Visa policy of the Philippines
Encyclopedia
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), although visas are issued under the sole prerogative of the BI.
Generally, foreign nationals who wish to enter the Philippines require a visa unless:
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.
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
policy of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
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
Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked to contribute to the enhancement of national security and the protection of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty, to participate in the national endeavor of sustaining...
(DFA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI), although visas are issued under the sole prerogative of the BI.
Generally, foreign nationals who wish to enter the Philippines require a visa unless:
- He/she is a citizen of the Association of Southeast Asian NationsAssociation of Southeast Asian NationsThe Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN rarely ), is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has...
(ASEAN) - He/she is a citizen of a non-ASEAN member country whose nationals are allowed to enter the Philippines visa-free
- He/she is a balikbayan and is only returning to the Philippines temporarily
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
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
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
| Visa | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9(A) | Non-immigrant | Pleasure, business or health |
| 9(B) | Transit | |
| 9(C) | Seaman on a ship docking in a port of entry in the Philippines | |
| 9(D) | Treaty traders and investors | |
| 9(E) | Foreign government officials and their dependents, assistants and employees | |
| 9(F) | Students | |
| 9(G) | Pre-arranged employees and their dependents | |
| 13(A) | Immigrant | 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 parent. | |
| 13(D) | Women who lost Filipino citizenship by virtue of marriage to a foreign spouse, and her unmarried children (below 21). | |
| 13(E) | Permanent residents returning to the Philippines from a temporary visit abroad to resume permanent residence. | |
| 13(F) | The spouse or unmarried child (below 21) of a permanent resident prior to the passage of the Philippine Immigration Act. | |
| 13(G) | Natural-born Filipinos and their dependents who have naturalized in a foreign country and wish to permanently reside in the Philippines. Contrary to the other visas classified under the Philippine Immigration Act, the Section 13(G) visa was provided for under Republic Act No. 4376, passed in 1965. | |
| SIRV | Special | 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 Philippine Stock Exchange The Philippine Stock Exchange is the national stock exchange of the Philippines. It is one of the oldest stock exchanges in Southeast Asia, having been in continuous operation since its inception in 1927... . This visa is issued by the BI in coordination with the Board of Investments. |
| SVEG | 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 | 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. |