Chinese Tourists First to Benefit from Philippines e-Visa Program
The Philippines launched a new e-Visa program in August 2023, with Chinese travelers as its first beta-testers. Discover how the digital visa will streamline tourism and which nationalities qualify next.
On August 24, 2023, the Philippines launched its new e-Visa program, allowing nationals of visa-required countries to apply for travel authorization online. The first tourists to benefit were Chinese, as part of a “pilot” initiative. They arrived in the country the very next day, on August 25.
Although these Chinese “beta-testers” still had to visit the visa office in Shanghai before traveling, the process is temporarily in-person and will soon transition to a fully electronic system.
Chinese tourists represent the largest group of visitors to the Philippines, and they contribute significantly to the country’s tourism revenue. The introduction of the e-Visa is therefore excellent news for Filipino tourism.
Fully rolled out by the end of 2023 for all visa-required nationalities, the Philippine e-Visa grants stays of up to 30 days. Applications can be submitted via the Philippine Bureau of Immigration website. India, Algeria and Egypt—countries that currently require a visa for the Philippines—are next in line to join the program.
As of 2023, nationals of the following 38 countries must obtain a visa to enter the Philippines:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Ukraine, Yemen.
