MENU
Certain nationalities are admissible to the Philippines to travel without an entry visa as temporary visitors under various conditions and privileges granted by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines such as Executive Order No.408 and the Balikbayan Program among others.
 
Temporary visits refer to periods of stay generally not exceeding fifty-nine (59) days for purposes of attendance to conferences, business meetings, participation in workshops/seminars, medical treatment, and travels of a personal nature for leisure/pleasure such as tourism and sightseeing, visiting relatives and/or friends, individual recreation and amusement.
 
Foreign minor children below fifteen years of age travelling to the Philippines alone, or unaccompanied by either parent need to secure a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) issued by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration before they can be admitted to the Philippines. Their parents/legal guardian need to execute a legal document (affidavit) in order to apply for a WEG issued by the Bureau of Immigration.
 
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 408 S.1960 (FSC No.157-2016 Sec.H)
 
Nationals of the countries listed below who are traveling to the Philippines for business or tourism purposes are allowed to enter the Philippines without visas for a stay not exceeding thirty (30) days, provided (1) they hold valid tickets for their return journey to port of origin or to their next port of destination, and (2) their passports are valid for a period of six (6) months beyond their contemplated period of stay in the Philippines.
 

Country Name

Country Name

Country Name

Country Name

1

Andorra

41

Ecuador

81

Lithuania

121

Sao Tome and Principe

2

Angola

42

El Salvador

82

Luxembourg

122

Saudi Arabia

3

Antigua and Barbuda

43

Equatorial Guinea

83

Madagascar

123

Senegal

4

Argentina

44

Eritrea

84

Malaysia

124

Seycheles

5

Australia

45

Estonia

85

Malawi

125

Singapore

6

Austria

46

Ethiopia

86

Maldives

126

Slovak Republic

7

Bahamas

47

Fiji

87

Mali

127

Slovenia

8

Bahrain

48

Finland

88

Malta

128

Solomon Islands

9

Barbados

49

France

89

Marshall Island

129

South Africa

10

Belgium

50

Gabon

90

Mauritania

130

Spain

11

Belize

51

Gambia

91

Mauritius

131

St. Kitts & Nevis

12

Benin

52

Germany

92

Mexico

132

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

13

Bhutan

53

Ghana

93

Micronesia

133

Suriname

14

Bolivia

54

Greece

94

Monaco

134

Swaziland

15

Botswana

55

Grenada

95

Mongolia

135

Sweden

16

Brazil**

56

Guatemala

96

Morocco

136

Switzerland

17

Brunei

57

Guinea

97

Mozambique

137

Tajikistan

18

Bulgaria

58

Guinea-Bissau

98

Myanmar

138

Tanzania

19

Burkina Faso

59

Guyana

99

Namibia

139

Thailand

20

Burundi

60

Haiti

100

Nepal

140

Togo

21

Cambodia

61

Honduras

101

Netherlands

141

Trinidad and Tobago

22

Cameroon

62

Hungary

102

New Zealand

142

Tunisia

23

Canada

63

Iceland

103

Nicaragua

143

Turkey

24

Cape Verde

64

Indonesia

104

Niger

144

Turkmenistan

25

Central African Republic

65

Ireland

105

Norway

145

Tuvalu

26

Chad

66

Israel**

106

Oman

146

Uganda

27

Chile

67

Italy

107

Palau

147

United Arab Emirates

28

Colombia

68

Jamaica

108

Panama

148

United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

29

Comoros

69

Japan

109

Papua New Guinea

149

United States of America

30

Congo

70

Kazakhstan

110

Paraguay

150

Uruguay

31

Congo, Democratic Republic

71

Kenya

111

Peru

151

Uzbekistan

32

Costa Rica

72

Kiribati

112

Poland

152

Vanuatu

33

Cote d' Ivoire

73

Korea (ROK)

113

Portugal

153

Vatican

34

Croatia

74

Kuwait

114

Qatar

154

Venezuela

35

Cyprus

75

Kyrgyzstan

115

Romania

155

Vietnam

36

Czech Republic

76

Laos

116

Russia

156

Zambia

37

Denmark

77

Latvia

117

Rwanda

157

Zimbabwe

38

Djibouti

78

Lesotho

118

Saint Lucia

39

Dominica

79

Liberia

119

Samoa

40

Dominican Republic

80

Liechtenstein

120

San Marino

 
** Nationals of Israel and Brazil are visa-free for a period of stay not exceeding 59 days from entry, pursuant to existing bilateral agreements with the Philippines.
 
Upon arrival in the Philippines, citizens of the above-listed countries who wish to stay longer than thirty (30) days can apply for an extension of their period of stay at the nearest Bureau of Immigration office. Alternatively, they can submit an application for a temporary visitor's visa at the Consular Section prior to their departure from Indonesia.
 
All other foreign travelers with passports and travel documents issued by other countries not listed above need to secure an appropriate entry visa before travelling to the Philippines.
 
BALIKBAYAN PROGRAM
 
The Philippines has instituted the Balikbayan Program (through Republic Act 6768), under the administration of the Department of Tourism to attract and encourage overseas Filipinos to come and visit their country of birth.
 
Under this program, Balikbayans (overseas Filipinos and former Filipino citizens who had been naturalized as a citizen of a foreign country), including their spouse and unmarried children, can avail of certain benefits and privileges when they visit / return to the Philippines. The privileges include the following:
  1. Tax-free maximum purchase in the amount of one thousand United States dollars (US$1,000.00) or its equivalent in other acceptable foreign currencies at Philippine duty-free shops subject to certain limitations as specified in Section 4 of RA 6768;
  2. For foreign passport holders with the exception of certain nationals*, visa-free entry to the Philippines for a period of one (1) year;
  3. Travel tax exemption as provided under Presidential Decree No. 1183, Executive Order No. 283, and other allied laws;
To avail of the visa-free entry with an allowed period of stay of up to one year, the foreign spouse and/or child of the overseas Filipino/former Filipino must observe the following requirements:
  1. Must travel together with the Filipino or former Filipino spouse or parent;
  2. Must travel with a valid passport with a period of validity not less than six months beyond the contemplated period of stay in the Philippines;
  3. Must be able to present a return ticket to country of origin or next country of destination;
  4. Must be able to show proof of blood relations to the overseas Filipino/former Filipino spouse or parent (i.e. NSO Marriage Contract / Report of Marriage, Report of Birth / Foreign Birth Certificate with English translation, etc.) to the satisfaction of the immigration authorities at the port of entry.
The overseas Filipino/former Filipino must be able to show proof of current Philippine citizenship (i.e. valid Philippine passport) or former Philippine citizenship as applicable (i.e. NSO Birth Certificate, old Philippine passport etc.) to the satisfaction of the immigration port authorities.
 
*IMPORTANT NOTE:
  • The term “balikbayan” shall mean a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year, a Filipino overseas worker, or a former Filipino citizen and his family, as this term is defined hereunder, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines; and
  • The term “family” shall mean the spouse and the children of the balikbayan who are not balikbayans in their own right traveling with the latter to the Philippines.
  • *Family members of balikbayans as well as former Philippine citizens who acquired the citizenship of countries NOT LISTED under EO 408 are not entitled to the Balikbayan privilege. THEY MUST SECURE APPROPRIATE ENTRY VISAS PRIOR TO THEIR TRAVEL TO THE PHILIPPINES.
  • Furthermore, nationals who are subjects of deportation/blacklist orders of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration are not covered by the Balikbayan privilege.