Like every other country, visiting the Philippines requires you to get a visa. In this case, you are visiting the country as a tourist; you need to get a Philippine tourist visa.
A Philippine tourist visa is issued to foreign citizens who intend to visit the country for a short term and who do not qualify to become permanent residents of the Philippines.
Interestingly, most people don’t know How to Get a Tourist Visa in the Philippines and for this reason, we took to the task to outline and discussing how you can go about it.
So, journey with us to find out how you can get your Philippines tourist visa in a jiffy.
How To Get A Tourist Visa To The Philippines (Step-By-Step Guide)
As you may know, the tourist Philippine visa is a legal document that is granted to a foreign citizen to be able to travel to the Philippines.
This means you will have to visit the Philippines embassy or consulate in your home country for the tourist visa application process. And until you are granted the visa, there is no way you will be granted access to the country.
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More so, the Philippine tourist visa is a short-term visa that lets you stay in the country for 6-months. Once your tourist visa is granted, you can travel to the Philippines and present the documents at any port of entry.
Caution, despite being issued the visa, does not guarantee that you will be automatically allowed to enter into the country because the immigration officer at the border has the final decision.
In addition, a tourist visa to the Philippines is a short-term visa issued to visa-required foreigners who will enter the Philippines for activities such as:
- Tourism/sightseeing.
- Medical treatment.
- Conducting business.
- Attending an academic, cultural, or sports event.
- Visiting family members.
- Any other short-term visit which does not require the holder to work in the Philippines.
In a nutshell, if your desire is for a temporary visit, and you do not intend to set up permanent residence in the Philippines, this is the type of visa you have to apply for. You will only be able to stay in the country for a short period.
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Procedure Requirement For A Tourist Visa
Now that you have an inkling of How to Get a Tourist Visa in the Philippines, you will have to apply for the visa in person at an embassy or consulate in your home country. If it is a minor (less than 18 years old), the application can be made by a parent or legal guardian on their behalf.
The requirements for applying for a Philippines tourist visa include:
- A valid passport that is not more than 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in the Philippines.
- Duly Accomplished Visa application forms.
- 2 passport-sized photographs.
- Proof of authentic status as a tourist.
- A confirmed return or continuing ticket to your next destination.
- Payment of visa fees.
Ensure you have all the above-listed documents to facilitate your visa application process.
How Can I Apply For A Philippines Visa?
It is tiresome when you don’t have a clue on how to apply for a Philippine visa even though the process is not tedious. Interestingly, there are different ways you can apply for a Philippines visa.
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You can apply for your tourist visa to visit the Philippines at:
- An Embassy or Consulate of the Philippines in your home country or jurisdiction.
- An international airport in the Philippines upon your arrival in the Philippines; and
- Online through the website official website of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office.
Applying For Tourist Philippine Visa Online
The best option to apply for a Philippine tourist visa is online. Not every tourist from different countries intending to enter the country need to obtain a tourist visa due to a visa exemption agreement between those countries and the government of the Philippines.
Howbeit, there are citizens of other countries not under the exemption agreement who must apply in person at the nearest embassy or consulate.
The online visa application otherwise known as the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is currently available and open to only citizens or permanent residents of Taiwan.
The ETA process is fast and it allows those who are eligible to receive authorization to enter the Philippines entirely online, by:
- Gaining access to the website of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office.
- Filling and submitting the application form.
- Paying the fee online through a credit/debit card.
Also, the application process is fast and it may take a few minutes the only documents required are:
- A completely filled Visa application form.
- Scanned copies of the eligible passport.
- A debit or credit card for online payment of fees.
The visa is processed almost instantly and once the visa is approved, applicants will receive an email informing them of the decision. The visa can be printed and shown to the Immigration Officers when entering the Philippines.
Apply For Tourist Philippines Visa At The Embassy/Consulate
If you cannot apply for the visa online, since it is limited to Taiwanese nationals only. Another option is to visit the Philippine embassy or consulate in your country or the one that oversees your jurisdiction. The processes include:
- Locating the Philippine embassy or consulate in your country of residence, or abroad such as in a neighboring country.
- Reach out to them for adequate information concerning any specific requirements about the Philippines visa application process.
- Collect the required documentation.
- Submit the completed Philippines visa application you filled out and go to the Embassy/Consulate in person along with all required documents.
- In the case of a minor (less than age 18), submission can be made by their parents or legal representative.
- Wait for the visa to be processed which can take days or a month.
- Finally, collect the passport which has the Philippines visa affixed to it.
Apply For A Philippines Visa On Arrival
The third process to get your tourist visa to the Philippines is on arrival. Interestingly, citizens of all countries can apply for a Philippines Visa on Arrival.
However, there are a few countries that are exempted from getting visas on arrival. It is best to communicate with the Philippine embassy and consulate in your jurisdiction to find out if your country can or is exempted from getting a visa on arrival.
You will have to download the visa on arrival application on your PC or mobile device from the website of the Philippines Immigration Bureau to apply for a Philippines Visa on Arrival.
Philippine Tourist Visa Fee
You might be interested to know the fee you need to pay to get a tourist visa to the Philippines. Generally, the processing time for a standard visa to the Philippines takes around 10-14 business days.
As such, the charges for the visa include a consular Fee that goes for $90, and the service fee costs $209. In total, the cost of a Philippine tourist visa will cost you an estimated $299.
Mind you the price tend to waiver and as such you need to consult with the Philippine embassy or consulate in your jurisdiction to get the appropriate fee should in case you might need to pay for extra services beyond the price stated here.
How long To Process A Philippines Visa Application?
Processing the tourist visa to visit the Philippines does not take a longer period. The visa application process is between two to ten working days.
However, the time required for a visa to be processed depends on the specific Embassy or Consulate in which you applied.
However, we recommend that whenever you want to apply for a Philippine tourist visa, you should always apply well in advance of the time you intend to travel.
This will give ample time for the visa to be processed and delivered on time to meet up with your scheduled departure date.
Conclusion.
That is much we can discuss today regarding how you can get a tourist visa to the Philippines.
Learning about an event beforehand helps you to prepare adequately. That is why we recommend that you take every bit of discussion in this informative piece seriously especially if you are looking forward to obtaining your Philippine tourist visa to visit the country soon.
Overall, we believe that you now have sufficient knowledge on How to Get a Tourist Visa to the Philippines including the step-by-step guide to help you.
