The Republic of Philippines, a picturesque country embellished by the turquoise islands, golden sand beaches, lush green rainforests, and majestic mountains, is a traveller’s paradise. Every year thousands of tourists from India and other countries of the world visit the archipelago to indulge in its stunning panoramic landscape. The Philippines visa for Indians has certain special permissions that every Indian need to be aware of before visiting the Republic. The article will provide a comprehensive guide on the formalities and processes that need to be followed while applying for a Philippines visa.
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The Different Types of Philippines Visa for Indians
The Philippines visa for Indians is granted under the following different types:
- Business Visa – Issued for attending business meetings and conferences
- Tourist Visa – Issued for a temporary stay limited to tourism purposes
- Transit Visa – Issued to Indians travelling from one country to another through the Philippines. The transit period in the Philippines must not exceed a stay duration of 72 hours
- Student Visa – Issued to Indian students travelling to the Philippines for academic purposes
- Diplomatic Visa – Issued to Indians solely involved in official activities on behalf of the Indian government
- Religious Visa – Issued to Indian travellers visiting the Philippines for religious purposes
- Pre-arranged employment Visa – Issued for working in the country
- Special Non-Immigrant Visa – Issued to Indians travelling to the country as technicians, professors, research scholars for certain sponsored programs and events
- Temporary Visitor’s Visa – Issued to Indians who have an application pending for receiving a working visa or a dependent visa
Suggested read: Thailand Tourist Visa for Indians: Explained
Did you know?
The pre-arranged employment visa, student visa, diplomatic visa, and special non-immigrant visa require a letter of authority from the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines to the Embassy of the Philippines. The Embassy is then empowered to issue the mentioned visas. The applicant may undergo an interview as well by the Embassy officials.
Documents required for applying Philippines Visa for Indians
Philippines Embassy demands certain documents as a common requirement for all the types of Visa. They are mentioned as below:
- Passport with a validity of 6 months from the date of application
- Photocopy of the first, last and any amendment pages of the passport
- 2 passport size photographs as per the following specifications mentioned below
- Philippine visa application form filled up and duly signed by the applicant, details of which are mentioned below.
- A copy of the confirmed flight ticket for the onwards journey
- Demand draft for payment of the Philippine visa cost
- Print out of bank statements for the last 6 months. It must be signed and stamped by a bank officer before submitting to the Embassy
Tips
- It is advisable to carry the confirmed hotel reservation as proof of accommodation. Indians who are visiting families or friends on a tourist visa are recommended to carry proof of residence of the person staying in the Philippines.
- Hotel reservations must be booked at cheap rates and must be non-refundable to avoid financial loss due to visa rejections or delays
- Submit the documents to the Embassy at least 2 weeks before the date of travel
In addition to the above-mentioned documents, some additional requirements need to be fulfilled based on the type of visa.
1. Philippines Tourist Visa
- A letter from family or friend, whom you are visiting in the Philippines. If travelling through a tour operator then a letter is needed from them with office based in the Philippines
- For an employed person, proof of employment needs to be submitted. The evidence must contain the employer’s name, address and contact numbers
- For a self-employed person, a proof of the income tax return and PAN card photocopy need to be submitted
- For a student applying for Philippines tourist visa, an enrollment letter from the school needs to be submitted
- For a minor below 18 years, a letter of consent from both the parents needs to be submitted granting permission to travel alone or be accompanied by a person. If the minor belongs to a Philippino parent, then the photocopy of birth certificate and parents’ passports are mandatory
- For a spouse of a Philippino citizen, the photocopy of marriage certificate and the addition of spouse name in the passport are the mandatory requirements
- A copy of the credit card or foreign exchange amount of a minimum of $500
Read: Bali Visa for Indians: Complete Guide
Facts for awareness
Indians possessing a valid visa for the US, Canada, UK, Schengen, Australia, Japan or Singapore are permitted to stay in the Philippines for a stay duration of 14 days without applying for a visa. They would receive a Philippines visa on arrival at the designated International airports of the Republic. The duration can be extended for 7 days provided the total stay duration in the Philippines does not exceed the limit of 21 days. The exemption is valid for both the Philippines tourist visa and business visa.
2. Philippines Business Visa
- An invitation letter from the company in the Philippines
- A letter from the employer of the applicant mentioning the stay duration and the entries to be granted (single or multiple for 6 months to 1 year)
Further read: A Guide to Business Visa
3. Philippines Religious Visa
- A letter from the organization with which the applicant is associated with religious purposes
- A clearance from the police in India or proof of the legal residence in India like the Voter’s card or passport address
4. Philippines Temporary Visitors Visa – application pending for a work visa or dependent visa
- A letter from the company in the Philippines where the applicant will be engaged
- An application from the company to the Philippines Bureau of Immigration as evidence that the work visa application is in a pending status
- For a dependent visa, the marriage certificate is required, and for minors, a birth certificate is required
For a Philippines Student visa, pre-arranged employment visa and special non-immigrant visa clearance from the police and medical certificates are required to be submitted.
Suggested read: Transit Visa – What is it, how to apply, documents required
Tip: Please apply for the medical certificates at designated approved centers as per the list mentioned in this link
The Photograph specifications required for applying Philippines Visa for Indians
The specifications that need to be followed for the photograph are simple, but is mandatory to adhere to avoid visa rejections:
- The size of the photograph should be 35 mm X 45 mm
- The face must be towards the camera and must occupy 80% of the photo area
- The background of the photograph must be white
- The photograph must be matte-finish
- It should not be more than 6 months old from the date of visa application
- It should not be a scanned photograph
- You must not staple the photograph on the Philippines visa application form
- You need to ensure that the photograph is not used in any of the previous visas
- After pasting the photograph on the Philippines visa application form, you need to sign it across
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The Application Process of Philippines Visa for Indians
The Philippines visa application form is accessible from here
As a first step, you need to download the form into your laptop or computer. Secondly, you must fill-up the form with the correct information. The key details that need to be filled up in the form are:
- Your name and surname
- Nationality
- Date of Birth
- Marital status
- Names of spouse, children, father, and mother
- Name of the company and its address
- Details of the passport like the passport number, date and place of issue, expiry date
- The purpose of the visit to the Philippines along with the stay duration
- You need to mention the number of entries you are applying for, Single or Multiple for 6 months or Multiple for 1 year
- Name, address and phone number of a reference in Philippines
After filling up the details in the form, it must be duly signed by the applicant
Read: Covering Letter For Visa: What it is and how you can make one
The Embassy and the Consulates for applying Philippines visa for Indians
In India, the Philippines visa application along with the requisite documents and passport need to be submitted at the below-authorized visa centres:
- The Philippines Embassy India in New Delhi
- The Philippines Consulate India at Mumbai
- The Philippines Consulate India at Kolkata
- The Philippines Consulate India at Chennai
Tips: Please consult the authorities or officials at the visa centres, mentioned above, for guidance on the submission process of the Philippines visa.
Did you know: Philippines embassy and the consulates in India are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and during the national holidays in India. Hence you must plan your visa application accordingly.
The visa fees for Philippines visa for Indians
The Philippines visa cost for
- Single entry (validity 3 months) is INR 2370
- Multiple entries (validity 6 months) is INR 4740
- Multiple entries (validity 1 year) is INR 7110
- Transit Visa is INR 1580
- Student Visa is INR 19750
- Pre-arranged employment Visa is INR 31600
- Special Non-immigrant Visa is INR 31600
Read: Guide To Visa Photo Size Requirements
An additional courier fee of INR 300 is charged if the visa document collection centre is at the Philippines Consulate India in Mumbai. For the other consulates, the courier charge is INR 700.
Please note: The visa fees need to be paid while applying the visa application at the Embassy or the Consulates.
The processing time for Philippines visa for Indians
The processing time is usually 10 to 15 working days from the date the application and the documents are received at the Embassy in New Delhi. After submitting the visa application, passport and documents, the Embassy or the Consulates will provide a claim stub to the applicant. The claim stub will contain the indicative date and time for the visa collection. The applicant or the authorized person needs to arrive with the claim stub to collect the documents.
Facts to remember: Philippines Embassy does not entertain status inquiry of visas through phone or email. Hence it is advisable to wait for the visa processing time. The visa fees are non-refundable and cannot be recovered in case of rejections. The decision of the Embassy is final for rejection or approval.
The process of extension of Philippines visa for Indians
Indians with a Philippines visa on arrival can extend their visa for an additional 7 days provided the stay duration does not exceed 21 days. The extension needs to be requested from the immigration offices of the Republic. The visa on arrival can not be changed to a different visa category.
The reasons for rejection of Philippines visa for Indians
There can be various reasons for the Embassy to reject the Philippines visa application:
- Incomplete or incorrect information in the Visa application form
- Inadequate proof of possessing sufficient financial support to sponsor the stay
- Required documents not submitted as per the rules
- Incorrect documents submitted
- The discrepancy between the evidence submitted and the information entered in the application form
- Incorrect category of visa selected during the application
Tips and Tricks
- The visa application form must be printed back to back
- The photograph used in the application form must not be mishandled or damaged during submission
- The applicant must submit the reservation details of all the hotels in which he/she will be residing
- A No Objection Certificate is needed from parents on an INR 100 stamp paper for minors travelling alone to the Philippines
Did you know?
Every year almost 1 lakh Indian visitors travel to the Philippines. As a friendly gesture towards India, the Government of the Philippines has issued the visa on arrival facility to Indians for s stay of 14 days.
Please note:
- Indians travelling to the Philippines can enter the country through any of the International airports or seaports.
- There is not expedited Philippines visa processing supported currently.
- You might be interrogated at the Immigration counter even if you possess a valid Philippines visa or satisfy the requirement of visa on arrival facility. It is the decision of the Immigration authorities at the port of entry to grant entrance into the country.
- You can apply for a Philippines visa either in person or through a travel agency. It is advisable to check the credibility of the travel agency before applying for a visa.
- Possessing proof of financial documents like the bank statement or the salary slip is important while applying for a Philippines visa. The evidence guarantees the availability of proper funds with the applicant to cater to the stay in the country.
- The final evaluation of the submitted documents and the application form is done only at the Embassy in New Delhi. The Embassy may ask for further evidence for scrutiny and verification.
Also read: A complete guide to Dubai tourist visa for Indians
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much is the Philippine visa fee?
The Philippines visa cost for a single entry (3 months) is INR 2370, multiple entries for 6 months and 1 year is INR 4740 and INR 7110 subsequently. The Transit visa cost is INR 1580. The Student visa cost is INR 19750. The pre-arranged employment visa and special non-immigrant visa cost are INR 31600.
- Do I need a visa for the Philippines?
Indians travelling to the Philippines for more than 14 days are required to apply for a visa. There are different categories of Visa, depending on the purpose of travel. Single entry for 3 months and Multiple entries for 6 months to 1 year is granted for Tourist and Business visas.
- Can I get a visa on arrival in the Philippines?
Indians are granted a Philippines visa on arrival for 14 days which may be extended to 7 days within a stay limit duration of 21 days. The applicants must possess a valid visa of the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Schengen, Australia or Japan. The applicant must ensure that there is no derogatory record registered with the INTERPOL, The Bureau of Immigration or the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
