Country topic
Visas in Philippines
The Department of Foreign Affairs e-visa portal's visa policy page lists the 9(a) temporary visitor visas and visa-free entry for 30 days for nationals of listed countries, which include the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Visa-free visitors need a passport valid at least six months beyond the stay and a return ticket or a ticket onward to the next country. The page names no Digital Nomad Visa. [V1] The Bureau of Immigration says visitors admitted for 30 days apply first for a 29-day visa waiver, then for extensions of one, two or six months, filed at least a week before the stay expires. Canada's advice says a tourist or business visa is not required for stays of up to 30 days and that an extension must be authorised by the local authorities before the 30 days end. [V2] [V3]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs e-visa portal's visa policy page lists the 9(a) temporary visitor visas and visa-free entry for 30 days for nationals of listed countries, which include the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Visa-free visitors need a passport valid at least six months beyond the stay and a return ticket or a ticket onward to the next country. The page names no Digital Nomad Visa. [V1]
- The Bureau of Immigration says visitors admitted for 30 days apply first for a 29-day visa waiver, then for extensions of one, two or six months, filed at least a week before the stay expires. Canada's advice says a tourist or business visa is not required for stays of up to 30 days and that an extension must be authorised by the local authorities before the 30 days end. [V2] [V3]
- Some Philippine posts say a longer stay needs a visa in advance. The consulate general in Vancouver says Canadian passport holders staying more than 30 days must apply for their visa, and the embassy in Wellington says New Zealanders who wish to stay more than 30 days should apply before travelling, while the Bureau of Immigration describes extending a visa-free stay from inside the country. The pages we read do not say how the two fit together, so ask the post that serves you. [V4] [V5] [V6]
- The Bureau of Immigration's advisory of 5 October 2026 asks arriving foreign passengers to register or update eTravel at least 72 hours before travel; Canada's advice words it as within 72 hours before travel, so check the eTravel site for the current rule. The bureau issues an ACR I-Card to registered aliens whose stay exceeds 59 days, and registered aliens file an Annual Report in person within the first 60 days of each year; whether visitor ACR I-Card holders must file one is not stated. [V7] [V3] [V2]
- The Bureau of Immigration lists a first extension of 29 days for visa-free tourists, with a total fee of PHP 3,030 (visa waiver 500, application fee 1,000, certification fee 500, legal research fee 30, express fee 1,000). Overstaying adds a fine of PHP 500 per month. [V6]
- For a stay beyond 59 days, the bureau lists, for an adult who needs no visa, PHP 4,400 for a one-month extension and PHP 4,900 for two months, plus an ACR I-Card fee of US$50 for tourists and a PHP 500 express fee for the card. It gives 36 months as the maximum allowable stay for visa-free nationals (24 for visa-required nationals), counted from the latest recorded arrival under Immigration Memorandum Circular SBM-2013-003. Its fees are dated 6 March 2014 and may change. [V6] [V2]
- The Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV Classic) is for principal applicants aged 40 or over. The visa deposit is about US$15,000 (pensioner, 50 and over), about US$25,000 (pensioner, 40 to 49), about US$30,000 (non-pensioner, 50 and over) or about US$50,000 (non-pensioner, 40 to 49). To be safe, hold more than US$51,000. [V8]
- The pensioner SRRV rates need proof of a lifetime pension of at least US$800 a month for a single applicant, or US$1,000 with dependants. To be safe, have more than US$1,100 a month. The page lists no maximum age. [V8]
- SRRV costs: a PRA processing fee of US$1,500, an annual fee of US$360 for a principal plus two dependants (US$100 more for each dependant beyond two), and a US$300 application fee for each joining dependant. Each dependant beyond two needs about a further US$15,000 deposit. To be safe, have more than US$16,000. [V8]
- SRRV dependants are a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21. The page lists multiple entry, indefinite stay, permanent residency, and exemption from separate work or student permits and from the bureau's annual reporting and ACR I-Card. It asks for extra documents from nationals of 'PRA identified countries' without listing them. [V8]
- Executive Order No. 86, signed 24 April 2025, lets the Department of Foreign Affairs issue a Digital Nomad Visa for up to one year, renewable, to people aged 18 or over who work remotely for clients or employers outside the Philippines. The conditions are proof of remote work, 'sufficient income' earned abroad (no amount), no criminal record, health insurance, not being employed in the Philippines, and nationality of a country that offers such visas to Filipinos and where the Philippines has a foreign service post. Section 7 asked the Department for guidelines within 30 days; the order sets no income figure or fee. [V9]
- A private relocation guide says that on 15 October 2026 the Digital Nomad Visa was 'created in law, not operational': no guidelines, fee or country list had been published, and it was not among the e-visa portal's options. We confirmed the portal part on the portal itself, and the Bureau of Immigration's list of visa types does not name it either. [V10] [V1] [V11]
- A Philippine law firm's guide of March 2022 (private, written before the order) says foreign nationals working remotely for a foreign employer may enter only under a temporary visitor or other visa arrangement and are generally not eligible for a work permit or work visa, which need a local sponsoring entity. No law or bureau page we read says whether remote work for an employer abroad is acceptable on a visitor stay, so that is unknown. [V12]
- The bureau's pre-arranged employment visa (9G) page lists one-year fees for employers outside the top 1,000 corporations of PHP 10,130 for the principal, PHP 8,120 for a spouse, and PHP 7,870 and PHP 7,370 for child dependants by age band, plus a US$50 ACR I-Card fee. Fees are dated 6 March 2014; the page does not describe a labour permit. [V13]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades visas, by passport.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for United States passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canada passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australia passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
More on Philippines.
Topics
More about Philippines.
Questions about Visas in Philippines.
How long can I stay in the Philippines without a visa?
The Department of Foreign Affairs portal lists visa-free entry for 30 days for listed countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Bureau of Immigration lists a 29-day waiver, then extensions of one, two or six months, up to 36 months in total from your latest recorded arrival.
What does a visitor extension cost?
The bureau's page lists a total of PHP 3,030 for the first 29-day extension. Beyond 59 days an adult pays PHP 4,400 for one month or PHP 4,900 for two, plus a US$50 ACR I-Card fee for tourists, and a fine of PHP 500 a month for overstaying. The page says its fees were updated in March 2014 and may change.
What does the Special Resident Retiree's Visa need?
The SRRV Classic is open from age 40. The visa deposit is about US$15,000 to US$50,000 by age and pension (to be safe, hold more than US$51,000). Pensioner rates need a lifetime pension of about US$800 to US$1,000 a month, higher with dependants (to be safe, more than US$1,100 a month). The processing fee is US$1,500.
Can I apply for the Digital Nomad Visa?
Not as far as we could find. A 2025 order allows a one-year visa for people whose clients or employers are abroad, but the e-visa portal and the bureau's visa list do not name it, and a private guide says its guidelines, fee and country list were unpublished on 15 October 2026.
Which of these visas allow work?
The 9G pre-arranged employment visa is for foreigners coming to do lawful work for pay; the SRRV page lists exemption from separate work permits. No official page we read says if remote work for a foreign employer is allowed on 30-day entry; a private 2022 law firm says such workers generally cannot get a work permit.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [V1] Welcome to the Philippine Visa Online Portal (PH Visa Policy), Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of Consular Affairs (eVisaPH). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V2] Frequently asked questions: extension of stay, ACR I-Card, Annual Report, Bureau of Immigration, Philippines. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V3] Philippines travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V4] Visa (9(a) temporary visitors, requirements and processing), Philippine Consulate General, Vancouver (Department of Foreign Affairs; the consulate's own website). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V5] Visa (visa-free entry, 9(a) temporary visitor visa, other visas the Embassy issues), Philippine Embassy in New Zealand (Wellington). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V6] Temporary Visitor (9A) Visa Waiver and extensions of stay, Bureau of Immigration, Philippines. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V7] Bureau of Immigration home page and advisories, Bureau of Immigration, Philippines. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V8] Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV), Philippine Retirement Authority. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V9] Executive Order No. 86: Authorizing the issuance of Digital Nomad Visa, Office of the President of the Philippines (text hosted by The Lawphil Project, Arellano Law Foundation; the Official Gazette refused automated access). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V10] Philippines Digital Nomad Visa 2026: Status & Reality, LiveInPH (private relocation guide, not official). Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V11] Visas (Bureau of Immigration list of visa types), Bureau of Immigration, Philippines. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V12] Remote workers: a guide for employers in the Philippines, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (private law firm, not official), 16 March 2022, republished on Mondaq. Checked 16 October 2026.
- [V13] Pre-arranged Employment Visa (9G), Bureau of Immigration (Philippines). Checked 16 October 2026.