Visa
A Philippine Visa is an endorsement made on a travel document (passport) by a consular officer at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad denoting that the visa application has been properly examined and that the bearer is permitted to proceed to the Philippines and request permission from the Philippine Immigration authorities at the ports of entries to enter the country.
The visa thus issued is not a guarantee that the holder will be automatically admitted into the country, because the admission of foreign nationals into the Philippines is a function of the immigration authorities at the port of entry.
For further inquiries, please email us at calgarypcg.visa@gmail.com.
Kindly set an appointment for the submission of your visa application through
https://calendly.com/yycpcg/nonpassport
Visa Requirements
For 9(A) Visa for Temporary Visitors (for Tourism/Pleasure)
General Requirements:
- Applicant’s passport, with at least one blank page, and valid for at least six months beyond the intended length of stay in the Philippines (for minor applicants, the parent/s or legal guardian may submit the application on behalf of the minor)
- Photocopy of applicant’s passport data page
- Duly-accomplished 9A Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form (FA Form No. 2 available here) with passport-size photo of the applicant taken within the last six months. Please note that if the visa application will be sent through mail, it must be notarized by a notary public in the city where the applicant resides.
- Original and photocopy of Proof of Financial Capability (such as but not limited to: previous three months’ bank statement, income tax return, previous three month’s pay stubs, employment certificate from the employer indicating position and salary);
- Round trip flight itinerary from country of origin or next country of destination. Please do not purchase an airline ticket unless and until the Philippine visa has been approved. Applicants may submit a temporary flight itinerary by temporarily booking a reservation with an airline;
Additional Requirements:
- For non-Canadian passport holders, the original and photocopy of proof of permanent residency in Canada (i.e. permanent resident card, or work permit card)
- For Chinese passport holders, the original and an official English translation of your Chinese Social Insurance Record Certificates, showing registration for at least six (6) months at the time of the submission of the visa application, or updated Statement of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Earnings and Contributions. Exceptions will only apply to Chinese nationals currently enrolled in primary, secondary, or college education who will be required to submit proof of enrollment, and retirees above 55 years old;
- For minors accompanied by one parent only, a notarized letter of consent from the other parent or a court order stating that only one parent has legal custody of the minor.
- For minors below 15 years of age traveling without a parent to the Philippines, a Waiver for Exclusion Ground (WEG) Under Section 29(a)(12) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended, is required for a child below 15 years of age who is traveling to the Philippines not accompanied by or not joining his/her parent/s to the Philippines.
The WEG Order will be issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the port of entry upon submission by the WEG applicant of the following:
- LETTER REQUEST addressed to the BI Commissioner from the parent/s or legal guardian for the issuance of a Waiver for Exclusion Ground in favour of the minor child who will be accompanied by the named travelling companion, with an attached duly accomplished APPLICATION FOR WAIVER FOR EXCLUSION GROUND, duly acknowledged (legalized) by the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary (if the applicant resides in Alberta or Saskatchewan); template letter and application form are available here
- AFFIDAVIT OF CONSENT TO TRAVEL (or Parental Travel Permit) from either or both parent/s, or legally appointed guardian, naming therein the person who will be accompanying the child to the Philippines and with whom the child will reside in the country, duly acknowledged (legalized) by the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary (if the applicant resides in Alberta or Saskatchewan); template for the affidavit/ parental travel permit is available here.
Both the Letter Request and the Affidavit of Consent to Travel must be submitted for acknowledgement (legalization) at the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary (if the applicant resides in Alberta or Saskatchewan), with a legalization fee of CAD$38.75 for each document. The following requirements must also be followed and submitted:- Personal appearance before the Consular Officer of the parent/s or legal guardian of the child;
- ID/s or passport/s of the parent/s or legal guardian, and clear photocopies thereof
- Clear photocopy of the child’s passport data page,
- Clear photocopy of the accompanying person’s passport data page
- Clear photocopy of the child’s passport data page;
- Clear photocopy of the parent/s’/ legal guardian’s passport data page/s
- Clear photocopy of the accompanying person’s passport data page
- WEG fees to be paid directly to the Bureau of Immigration upon arrival of the minor at the port of entry
Please note that the consular officer may also require additional documents from the applicant, depending on the purpose of the visit.
For 9(E) Visa for Accredited Government Officials, their Families and Attendants
- Duly-accomplished visa application form (FA Form No. 2 available here), with passport-size photo taken within the last six months
- Applicant’s passport, with at least one blank page, and valid for at least six months beyond the intended length of stay in the Philippines
- Note Verbale from applicant’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Authority to issue visa from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
For 13(A) Immigrant Visa (for those who would like to take up residence in the Philippines)
- Duly accomplished 13A Immigrant Visa Application Form (FA Form No. 3 available here), check “non-quota”
- Applicant’s passport, with at least one blank page, and valid for at least six months beyond the intended length of stay in the Philippines
- Photocopy of applicant’s passport data page
- Four (4) 2”x2” photos signed across the bottom front
- FA Form No. 11 (form available here), Medical examination report including HIV test to be notarized by a notary public
- Chest X-Ray (taken within the last six months) results in plate or in CD format, to be presented to the Philippine Immigration authorities at port of entry. The plate/CD must be sealed by the Philippine Consulate General
- Police Clearance from RCMP to be Apostilled by competent authorities in Canada
- Birth Certificate from the vital statistics office of the province where the applicant was born and to be Apostilled by competent authorities in Canada
- Original PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) Marriage Certificate, if married in the Philippines. If married in Canada, Marriage Certificate from the vital statistics office of the province where the applicant was married and to be Apostilled by competent authorities in Canada
- Travel Document (Passport) of Spouse
- Evidence of financial support, i.e. letter from the company sponsoring the trip, financial assets, certificate from the bank, etc
- Philippine passport of wife or husband; or original copy of birth certificate
- Certificate of Canadian Citizenship of Filipino spouse (if applicable)
- Personal interview by the Consular Officer of the applicant
- Affidavit stating that applicant(s) intends to reside permanently in the Philippines with the supporting documents such as land titles and other evidence of ownership being disposed of in the country of where he/she is a citizen/resident of – must be duly executed before a notary public in the province of applicant’s residence
- If you are bringing a motor vehicle, please secure a license to import from the Philippine Department of Trade Office. Other requirements will apply.
- Other documents deemed necessary by the Consular Officer
- All original documents should be presented and three (3) photocopies of each are to be submitted to the Consular Officer
- Non-refundable visa fee: C$232.50 per applicant
Further information on the 13A Immigrant Visa requirements can be found through this link:
Reminders:
- For a Temporary Visitor’s visa, the application should be submitted 1 month before the intended travel date, since the visa is only valid for 3 months. The validity of the visa indicates the dates during which the visa holder may legally enter the Philippines. It is not equivalent to the authorized period of stay in the Philippines.
- The visa officer may request additional documents to determine whether the applicant can be issued a visa or not.
- Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, visa processing will usually take five (5) to seven (7) business days, excluding the time it will take for the applicant’s passport with visa sticker to be mailed.
- Some visa applications may require clearance from other Philippine Government agencies. Adjust your travel schedule accordingly.
- We do not require a confirmed flight booking. An online flight itinerary from any travel agency or airline company is acceptable.
- Countries of nationals under EO 408 are allowed to stay in the Philippines without visa not to exceed 30 days: (please click here for the complete list of Countries) Canadian passport holders who are staying for more than 30 days in the Philippines, must apply for their visa.
Please note that the visa issued is not a guarantee that the holder will be automatically admitted to the country. The admission of foreign nationals into the Philippines is a function of the immigration authorities at the port of entry.
To extend beyond the authorized period of stay, the foreign national will have to apply at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration https://immigration.gov.ph/visas/visa-waiver/
Information on securing an extension of stay and the corresponding fees are available at www.immigration.gov.ph.
For further information, please visit: https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/visa-general-info/
The Balikbayan Program
The Balikbayan Program, as instituted by Republic Act 6768 as amended by Republic Act 9174, was launched by the Philippine Government in 1989 “to attract and encourage overseas Filipinos to come and visit their motherland.”
The Balikbayan Privilege granted by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration upon entry allows former Filipino citizens (Balikbayan) who have acquired citizenship from visa-free countries to enter the Philippines visa-free for one year. This privilege also extends to their foreign family members, allowing them to stay for one year without a visa if they are traveling with the Balikbayan.
Under the program, the visa-free entry privilege is granted to:
- A Balikbayan, who may be either one of the following:
- A Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year;
- A Filipino overseas worker;
- A former Filipino citizen and his family who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines.
- Immediate family members (spouse and children) of the Balikbayan, who are nationals of countries falling under EO 408, travelling together with the Balikbayan.
Those who are admitted as Balikbayan are given an initial stay of one (1) year. They may extend their stay for another one (1), two (2) or six (6) months provided that they present their valid passport and a dully-filled-out visa extension form and submit it to the Visa Extension Section in the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Main Office or any BI Offices in the Philippines. An additional requirement will be asked for Balikbayan who have stayed in the Philippines after thirty six (36) months.
To avail of the Balikbayan Privilege entry, the Balikbayan may be required to present the following as proof of being a former Philippine citizen at the port of entry such as:
- Old Philippine passport, or
- Philippine birth certificate,
- RA 9225 Identification Certificate
- Canadian passport with a validity of at least six (6) months beyond the intended stay in the Philippines.
Immediate family members (spouse and children only) of the Balikbayan can also avail of the visa-free entry privilege provided they are travelling together with the Balikbayan, pay immigration fees, and observe and comply with immigration rules and regulations. In addition to showing their foreign passport, a family member must present:
- Birth Certificate (with English translation), in case of children;
- Marriage Certificate (with English translation), in case of spouse; and
- Adoption papers (proof of adoption), in case of legally adopted children
According to the Bureau of Immigration, the Balikbayan Privilege can be availed of by the foreign member of a balikbayan’s family EVERY TIME they enter the Philippines with the balikbayan (former Filipino/dual citizen) AND NOT ONLY ONCE A YEAR.
Please note that only family members of balikbayans from countries whose citizens enjoy the no-visa entry for 21-day stay may avail themselves of the balikbayan privilege and be able to stay in the Philippines for a period of one year without having to apply for a temporary visitor’s visa. All other nationals must secure entry visas prior to their travel to the Philippines.
If a balikbayan has used his/her privilege and stayed in the Philippines for one year, he/she may apply for an extension of stay for multiples of two months up to one additional year by paying the appropriate fees at the nearest Bureau of Immigration office.
Other privileges that the Balikbayan can avail under the Balikbayan Program are:
- Exemption from travel tax;
- Duty-free shopping privilege of up to US$2,000.00, provided that shopping must be done within two (2) days upon arrival and purchases must be made personally by the Balikbayan.
For more information on the Balikbayan entry privilege, please visit: https://immigration.gov.ph/faqs/ (under the heading: Balikbayan Privilege)