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Do you need a visa for the Philippines?
Most visitors don't need a visa to enter the Philippines. Nationals of 157 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, the EU, Japan, Korea and Russia, get 30 days visa-free on arrival, and Brazilians and Israelis get 59 days. Indian and Chinese nationals get 14 days that cannot be extended, Chinese only through NAIA or Mactan-Cebu. Every visitor needs a passport valid six months beyond the stay, a return or onward ticket and a free eTravel registration.
Philippines entry rules at a glance
| Visa-free stay | 30 days for 157 nationalities; 59 days for Brazil and Israel |
|---|---|
| Shorter visa-free stays | 14 days: India, China (since 16 January 2026), Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau SAR |
| First extension | 29-day visa waiver at the Bureau of Immigration, ₱3,030, to reach 59 days |
| Longest stay | 36 months in all for visa-exempt nationals, by successive extensions |
| Passport and ticket | Valid six months beyond the stay, plus a return or onward ticket |
| eTravel | Free, at etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app, within 72 hours of arrival |
Visa-free days by passport in 2026
30 days. Nationals of 157 countries are admitted for an initial 30 days under Executive Order 408, as amended. The list covers all of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Gulf states, Turkey and Israel, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, almost all of Latin America and much of Africa, from Morocco and Senegal to Kenya and South Africa.
59 days. Brazil and Israel, under bilateral agreements.
14 days, and no extension. Indian nationals, since 8 June 2025, with a passport valid six months beyond the stay, a confirmed hotel booking, proof of funds and a return or onward ticket. Chinese nationals, since 16 January 2026, on the same conditions, but only through NAIA in Manila or Mactan-Cebu. A Chinese passport flying into Clark, Kalibo, Panglao or Puerto Princesa still needs a visa.
Other 14-day entries. Taiwan passports, extended until 30 June 2027, and Hong Kong and Macau SAR passports. Indian nationals holding a valid US, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or UK visa or residence permit get 30 days, not extendible.
Not on the list. Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Cuba are among the countries whose nationals need a visa before they fly.
At the airport: passport, onward ticket and eTravel
Passport. Valid for at least six months beyond the day you plan to leave. The airline can ask to see it at check-in as well as the immigration officer.
Return or onward ticket. A flight out of the Philippines, to home or to a third country, is a written condition of visa-free entry. A domestic flight or a ferry between islands does not count.
eTravel. Register at etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app within 72 hours before arrival, and again before departure. It is free. The Bureau of Immigration has repeatedly warned about look-alike sites that charge for it.
Arriving at a smaller airport. Kalibo takes flights from Seoul and Panglao from Seoul and Busan, so the same rules apply there as in Manila, except for the Chinese visa-free entry, which is limited to NAIA and Mactan-Cebu.
Staying longer than 30 days: extension fees
The 29-day visa waiver. The first extension takes a 30-day stay to 59 days. On the Bureau of Immigration's fee table it costs ₱3,030 in all: ₱500 for the waiver, ₱1,000 application fee, ₱500 certification, ₱1,000 express fee and ₱30 in legal research fees.
Beyond 59 days. You register as an alien and get an ACR I-Card, which costs US$50 plus a ₱500 express fee. The extension itself is ₱4,400 for one month or ₱4,900 for two for an adult, ₱4,150 or ₱4,650 between 14 and 16, and ₱3,150 or ₱3,650 under 14.
After that. Each further extension is ₱2,430 for one month or ₱2,930 for two. From the seventh month a Certificate of Residence is added, at ₱3,840 for one month or ₱4,340 for two.
The limit. Visa-exempt nationals can extend up to 36 months in all, visa-required nationals up to 24.
Where to do it. Online through the eServices portal, e-services.immigration.gov.ph, or at a Bureau of Immigration office. There are field offices in Boracay, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete, Surigao, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo, and a one-stop shop at Clark.
What cannot be extended. The 14-day entries for Indian and Chinese nationals, the 30-day entry for Indians with a third-country visa, and any e-Visa.
Leaving after six months or more. You need an Emigration Clearance Certificate from the Bureau of Immigration before you fly out. An overstay costs ₱500 per month in fines on top of the missed extension fees.
If your passport needs a visa: the e-Visa
Visitors whose nationality is not on the visa-free list apply for a temporary visitor visa, 9(a), through a Philippine embassy or consulate, or online at evisa.gov.ph where their country of residence is covered. Residents of the United States and of Caribbean countries including Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas could apply online from 10 August 2026.
What to expect. A passport valid six months beyond your departure, electronic or machine-readable; handwritten passports are refused. The issued e-Visa is shown on a phone or on paper instead of a sticker in the passport. Register on eTravel only after it has been issued, within 72 hours of the flight.
What it does not do. An e-Visa cannot be extended or converted to another visa, and admission is still decided by the immigration officer on arrival.
Philippines visa questions travellers ask
How many days can I stay in the Philippines without a visa?
Thirty days if your passport is on the visa-free list of 157 countries, 59 days for Brazilian and Israeli passports. Indian, Chinese and Taiwanese passports get 14 days.
Can I extend the 14-day visa-free stay for Indian or Chinese nationals?
No. Both are non-extendible and cannot be converted to another visa. For a longer trip, apply for a visa before you travel. Indian nationals holding a valid US, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or UK visa or residence permit get 30 days instead, also not extendible.
Can Chinese visitors enter visa-free at Clark, Kalibo or Panglao?
No. The 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals applies only at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport. A flight into any other airport needs a visa, and so does a transit through the Philippines to a third country.
Do I really need an onward ticket to enter the Philippines?
Yes. The Department of Foreign Affairs makes a return ticket to your country or an onward ticket to your next destination a condition of visa-free entry, and the airline can ask to see it at check-in. A ferry or a domestic flight inside the Philippines does not count.
How much does it cost to extend a Philippine tourist visa?
The Bureau of Immigration's fee table puts the 29-day visa waiver at ₱3,030 in total. Past 59 days, an adult pays ₱4,400 for one more month or ₱4,900 for two, plus US$50 for the ACR I-Card and a ₱500 express fee for the card. Later extensions cost ₱2,430 for one month or ₱2,930 for two.
Can I extend my visa online?
Yes. The Bureau of Immigration runs its eServices portal at e-services.immigration.gov.ph for extensions and other applications, and it stayed open when the Siargao field office was closed by typhoon damage.
Where are the Bureau of Immigration offices near the islands?
Field and district offices include Boracay, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete, Surigao, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and the Clark one-stop shop, as well as the main office in Manila. Not every office handles every application; the online portal avoids the trip.
What happens if I overstay my visa in the Philippines?
You pay the extension you missed, a fine of ₱500 per month and ₱500 for a motion for reconsideration. Overstaying beyond six months, or past the 36-month maximum, goes through a formal motion for reconsideration before anything else can be processed.
Do I need an exit clearance to leave the Philippines?
Only after a long stay. Tourist visa holders who have been in the country for six months or more need an Emigration Clearance Certificate from the Bureau of Immigration before they fly out.
Is eTravel free, and when do I fill it in?
It is free. Register at etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app within the 72 hours before you arrive, and again before you leave. Sites that charge a fee for it are not the government's.
Does the Philippines have a digital nomad visa?
One was created by Executive Order 86 in April 2025, for up to a year and renewable once. 2026 reports agree that by September 2026 there was still no application route, and the e-Visa portal lists no such visa, so remote workers enter visa-free and extend.
Can I apply for a Philippine visa online?
Where your country of residence is covered, yes, at evisa.gov.ph. Residents of the United States and several Caribbean countries could apply there from 10 August 2026. An e-Visa cannot be extended or converted, and you register on eTravel only once it has been issued.