Overview of Philippines Visa and Foreign Exchange Policy

IMMIGRATION AND VISAS

Passport Requirements

All travelers except the following require a passport:

1. Travelers with a Special Return Certificate in grey, which is given to international residents of the Philippines.

2. Travelers with Kinderausweis, a German identity document issued to children provided it contains a photo of the child.

3. Travelers with a Chinese Taipei Certificate of Identity.

4. Travelers with a Residence or Re-entry permit of the Philippines, such as an Alien Certificate of Registration known as I-Card.

5. Travelers with a Seaman Book.

6. Travelers with a Laissez-Passer which is issued by the United Nations.

Document Validity

Passports and alternative papers, or either of them, must be valid for at least six months after the period of the intended visit.

• Citizens of the Philippines may enter with passports that must be valid on the day of arrival.
• Residents of the Philippines may enter with travel papers that have to be valid upon arrival.

Passports valid for less than six months but not expired may be accepted at the judgments of the immigration officer as long as there is a consulate or embassy of the home country of the traveler in the Philippines where the passport can be replaced with a new passport, extended or renewed. In this case, the intended visit should not exceed the period remaining of the passport validity.

Visa Issuance

1. before arrival: Travelers are kindly requested to contact the nearest representation of the Philippines.

2. upon arriving: if necessary, a visa can be issued for a stay up to a maximum of 59 days.

Visa Exemptions

All travelers must hold a visa except the following:

1. Citizens of the Philippines.

2. Travelers with diplomatic passports, traveling on duty provided they are citizens of Laos or Spain.

3. Travelers staying for up to no more than seven days if they have one of the following:

• Portuguese passports are issued to residents of Macao.
• British passports endorsed ‘British National (Overseas)’ that are issued in Hong Kong.
• Passports issued by Hong Kong (A Special Administrative Region of China) or Macao (A Special Administrative Region of China).

4. Travelers with official passports, diplomatic and service passports; this exemption applies to:

• Diplomatists of Vatican City, who take up their positions at the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila.
• Travelers staying for no more than 30 days and are citizens of Bolivia, Myanmar, and Turkey.

5. Travelers staying for no more than 59 days and are citizens of Mexico or Brazil.

6. Travelers with service passports, diplomatic passports, or official passports/travel document provided they are traveling on duty and are:

Citizens of Brunei, Chile, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Republic of Korea, Panama, Poland, Romania, Peru, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela, Tunisia, or Vietnam;

7. Citizens of Cuba and Croatia with service passports, official passports, or diplomatic passports provided they are traveling on duty.

8. Travelers with a grey-colored Special Return Certificate that is issued to foreign residents of the Philippines.

9. Travelers with a Business Travel Card issued by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which is valid for travel to the Philippines with the label’ “o’ the back of the card along with a national passport/travel document.

10. Travelers with diplomatic passports, official passports, service passports, or special passports traveling on duty; this exemption applies to:

• Citizens of Slovenia staying for no more than 90 days.
• Citizens of Cambodia staying for no more than 30 days.
• Citizens of Iran staying for no more than 30 days.

11. Citizens of the People’s Republic of China with service, diplomatic or official passports staying for no more than 30 days and traveling on duty.

12. Travelers staying for no more than 21 days.

13. Travelers with a Residence or Re-entry permit of the Philippines, such as an Alien Certificate of Registration, known as I-Card.

The exemptions are mentioned above do not apply to the following:

Citizens of Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Belize, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Egypt, India, Jordon, Kazakhstan, Democratic People’s republic of Korea, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Montenegro, Lebanon, Nauru, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Republic of Serbia, Sudan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Tango, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Uzbekistan, or the Republic of Yemen.

• Travelers with Palestinian travel papers.
• Travelers with Chinese Taipei passports.
• Citizens of the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Iran, and Croatia (unless listed under visa exemptions).

14. Travelers who can prove that they are former citizens of the Philippines will be admitted to stay for no more than one year provided they have a ‘Ba’ikbayan status stamped in passport on arrival in the Philippines.

15. Indian nationals with official and diplomatic passports/travel documents staying for no more than 30 days.

TWOV (Transit without Visa)

1. TWOV (Transit without Visa) is permissible for travelers continuing their trip towards a third country with the same plane within 24 hours, provided they must have tickets with confirmed reservations and all necessary documents for their next trip and not allowed to leave the airport.

2. TWOV (Transit without Visa) does not apply to refugees and people without nationality/citizenship.

Additional information

1. Travelers must have enough money to cover the expenses of their visit, tickets, and papers required for their return or onward trip.

2. The period of the visit is calculated beginning from the next day after the day of arrival in the Philippines.

3. Visa exemption extending the visit to 21 days is possible for united states citizens once they are admitted to the Philippines via reporting to the Bureau of Immigration in Manila. Fees vary according to the reason for the visa extension and the number of days requested for the extension.

Warnings

If travelers may not comply with visa requirements, this will result in a fine of PHP 50,000 and, at the expense of the airline, the expulsion of travelers to their home country.

CUSTOMS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE

There are no restrictions on importing the following:

1. All travelers aged 18 years old and more are allowed duty-free export only once per year for each traveler:

• two bottles alcoholic drinks, each not more than one liter
• 250 grams of pipe tobacco or 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars
• One non-consumable commodity with a maximum value.200 USD

2. Once a year, the following categories of travelers may import duty-free Objects as specified below

• returning residents who have stayed out of the Philippines for more than six months can import electrical appliances or used electronic items for personal use up to the value of PHP 10,000.
• Contract workers are permitted to import used personal effects up to a value of PHP 10,000 and used home appliances limited to 1 of each kind, up to a value of PHP 10,000.

The following items are prohibited:

• Impure and misbranded drugs, or either of them and foodstuffs
• Items of silver, gold, and valuable metals without indication of actual quality
• An import permit is required for importing all fruits, vegetables, plants, and planting materials regardless of quantity if they are not accompanied by valid quarantine papers
• Drugs or substances used for contraception
• Printed materials that may be indecent, pornographic, or subversive
• Explosives, firearms and firearm parts, replicas and ammunition

Export regulations

Travelers aged 18 years old or more are allowed free import of:

• 1 quart of alcoholic drinks
• 500 grams of tobacco or 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars.

Pets

 All animals must be accompanied by:

• A prior import permit that can be obtained from the Bureau of Animal Industry.

• Cats and dogs must also have a certificate of vaccination against rabies issued in the home country.
• A veterinary certificate of good health which is issued in the home country stating that animals have not been exposed to the transmittable disease. Pet animals may enter as cargo, as traveler’s checked luggage, or in the cabin.

Baggage Clearance regulations

A traveler’s luggage should be cleared at the first port of entry in the Philippines. No matter where the baggage is labeled on the airplane.

Exemptions:

Travelers in the transit area whose destination is outside the Philippines.

Airport tax

A Traveler Terminal Fee is imposed on all travelers departing on:

Domestic flights: PHP 200.

International flights including a security fee: PHP 550.

Place of payment: airport of departure.

Exemptions:

1. Crew members.

2. Children aged less than two years old.

3. Transit travelers are staying in the transit area without leaving the airport.

Currency Import regulations

It is permitted for residents and non-residents to import local currency (Philippine Peso- PHP) up to sums of PHP 50,000. Any extra amounts require a permit from the Central Bank of the Philippines, and it is allowed to import foreign currencies up to USD 10,000 or its equivalent. However, the traveler must declare any extra amounts higher than USD 10,000 or its equivalent.

The information must be given on the source and purpose of the transport of such sums of money. If travelers do not abide by these rules, they will be subject to penalties under the Philippine Customs Regulations and law.

It is necessary to declare only banknotes and coins, which can be used as an official medium of payment. Other methods, such as traveler’s checks and credit cards, may not be declared.

Currency Export regulations

It is permitted for residents and non-residents to export local currency (Philippine Peso- PHP) up to sums of PHP 50,000. Any additional sums require a permit from the Philippine Central Bank, and foreign currencies of up to USD 10,000 or equivalent can be exported. However, the traveler must declare any extra amounts higher than USD 10,000 or its equivalent.

The information must be given on the source and purpose of the transport of such sums of money. If travelers do not abide by these rules, they will be subject to penalties under the Philippine Customs Regulations and law.

Only banknotes and coins which can be used as the official means of payment must be declared. Other methods, such as traveler’s checks and credit cards, may not be declared.