Republic of the Philippines, situated in Southeast Asia surrounded by the water of the Pacific Ocean, is an archipelagic country. To the west, it is bounded by the South China Sea and to the east Philippine Sea. The history of the country is full of ups and downs. At some point in history, it was home to some mighty dynasties established by locals till the arrival of Spaniards, starting from the first exploration of the island by Ferdinand Magellan. Since 1946, the Philippines is an independent country. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited countries around the world. The Philippines is gifted with pristine white sand beaches, which makes it perfect for tourists who seek to get away from it all. It is no surprise that some of the islands, like Boracay, Siargao is often published in tourism articles and journals. The country has fame for having natural marvels like mystical underground rivers, perfectly lined rice terraces, beautiful coral reefs full of sea life. These coral reefs are the second-largest in Southeast Asia, with an area of more than 26 000 square kilometres. Diving in these coral reefs is one of the all-time tourist favourite activities. Did you know that the country's official tourism slogan is "It is more fun in the Philippines"? What is more fun than spending a vacation in a country that prioritizes entertainment on a national level, right? You will acknowledge that better when you see colourful public transport, energetic festivals, and beautiful nature. But like everything, visiting the Philippines has a cost. You might need a visa which requires time, money, and effort to get to the country. Luckily we have chosen tourist visa to Philippines as a topic for today's article. In this article, we will look at Philippines tourist visa checklist, Philippines tourist visa application and Philippines tourist visa requirements. But most essentially, we will seek an answer to the question of how to get a tourist visa to the Philippines? But first, it is advisable to look at the country's visa policy before elaborating on the topic.
Visa Policy of Philippines
Philippines’ visa policy is defined by the relations it has with other countries. In this regard, countries' visa statuses towards the Philippines can change. Therefore, we can put them into groups of visa-free and visa-required. Visa-required countries are given on the list below: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, Nigeria, North Korea (DPRK), North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Ukraine, Yemen. If your country is on the list, then you will need to apply for a visa before deciding on visiting the country. There are different visa types based on the nature of the travels. In general, there are three types of visas, and they are non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, and special non-immigrant visas. What we are interested in is in the group of non-immigrant visas. What is a non-immigrant visa? – you might ask. To give you better comprehension, we can call it a short-term visa. Indeed, they function like short-term visas. They are given for travels that are not permanent or relatively short travels. They can be tourist visas which we will focus on, transit visas, student visas, etc. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the specifics of tourist visa to Philippines and Philippines tourist visa requirements.
Philippines Tourist Visa
If you search Philippines tourist visa, chances are you might get info on other visa types. It is because there is no subcategory for touristic purposed travels. However, it does not mean you can not apply for a visa for tourism. To do that, you have to apply for a visitor visa that combines business, tourism, and medical visas within one visa. This visa type is given for a short-term. In the list below, you will find Philippines tourist visa checklist:
- Philippines tourist visa application form, which should be duly completed, printed and signed by the applicant or their parents/guardians if he or she is a minor.
- Passport with a validity of 6 months after you depart from the country. Passport should be presented alongside copies of the data page, issue date, and expiration date.
- One or two passport-sized photos of the applicant. The photo should be coloured other than white and black. The photo should be taken recently, within the last six months.
- Copy of airline booking with flight details indicating the inbound (arrival in the Philippines) and outbound journey.
- Proof of financial means. The applicant should be able to prove that he or she is capable of financing travel. It can be presented within the form of bank cards, statements, etc.
- Documents proving accommodation such as hotel booking. It can be altered with an invitation letter for Philippines tourist visa from the reference person in the Philippines with a complete address and telephone number.
- Documents proving the professional status of the applicant. If the applicant is employed: letter from the applicant's company (in English) requesting the grant of visa, also stating the applicant's position, salary, and purpose of travel to the Philippines. If the applicant owns the company, then Commercial Registry and Tax Card are needed. If he or she is a student, then an enrollment certificate alongside a letter of sponsorship and their "no objection" from the parents is enough.
- If the applicant is a minor, then a support letter and parent’s consent are needed.
How to get a Tourist Visa?
The answer to the question is that to get one, you need to first find a local embassy or consulate of Philippines. If there is non one in your country, don't hesitate to go to the nearest country. Make an appointment and attend the embassy at the right time. Complete the Philippines tourist visa application form, submit the required documents, and pay the required fees. Once you submit your Philippines tourist visa application, the next stage will be to wait for the application to get processed. How long does it take? Well, it depends. It depends on your country of application. However, in most cases, they are processed within 15 days. What about visa fees? And again, it depends. It depends on especially entry types. For example, if it is the single-entry visa that will entitle you to remain in the country for 90 days, then the fee is equal to 30 USD. In the case of a multiple-entry visa, the one that allows you to stay in the country for 180 days, the fee is 60 USD. If you want to stay in the country more (one year), you will have to pay 90 USD for a multiple-entry visa. For restricted aliens, the single-entry visa fee is 40 USD, while the multiple-entry is 80 USD. For a multiple-entry (one year) visa, one has to pay 120 USD. You might be wondering if there is another way to enter the country. There is a way; however, it is only available for the nationals of Taiwan. The method I am talking about is Evisa. For many people, Evisa is more convenient. Actually, you can understand their reasons because there are some benefits of such visas. For example, the process is online, not requiring attending the consulate and making an appointment. Many likes this option because it saves more time. Apart from Evisa, a visa on arrival is available for some people. The nationals of Tuvalu can benefit from this service.
Visa Extension
A tourist visa holder can apply for tourist visa extension Philippines at the Bureau of Immigration a minimum of several days before the visa expiry date. To apply for tourist visa extension Philippines, present your passport and duly completed application form. If you want to apply through an agent, then a Special Power of Attorney is needed. If you want to stay in the country for more than 59 days, then you will need an ACR-I Card Alien Certificate of Registration I-Card. If you want to remain in the country for more than a year, then a Balikbayan Stamp is a good option. To sum up, the Philippines is a visa-friendly country and welcomes millions of visitors; therefore, your application is most likely to be accepted unless there is a problem with Philippines tourist visa documents or application. Always make sure you collected the required documents and check them on embassies or official websites. Contact the local embassy to get the latest information and updates about the application since we live in an unstable world. And do not forget to explore the Philippines. If you find the process too overwhelming, you can contact “pickvisa” and leave the work to professionals.
