Admission to the Philippines

The admission of foreigners for entry to the Philippines is governed by the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 (Commonwealth Act No.613), along with related regulations administered and enforced by agents of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

A visa is an endorsement made by a qualified Philippine consular officer on a travel document or passport, signifying that the foreign traveler has the necessary qualifications to proceed to the Philippines, and that the holder's documents in support of his/her travel have been properly examined.

Nationals of certain countries can travel to the Philippines as temporary visitors without need to secure an entry visa. Please see the information about visa-free entry to the Philippines for more details.

Visa-free entry privileges are extended to the following:

• Holders of Hong Kong SAR passport or Macau SAR passport may enter the Philippines without a visa for initial stay not exceeding 14 days.
• Holders of British National Overseas passport or Macau-Portuguese passport may enter the Philippines without a visa for initial stay not exceeding 7 days.
• Holders of People's Republic of China passport and who have a valid Australian, Canadian, Japanese, Schengen or US visa may enter the Philippines without a visa for initial stay not exceeding 7 days for tourism purpose.
• Holders of Republic of India passport and who have a valid Australian, Canadian, Japanese, Schengen, Singapore, UK or US visa may enter the Philippines without a visa for initial stay not exceeding 14 days for tourism purpose.
• Holders of Manila Economic and Cultural Office Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) may enter the Philippines for an initial stay of 30 days. For more information, visit the Manila Economic and Cultural Office website: https://www.meco.org.tw/evisa. 
• Holders of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card. For more information, visit the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation website: www.apec.org.

Nationals of the following countries are required to obtain a visa prior to their travel to the Philippines:

The decision on whether a foreign traveler will be allowed entry into the Philippines rests solely upon the Philippine immigration authorities at various ports of entry, as the admission of foreign nationals is a function of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, and not the visa-issuing consular officer.

Thus, possession of a validly issued visa from a Philippine consular office is not a guarantee that the foreign traveler will be admitted into the Philippines.

Persons with Dual Nationalities

A Philippine visa is issued only to aliens / non-Filipinos seeking to travel to the Philippines for a legitimate purpose, whose admission as a non-immigrant / immigrant falls under the provisions of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 and prevailing visa rules and immigration regulations.

Pursuant to Sec.14 of Commonwealth Act No. 613, the nationality of a dual citizen applying for an entry visa shall be that of the country in which he/she shall file his application, presenting the travel document/passport issued by that country's appropriate authorities. The assessment and evaluation of a visa application, and the supporting documents that will be required, shall correspond to the purpose of travel and applicable rules for nationals of that particular country under which the alien files his/her visa application.

Site of Visa Application

Visa-required foreign nationals shall lodge their visa applications with the Consular Section of the Philippine Diplomatic or Consular office in their country of origin or place of legal residence, except for citizens of the following countries whose site of application is limited to a particular location pursuant to prevailing Philippine regulations:

Entry of Foreign Travelers Below Fifteen Years of Age

Foreign minor children under fifteen years of age, travelling to the Philippines unaccompanied by or not coming to a parent, are NOT ALLOWED to enter the Philippines under Section 29(a)(12) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

In order to be admitted and excluded from this provision, either parent of the child (or the child's legal guardian) must execute a legal document giving consent that the child will be travelling to the Philippine either alone, or accompanied by a duly-appointed travel companion, along with information on the child's place of residence while in the Philippines, and with whom the child will be staying (if applicable).

This affidavit will then be submitted to Philippine port authorities upon arrival in the Philippines in order to secure a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) for the minor child, regardless if the child needs an entry visa or not.