,094	29,966	31,075	29,837	29,420	27,200	25,548	24,907	23,557	22,335	21,224
22	Russia	14,236	27,602	23,104	8,040	1,027	12,643	36,111	29,967	33,279	28,210	25,278	32,087	35,404	28,270	20,185	14,642
23	Vietnam*	11,140	58,098	67,661	38,605	1,785	11,406	66,698	52,334	39,951	33,895	31,579	29,800	26,599	20,817	17,781	17,311
24	Poland	10,693	15,294	9,923	4,222	520	5,429	15,816	12,568	10,786	8,893	8,030	5,911	5,653	4,187	3,263	2,917
25	New Zealand	10,428	28,193	29,272	17,503	345	6,883	37,872	33,341	28,983	23,431	20,579	17,704	15,783	14,100	12,782	11,323
26	Israel	10,422	15,537	13,334	9,711	452	4,745	22,851	20,343	17,446	16,725	11,756	8,776	7,675	5,895	4,990	4,525
27	Sweden	7,774	18,144	16,789	9,389	508	6,996	27,892	28,085	27,703	26,062	23,206	21,861	22,957	21,807	17,973	15,510
28	Norway	6,517	19,100	20,000	12,004	508	4,365	23,464	23,571	21,890	21,606	20,968	20,846	20,625	19,572	17,959	16,742
29	Saudi Arabia	6,368	22,429	19,311	10,414	2,252	7,014	43,748	46,967	54,716	56,081	50,884	43,483	38,969	30,040	27,945	22,214
30	Ireland	6,017	16,111	16,379	12,009	600	3,621	21,475	20,051	18,051	16,557	14,050	12,354	10,576	8,362	6,023	5,368
31	Belgium	5,901	15,094	14,459	8,961	648	3,756	19,156	17,285	15,703	14,477	12,825	12,236	11,454	11,649	10,959	10,512
32	Brunei*	1,789	6,011	6,639	1,884	37	1,037	8,126	9,533	8,679	8,211	9,015	9,677	8,297	5,992	5,247	4,072
33	Myanmar*	1,347	9,143	6,395	4,255	271	2,877	13,978	9,630	9,571	7,442	7,033	6,633	4,948	4,290	3,246	3,983
34	Cambodia*	1,038	4,010	3,999	1,454	40	942	5,988	4,154	4,712	3,526	3,503	3,276	3,228	2,661	2,469	2,244
35	Laos*	269	1,111	988	495	15	203	1,454	1,183	1,580	1,173	1,231	1,056	1,062	1,088	971	1,079
	All Countries	2,104,572	5,949,350	5,450,557	2,653,858	163,879	1,482,535	8,260,913	7,168,467	6,620,908	5,967,005	5,360,682	4,833,368	4,681,307	4,272,811	3,917,454	3,520,471

* Country in ASEAN

See also

• Philippines portal

• Visa requirements for Philippine citizens
• Philippine passport
• Immigration to the Philippines