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Visa & Entry to the Philippines β The Big Guide: Anyone who wants to visit Cebu or the Philippines in general should first find out about the countryβs entry requirements. In this regularly updated guide you will learn everything about Philippine visas, visa-free entry and extending your stay on the ground.
Table of Contents
Entry to the Philippines β Current Rules
As of 09/2024
| COVID-19 | β no restrictions |
| Registration before entry | β οΈ Required via the eTravel portal! |
| Visa-free entry | β Citizens of DE, AT, CH β 30 days |
| Extension on the ground | β Yes, stays of up to 36 months are possible |
INFO: The website of Philippine Immigration is currently not reachable from Germany and always shows error messages. With a Philippine IP address or via VPN* it does work, and all e-services are available as usual!
Entry to the Philippines β Documents
Entry into the Philippines is currently possible with the following documents:
- Passport
- Temporary passport
- Childβs passport
Entry with a national ID card is not possible. All documents should be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your planned trip.
Covid-19 Rules & Documents
There are currently no entry restrictions with regard to COVID-19. Before departure, however, every traveler must register via the eTravel portal of the Philippine Department of Health. Registration is free of charge and may be completed no earlier than 72 hours before arrival.
After registering you receive a QR code, which you should save, for example as a screenshot on your smartphone. Airlines check the eTravel registration before departure or it is checked on arrival in the Philippines.
As of 12/2023, unvaccinated travelers can also enter without restrictions, provided they have registered via the eTravel portal. Anyone who has had at least two COVID-19 vaccinations, with the most recent one at least 14 days before entry, is considered fully vaccinated.
Visa Waiver β Visa-Free Entry to the Philippines
Germans, Austrians and Swiss citizens can enter the Philippines visa-free on presentation of their passport.
This entitles you to a stay of 30 days. You are required to present a return or onward ticket within those 30 days, and this is checked in most cases. If you plan to stay longer in the Philippines and extend on the ground, it is advisable to buy a throwaway ticket for just a few euros*. That way you get a genuinely booked ticket that is automatically cancelled again. Alternatively you can also book the cheapest flight out of the country (for example to Hong Kong) and let it expire.
In addition, the passport must still be valid for 6 months beyond the date of your planned departure.
A visa-free stay can be extended on the ground for a fee. More on that below.
Please note: The 30-day stay includes the day of entry and the day of departure! If you overstay the 30 days, high fines may be imposed.
- 30-day stay
- Free of charge
- Present a return ticket within 30 days on entry!
Extending a Visa-Free Stay
A visa-free stay in the Philippines can be extended without any problem. The first extension is valid for 29 days, after which further extensions can be made. In total, you can easily stay in the Philippines for 59 days this way.
The extension can be done in person at an Immigration office. Alternatively, an agency can handle the visit to Immigration for you. The first extension of a visa-free stay can now also be applied for and paid for online. You then receive confirmation of the extension by email.
Tip: The Immigration website (see the link above) can only be reached from Germany via a VPN. Otherwise the site will not load. Just activate a VPN* and set the country to the Philippines, then you can use the website without any problems.
After the first extension of your stay, further extensions are possible as follows:
- Visa-free entry β 30 days (free of charge)
- First extension β 29 days possible (around 4,400 PHP) β via the online portal
- Second extension β 60 days possible (around 4,900 PHP) β NOT via the online portal
- Third extension β 1 month, 2 months or 6 months possible (around 4,400β11,500 PHP) β NOT via the online portal
Overall, you can therefore stay in the Philippines long-term. Extensions are possible for up to 36 months. After that you have to leave the Philippines briefly and can start the process again from the beginning.
Philippines Visa
A wide range of visas is available in the Philippines. In the following sections we only cover the most important visa types for expats and tourists.
The following GENERAL documents must be submitted when applying for a visa. The additional documents specific to each visa type are then listed under the respective categories:
- Application form
- Passport (valid for 6 months beyond the planned stay)
- Flight ticket or travel itinerary
- National ID card for German citizens, or a residence permit for citizens of other nations.
- Proof of a complete COVID-19 vaccination in the form of a copy of the EU COVID certificate.
Please note that the documents required can vary slightly depending on the embassy.
Temporary Visitor: Tourist Visa & Business Visa
Visa category 9(a) is the one that is most relevant for most visitors to the Philippines. Category 9(a) visas entitle you to a 59-day stay in the Philippines. The visa is valid for one year and may cover one or more entries. That means that within the visaβs validity you may enter the Philippines several times for 59 days at a time. An extension of the stay is possible on the ground.
The Temporary Visitor Visa is divided into the following sub-categories β we have also listed the specific conditions for each application:
9(a-1) β Business Visitors
(Entrepreneurs)
- A duly notarized letter of invitation from a Philippine government or private institution, or an endorsement from a chamber of commerce (recognized by the government of the host country) in the country where the company is based.
- Hotel booking or proof of accommodation
(For employees)
- Certificate of employment or a notarized letter of guarantee from the company / sponsor
- A duly notarized letter of invitation from the Philippine government / a private institution
- A confirmation letter from the applicantβs company
- Hotel booking or proof of accommodation
9(a-2) β Tourism Visitors
- Proof of financial capacity: e.g. the latest bank statement showing savings, payslips for the last 3 months, a certificate of employment with salary, proof of business income for the self-employed, or a pension statement for the last 3 months for retirees
- Hotel booking or proof of accommodation
Further visas in category 9(a): a-3 Medical Treatment, a-4 Seafarers, a-5 Filmmakers, a-6 Journalists, a-7 Athletes, a-8 Other purposes
You can download a list of the requirements hereβ¦
Balikbayan Visa
The Balikbayan visa is aimed at former Philippine citizens and overseas workers. With the Balikbayan Privilege you are automatically granted a stay of 1 year on entry. This stay can be extended on the ground by 1 month, 2 months or 6 months. The extension must be done through an agency or the Immigration offices. The stay can be extended this way for up to 36 months.
Children and spouses of other nationalities can also receive the Balikbayan visa. The following conditions must be met on entry.
Entry together with a Filipino citizen and, in addition
- For the spouse: a copy of the marriage certificate
- For children: a copy of the birth certificate (naming the Balikbayan as a parent)
- For adopted children: a copy of the adoption papers (with the Balikbayan as the adoptive parent)
In addition, children and spouses must be citizens of selected countries. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are among them.
Immigrant Visa β Filipino Spouses
The immigrant visa is aimed at children and spouses of Philippine citizens and allows them to live in the Philippines on a permanent basis.
13(A) β Spouse of Filipino National
An immigrant visa issued to the wife or husband, or to an unmarried child under 21, of a Philippine citizen. The visa allows a permanent stay in the Philippines. The first issue is valid for 1 year. The visa can then be extended for 5 years. The third extension is then valid for 10 years, and from the fourth extension it is issued with unlimited validity and the possibility of naturalization.
The following requirements must be met for the 13(A) visa:
- Application form (completed in triplicate)
- 9 passport photos from the last 6 months
- Passport valid for at least one year
- 3 copies of the passport page with the photo
- Police clearance certificate (translated into English and certified) + 2 certified copies
- Proof of finances: e.g. bank statements, pension notices, land and property titles
- Marriage certificate with a Philippine citizen
- Spouseβs passport + 3 copies
- Medical report (form FA11) in the original + 2 copies β not older than 6 months
- Visa fees: currently 192.50β¬
Special Resident Retireeβs Visa (SRRV) Retirement Visa
The retirement visa is available to people who want to spend their retirement in the Philippines and entitles them to a permanent stay in the country.
There are different tiers:
- Smile: Age 35β49: 20,000 USD (1 million PHP) β a deposit in a Filipino bank is required. Renewable annually as long as the money remains in the account.
- Classic: Age 50 and above: 10,000 USD bank deposit with a pension income of at least 800 USD per month, or 20,000 USD without a pension income.
- Human Touch: For sick retirees aged 50 and over who need medical care: 10,000 USD bank deposit + 1,500 USD monthly pension + health insurance. The following documents and requirements must be met:
- Original valid passport with a valid/updated temporary visitor visa
- Completed PRA application form
- Original valid medical certificate
- Original valid police clearance from the country of origin and an additional NBI clearance if the applicant has been in the Philippines for more than 30 days since the last date of entry
- Photos (8 pieces, 2β³x2β³)
- SRR visa deposit
- Fees \
Processing/service (one-time) \
1,400.00 US dollars principal applicant \
300.00 US dollars dependent applicant \
Annual fee of 360.00 US dollars - marriage certificate if a dependent spouse is joining \
Birth certificate if a dependent child is joining.
Please note: We found conflicting information about the age limits. We are not sure whether applicants under 50 are still being accepted at the moment.
Extending a Philippines Visa
An extension of most visa types, including visa-free entry and the 9(a) tourist / business visa, is possible in the Philippines without any problem. Agencies can also handle the process for you, which saves you filling in the paperwork. You also then do not have to appear in person at the Immigration offices.
If you want to do everything yourself, you can simply go to a local Immigration office and arrange the extension there. There are offices in every larger city such as Manila, Cebu, Davao and so on.
For some extensions (for example a 6-month extension of stay), only the office in Manila is responsible. You either have to travel there or hire an agency.
Anyone who extends a tourist visa, or who stays in the Philippines for more than 59 days on the basis of visa-free entry, must apply for the so-called ACR Card (a Filipino ID for foreigners). The ACR Card can also be issued through an agency, or you can arrange it yourself at the Immigration offices.
Some visa types can now already be extended online. More information on that in the next section.
E-Visa Services Philippines
The newly introduced e-services for visas in the Philippines make it possible to extend a visa quickly and conveniently. Unfortunately, initial visas cannot yet be applied for via the portal; the functions are limited to extensions only.
The following visas can be extended online via the portal:
- Visa Waiver (visa-free entry)
- Tourist Visa (tourist and business visa)
To do this, simply fill in the form on the portal and you will then receive confirmation of the extension by email.
A visa-free entry can only be extended once, for a further 29 days, via the e-portal. Only one online extension is possible per entry; after that you have to have further extensions handled by an agency or go to the Immigration offices yourself.
Tourist visas can, as we understand it, be extended as often as you like (up to the 36-month limit) via the e-portal. The ACR Card can also be issued via the portal. The ACR Card is then delivered by courier.
Please note: The information on Philippine entry requirements has been thoroughly researched and is regularly reviewed and updated. Even so, rule changes may have taken place that are not reflected in this guide. The article is therefore provided without guarantee.
Philippines entry requirements β conclusion: Entering the Philippines and staying long-term is absolutely no problem. Even without going through a complicated visa application, you can spend a very long time in the country. The Philippines is therefore a very traveler-friendly country, and considerably less bureaucratic to visit for a long period than, for example, Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia.
Do you still have questions about entry, visas or the entry requirements for the Philippines? Feel free to leave a comment!
Sources: German Federal Foreign Office, Philippines Immigration, Philippine Embassy in Germany, SRRV Retirement Authority