Monday, December 10, 2018

A Guide for Indian Citizens Visiting Philippines


From pristine beaches to marvelous natural beauty to historic sites, Philippines offers once-in-a-lifetime experience to travellers. Philippines is located at the eastern edge of the Asia and is home for more than 7,000 islands. The country is a home for 20 active volcanoes, mineral reservoirs, and gold deposits. Philippines is a complete package for all those explorers who want something new and exciting.  

As per the visa waiver program of the Philippines, the citizens of India planning to visit the Philippines for tourism related purpose does not require a visa, if they are planning a 14 day stay in the country. Although, Indian citizens must apply for a visa, if they are travelling for business, employment, and non-leisure purpose. If you are thinking about a long vacation in the Philippines, then you will have to apply for the Philippines tourist visa prior your visit. There are various Philippines tourist visa provider in India, from whom you can buy an affordable package.     

Necessary information for visitors visiting Philippines

  • The government of the Philippines has discarded the acceptance of non-machine readable passports, and the applicants are required to bring machine readable passports and electronic passports for visa application. Entry will not be granted to the foreign nationals entering into the Philippines through sea-ports or airports.

  • Children aged 15 years and below, travelling to the Philippines unaccompanied by parents must comply with Philippines’ Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG).

  • The passport holders who were granted a 30 days visa free entry into the Philippines, are required to apply for a visa, if their stay is exceeding 30 days.     

Apart from the Philippines tourist visa, the government of the Philippines also offers other types of visa for foreign nationals such as work permit and resident visa. The improved economic condition of the Philippines has increased the demand of work permit for the Philippines. Philippines offers Alien Employment Permit (AEP) along with employment visa for expats who are planning on working in the country. AEP is issued by the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippines. But before acquiring any of these visa, the applicants must attest their documents.

The attestation procedure for Indian originated documents started with pre-authentication at the state level. The Human Resource Development, Home Department, and the Chamber of Commerce authenticates the educational, personal, and commercial documents. Thereafter, the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, attest the documents. After state level authentication and MEA attestation, the documents will be attested by the Philippines Embassy. Applicants can avail the services for the Philippines Embassy attestation in Mumbai and other Indian states. Only after attestation, the documents will be accepted by the Philippine authorities for further proceeding.   

Pre-Arranged Employment Visa for the Philippines

The pre-arranged employment visa (9g) is the most common type of employment visa used by the foreign nationals for working in the Philippines. The validity of this type of pre-arranged visa depends upon the employment contract of the applicants. The 9g visa is extendable for sponsoring the spouse and children up to 21 years. However, it cannot be extended for more than 3 years. The pre-arranged employment visa is received by the Philippines Embassy from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines. Also, the applicants will have to go through a personal interview for acquiring this visa. The documents required for pre-arranged employment visa are:

  • A duly filled visa application form in English language.
  • A passport size, colored photograph, not older than 6 months.
  • Bank statement for the last six months, stamped by the bank officer.
  • A passports with six months of validity, following the arrival in Philippines.
  • Copy of confirmed flight e-tickets.
  • A demand draft for the visa application fee payable to the Embassy of the Philippines. Note, the Embassy does not accept cash payments.  
  • Attested police clearance certificate.
  • A medical examination certificate issued by an authorized physician or clinic.