VISA CATEGORIES AND REQUIREMENTS
Documentary requirements vary depending on the type of visa. Check which visa type applies to your travel. Note that the Visa Officer has the right to ask for any additional documents that may be deemed necessary.
NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS
9(A) – Temporary Visitors
A foreign tourist is defined as a person without distinction as to race, gender, language or religion, who is proceeding to the Philippines for a legitimate, non-immigrant purpose such as sightseeing, sports, health, family reasons, training or study (excluding enrollment in schools for the purpose of obtaining a title or degree), religious pilgrimage, and for business, cultural and scientific purposes.
9(B) – Transient
A foreign national traveling to another country and transiting via the Philippines is required to secure a 9(b) transit visa. Transit period is limited to seventy two (72) hours or three (3) days in the Philippines.
9(C) – Seafarers and Crew List
Any foreigner who in good faith has signed on the articles of a vessel arriving at port of the Philippines from any place outside thereof employed in any capacity on board such vessel and seeking to enter the Philippines solely in pursuit of his calling as a seaman and with the intention of departing also with the vessel may be issued a Seafarer/Crew List visa.
9(D) – International Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors
A treaty trader is a national of the United States of America (USA), Japan, and Germany who is entering the Philippines solely to carry on trade or commerce pursuant to an their country’s existing treaty of commerce and navigation with the Philippines.
A treaty investor is a foreigner who seeks admission for the purpose of developing and directing the operations of an enterprise in the Philippines where (a) he has invested, or is actively in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital or where (b) his employer has invested, or is actively in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital.
If the treaty investor or treaty trader coming to the Philippines does not qualify under section 9(d), he may be issued a 9(a) visa.
9(E) – Foreign Government Officials
Foreign Government Officials (FGOs) refers to accredited officer of a foreign government recognized by the Philippines, who is a citizen of the country whose government he represents and who is proceeding to the Philippines on official business for his government. It also refers to officials of the United Nations, and other recognized international organizations.
Immediate family and household members joining the FGO in his tour of duty in the Philippines are also required to secure the appropriate 9(e) visa.
9(F) – Student
The applicant must be a student 18 years of age at the time of enrollment, has sufficient means for his education and support, and seeks to enter the Philippines temporarily solely for the purpose of taking up a course of study higher than high school at a university, academy, college or school in the Philippines accredited by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
9(G) – Pre-arranged employees / Missionary
Foreign national proceeding to the Philippines to engage in any lawful occupation with compensation and has a bona fide employer-employee relationship such as payment of salary, selection process, and the power of dismissal are required to apply for 9(G) visa.
The spouse and unmarried minor children under twenty-one (21) years of age of a qualified 9(g) visa holder may also be issued 9(g) visas, if they will accompany or join the qualified applicant within a period of six (6) months from the date of the applicant’s admission into the Philippines as a non-immigrant.
Religious missionaries may also be issued visas under the 9(g) category.
SPECIAL NON-IMMIGRANT VISA
47(A)(2) with Authority from Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) by Virtue of Endorsement from DOJ or PNVSCA
The following persons are eligible to apply for 47(a)(2) Visas:
- Those employed as executives, supervisors, specialists, consultants, contractors or personal staff at enterprises registered with Export/Special Economic Processing Zones, Philippine Economic zone authority (PEZA), Board of Investments (BOI), or Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB);
- Those employed in enterprises that have existing agreement/s with the government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries, for the completion of a project;
- Exchange professors, scholars, trainees, participants, students, fellows and social workers under sponsorship of locally or internationally recognized educational, scientific, cultural, relief and charitable organizations, institutions, agencies or foundations, including representatives of non-recognized foreign governments to any of the aforementioned organizations, institutions, agencies or foundations;
- Volunteers who are registered with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), including foreign personnel of international rescue/aid organizations providing assistance on occasion of natural disasters and major emergencies;
- Dependents of foreign nationals covered under any of the foregoing categories;
- Those who, upon application, were approved by the President or by the Department of Justice to be eligible to apply for 47(a)(2) visas.
IMMIGRANT VISA
13(A) – For spouses of Filipino national
Immigrant visa issued to the wife or the husband or the unmarried child under twenty-one years of age of a Philippine citizen.
13(G) – For natural-born Filipino who has been naturalized in a foreign country
Isued to a natural born citizen of the Philippines, who has been naturalized in foreign country. [As amended by Republic Act No. 4376]
Eligibility:
- Proof of being a natural-born citizen of the Philippines (i.e. NSO-issued birth certificate).
- Naturalization papers in a foreign country.
- Applicant has no record of any derogatory information against the applicant in any local or foreign law enforcement agency.
- Applicant must intend to reside permanently in the Philippines.
OTHER VISA CATEGORIES
SPECIAL RETIREE RESIDENT VISA (SRRV)
The Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) is issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) of the Republic of the Philippines under the Retirement Program of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA). It entitles the holder to multiple-entry privileges with the right to stay permanently/indefinitely in the Philippines.
Interested parties can read more details from the website of the Philippine Retirement Authority.
SPECIAL INVESTOR’S RESIDENT VISA (SIRV)
The Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) entitles the holder to reside in the Philippines for an indefinite period as long as the required qualifications and investments are maintained.
Any alien (except those classified as restricted) who are at least 21 years old, physically healthy, with no derogatory record and willing to invest at least $75,000.00 in an existing or new corporation in the Philippines can apply for SIRV. That particular Philippine corporation must be publicly listed, covered by the Investment Priority Plan (IPP) projects or engaged in the manufacturing or service sectors.
The applicant’s spouse and the unmarried children under 21 years of age may also be issued the same visa.
The holder may reside in the Philippines for as long as his investment subsists and is entitled to import used household goods and personal effects tax and duty-free as an alien coming to settle in the Philippines for the first time.
Interested parties can seek the assistance of the Philippine Trade and Investment Office in Germany or read the FAQs available on the website of the Philippine Board of Investments.
SPECIAL VISA FOR EMPLOYMENT GENERATION (SVEG)
SVEG is a special visa issued to a qualified non-immigrant foreigner who shall actually employ at least ten (10) Filipinos in a lawful and sustainable enterprise, trade or industry. It shall be issued to a foreigner or foreigners with interest in an entity, firm, partnership or corporation that establishes, expands or rehabilitates a business activity, investment, enterprise or industry for every 10 full-time/regular Filipino workers who are actually employed by such entity, firm, partnership or corporation on a long-term basis in the Philippines.
The SVEG holder shall have multiple entry privileges and is exempted from payment of exit clearance certificate and special return certificate. Initial issuance of one (1) year probationary SVEG could be amended to indefinite stay. SVEG may be extended to the spouse and dependent unmarried child(ren) of the SVEG holder below eighteen (18) years of age whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted. SVEG holders will be required to pay annual report fees every first sixty (60) days of every year under the Alien Registration Act of 1950, as amended.
Application for SVEG must be made directly with the Bureau of Immigration.
EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZED PERIOD OF STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES
In case a temporary visitor visa holder’s stay in the Philippines will exceed the authorized period of stay, he/she must secure an extension of stay from the Bureau of Immigration and pay the corresponding immigration fees.
As of 10 June 2013, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) launched the Long-Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) program. Tourists may now avail of visa extensions for a maximum of six months under a single transaction with the BI. The LSVVE allows temporary visitors to prolong their stay in the Philippines without the need to frequently visit the Bureau of Immigration to process their documents.
No LSVVE shall be issued to non-visa foreign nationals whose stay exceeds 36 months, and visa-required nationals whose stay exceeds 24 months. Conversion to other visa category is also allowed. The implementation of the Long-Stay Visitor Visa Extension program is limited to the BI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila until further notice.
Please request details on the procedure and fees from the BI through their contact details.