Travel Requirements

1.  What are travel requirements for Philippine citizens with tourist-purpose visas?

1. Unexpired DFA-issued passport (at least six-months valid)
2. Unexpired visa (if visa-required at final destination); and
3. Return ticket. 

2. When are additional documents required?

Consistent with anti-human trafficking, -human smuggling, and -illegal recruitment laws, additional documents shall be required after (1), when:

a. Passenger discloses a doubtful, false or suspect travel intent;

b. Passports and travel documents/visas are counterfeit, fraudulent, falsified, simulated or tampered; and

1. Passenger’s totality of circumstances manifests a well-founded certainty of human trafficking, smuggling or illegal recruitment.

2.1. What are considered under 2(c)?

1. Age/Health;
2. Educational attainment;
3. Financial capability for travel;
4. Travel history, if any; and
5. Final destination.
   
   

3. What are documents required for sponsored-travel?

a. Philippine Embassy or consulate-authenticated Affidavit of Support with Undertaking showing:

1. 4^th civil degree of consanguinity relationship between sponsor and the passenger, e.g., pinsang buo or affinity, e.g., bayaw/hipag/biyenan);
2. Sponsor’s financial capacity and legal status; and
3. Sponsor’s contact information; and/or

b. Philippine Embassy or consulate-authenticated Affidavit of Support with Undertaking showing:

1. Sponsor’s financial capacity and legal status;
2. Sponsor’s contact details; and

c. Sponsor’s corporate registration papers, if applicable.

d. In cases of a local sponsor traveling with the passenger, a duly notarized Affidavit of Support and Undertaking which shall contain the following:

1. Sponsor’s financial capacity;
2. Sponsor’s undertaking is for passenger’s tourist travel with intent to return;
3. Sponsor’s complete residential address of the sponsor and contact details; and
4. Sponsor’s corporate registration papers, if applicable.
   
   

4. What are OFW travel requirements?

1. Unexpired passport;
2. Unexpired and POEA-conforming visa;
3. Validly-issued travel tickets; and
4. POEA/PESO-database issued E-receipt or OEC.
   
   

5. What are departure requirements for emigrant Philippine citizens?

1. Unexpired passport;
2. Immigrant visa or residence card;
3. CFO-emigrant registration sticker (ERS); and
4. Validly-issued travel ticket.

      The ERS is obtained by:

a)   Registration at Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO); and

b)   Attending the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS).  

• Children of emigrants aged 12 years or below are exempted from attending the PDOS but shall register.
• Children of emigrants aged 13 years or above shall attend the Peer Counseling Program.
  
  

6. When shall a DSWD-travel clearance for travelling Filipino minors be required?

A Filipino minor (below 18 years of age) shall secure a DSWD-issued Travel Clearance if:

1. A Filipino minor is traveling ALONE to a foreign country; or
2. A Filipino minor is traveling to a foreign country accompanied by a person other than his/her parents.

Note: For more information, you may click following link: http://www.dswd.gov.ph/faqs/travel-clearance-for-minors/

7. What are exceptions to the DSWD-issued Travel Clearance?

These minor children shall be exempt from the DSWD-issued Travel Clearance:

1. Those of Philippine Foreign Service or diplomatic corps officials;
2. Those living abroad with Philippine emigrants, subject to child-trafficking regulations;
3. Those with unexpired alien passports;
4. Adopted children, subject to a court-issued adoption order with Certificate of Finality;
5. Illegitimate children with biological mother.  For biological father, subject to proof of lawful custody;
6. Those with proof of unexpired visa for permanent residence outside the Philippines;
7. Those accompanied by a court-appointed guardian, subject to proof  of guardianship;
8. Those accompanied by a solo parent, subject to a Social Welfare Office-issued ID. If illegitimate, subject to a Local Civil Registrar-issued Certificate of No Marriage.

Note: For more information, you may click following link: http://www.dswd.gov.ph/faqs/travel-clearance-for-minors/

 

8. Who must present a Travel Authority?

Employee/Official/Officer	Issuing Authority
Cabinet members and equal-ranked officials	Office of the President
OP-attached GOCC and GFI heads	Office of the President
All OP-attached agency heads	Office of the President
GOCC and GFI officials and employees	GOCC or GFI head
officials and employees of GOCCs and GFIs attached to the Office of the President	Heads of GOCCs and GFIs
Officials and employees of agency heads	Department head
Provincial Governors and Mayors of Highly Urbanized Cities or independent component cities	DILG Secretary
State University and College (SUC) heads	CHED Chairman
Officials and employees of State University and Colleges	Respective SUC heads
Technical and Vocational School (TVS) heads	TESDA Chairman
officials and employees of Technical and Vocational Schools	Respective TVS heads
Government officials and employees traveling abroad while on leave of absence	Respective department heads
Government officials and employees with the rank of Assistant Secretary and above who will travel abroad while on leave of absence	Office of the President

9. What are arrival requirements for Philippine-destined alien tourists?

9.1. For aliens with diplomatic or bilateral agreements with the Philippines:

1. Unexpired passport;
2. Unexpired entry visa; and
3. Validly-issued return ticket.

• Non-visa required aliens shall be admitted an initial 30-days.

9.2. For aliens without bilateral agreements with the Philippines:

Unexpired passport;

1. Unexpired entry visa; and

(Philippine Foreign Post (PFP)-listed highly restricted aliens shall secure visa only at the PFP in their country of origin or legal residence.)

1. Validly-issued return ticket.

Note: The passport shall have at least six months’ validity beyond intended stay, unless the alien belongs to a non-visa required country who may be admitted into the Philippines with less than six months’ valid passports upon arrival and whose embassies/consulate extend or renew their passports in the Philippines.

10. Who are exempt from the “six-month passport validity” rule?

1. Philippine passport holders;
2. Former Filipinos and their dependents (immediate family members);
3. Permanent residents and holders of other special visa categories requiring temporary residents (with valid ACR I-Cards);
4. Passports of recognized foreign-government officials;
5. Visa under CA 613, Sec. 9, except Sec.  9(a), and 47(a)(2)  where visa validity extends beyond passport expiration date, provided, an embassy or consulate is maintained in the Philippines;
6. Those admitted by the Commissioner on humanitarian grounds; and
7. Pursuant to Operations Order No. SBM-2015-026, nationals of the following countries may be admitted into the Philippines with passports of less than six (6) months validity from date of arrival:

 

Angola	Argentina	Australia	Austria	Belgium
Benin	Brazil	Cambodia	Canada	Chile
Cyprus	Czech Republic	Ecuador	France	Germany
Greece	Iceland	Indonesia	Ireland	Isreal
Italy	Japan	Korea	Kuwait	Laos
Mexico	Myanmar	Netherlands	New Zealand	Niger
Norway	Papua New Guinea	Peru	Portugal	Romania
Saudi Arabia	Singapore	Spain	Switzerland	Thailand
Turkey	United Kingdom / GBR	United States of America	Venezuela

 

11. Who are exempt from the return ticket requirement?        

1. Philippine passport holders;
2. Former Filipinos and their dependents (immediate family members);
3. Permanent residents and holders of other special visa categories   requiring temporary residents (with valid ACR I-Cards);      
   1. Passports of recognized foreign-government officials;
   2. Visa under CA 613, Sec. 9, except Sec.  9(a), and 47(a)(2)  where visa validity extends beyond passport expiration date, provided, an embassy or consulate is maintained in the Philippines; and
   3. Those admitted by the Commissioner on humanitarian grounds.

12. Who can enter the Philippines without entry visa?

A. Aliens from these countries may enter the Philippines without a visa, for an initial 30-days: 

1. Andorra 2. Angola 3. Antigua and Barbuda 4. Argentina 5. Australia 6. Austria 7. Bahamas 8. Bahrain 9. Barbados 10. Belgium 11. Belize 12. Benin 13. Bhutan 14. Bolivia 15. Botswana 16. Brazil* 17. Brunei 18. Bulgaria 19. Burkina Faso 20. Burundi 21. Cambodia 22. Cameroon 23. Canada 24. Cape Verde 25. Central African Republic 26. Chad 27. Chile 28. Colombia 29. Comoros 30. Congo 31. Congo, Democratic Republic 32. Costa Rica 33. Cote d’Ivoire 34. Croatia 35. Cyprus 36. Czech Republic 37. Denmark 38. Djibouti 39. Dominica 40. Dominican Republic 41. Ecuador 42. El Salvador 43. Equatorial Guinea 44. Eritrea 45. Estonia 46. Ethiopia 47. Fiji 48. Finland 49. France 50. Gabon 51. Gambia 52. Germany 53. Ghana 54. Greece

55. Grenada 56. Guatemala 57. Guinea 58. Guinea-Bissau 59. Guyana 60. Haiti 61. Honduras 62. Hungary 63. Iceland 64. Indonesia 65. Ireland 66. Israel* 67. Italy 68. Jamaica 69. Japan 70. Kazakhstan 71. Kenya 72. Kiribati 73. Korea (ROK) 74. Kuwait 75. Kyrgyzstan 76. Laos 77. Latvia 78. Lesotho 79. Liberia 80. Liechtenstein 81. Lithuania 82. Luxembourg 83. Madagascar 84. Malawi 85. Malaysia 86. Maldives 87. Mali 88. Malta 89. Marshall Island 90. Mauritania 91. Mauritius 92. Mexico 93. Micronesia 94. Monaco 95. Mongolia 96. Morocco 97. Mozambique 98. Myanmar 99. Namibia 100. Nepal 101. Netherlands 102. New Zealand 103. Nicaragua 104. Niger 105. Norway 106. Oman 107. Palau

108. Panama 109. Papua New Guinea 110. Paraguay 111. Peru 112. Poland 113. Portugal 114. Qatar 115. Romania 116. Russia 117. Rwanda 118. St. Kitts and Nevis 119. Saint Lucia 120. St. Vincent and the Grenadines 121. Samoa 122. San Marino 123. Sao Tome and Principe 124. Saudi Arabia 125. Senegal 126. Seychelles 127. Singapore 128. Slovak Republic 129. Slovenia 130. Solomon Islands 131. South Africa 132. Spain 133. Suriname 134. Swaziland 135. Sweden 136. Switzerland 137. Tanzania 138. Tajikistan 139. Thailand 140. Togo 141. Trinidad and Tobago 142. Tunisia 143. Turkey 144. Turkmenistan 145. Tuvalu 146. Uganda 147. United Arab Emirates 148. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 149. United States of America 150. Uruguay 151. Uzbekistan 152. Vanuatu 153. Vatican 154. Venezuela 155. Vietnam 156. Zambia 157. Zimbabwe

*Brazilians and Israelis are given 59-day stay based on existing agreements.

B. Indians may be granted a visa-free entry for an initial stay not exceeding 14 days under the Foreign Service Circular No. 36-12, provided, that they possess:

• Unexpired US, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or UK visa or permanent residence permit;
• A national passport valid at least six (6) months beyond the contemplated stay;
• Return or onward ticket to the next country of destination;
• No Bureau of Immigration (BI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the International Police (Interpol) derogatory record.

The 14-day visa-free entry may be extended by an additional seven days for a maximum 21 days.

C. Under Foreign Service Circular (FSC) No. 112-11, the following may enter the Philippines for an initial stay not exceeding seven days provided that they possess a return or onward ticket:

• Holders of Hong Kong British passports; and
• Mainland Chinese for tourism with a unexpired Australian, Japanese, Canadian, Schengen or US visa.

Seven-day visa-free entry may be extended by an additional 14 days to complete a maximum 21 days.

HK-SAR passport holders may enter the Philippines for an initial 14 days.

D.  Under FSC 122-11, Macau-SAR passport holders may enter the Philippines for an initial 14 days, provided, that they possess a return or onward ticket.

E.   Under Operations Order No. SBM-2015-018, MECO ETA holders may enter the Philippines for an initial 30 days.