Philippines Immigration Latest Policy 2026: A Dated Timeline of New Entry, Stay and Work Rules

Philippine immigration and travel rule changes, 2025–2026: newest first

As of 18 September 2026, we could trace 14 Philippine immigration and travel changes from 2025–2026 back to an official source; the ones that matter most to foreigners living here are 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, the new tourist visa extension checklist, the 2026 Annual Report and the centralization of Alien Employment Permits (AEP). The table runs newest first. Sections 2 to 5 give each rule in the same order: effective date, who is affected, what to do, the official source and our detailed guide.

We used one inclusion rule: the change must be on a government website. Rumoured "new rules" we could not find on the issuing agency's own site are left out, and filing-channel details are always subject to the agency's latest notice. "Effective" means the agency printed an effective or start date; where it did not, we say "published", "updated" or "current" rather than inventing one.

This page is a timeline, not a manual: each entry gives the conclusion and links to a full guide. If you are still choosing a long-term status, start with our overview of long-term visas in the Philippines. If you plan to stay through an investment, read the companion piece on Philippines investment immigration and the SIRV.

At the border: 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, eTravel and eGates

Three things changed at the border: Chinese ordinary passport holders can enter visa-free for 14 days from 16 January 2026, eTravel must still be completed free of charge within 72 hours of arrival, and eGates are expanding but are not yet open to foreign nationals.

From 16 January 2026: 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals

• Effective: 16 January 2026, per the DFA announcement of 15 January 2026. The arrangement runs for 1 year and will be reviewed before it expires.
• Who: Chinese nationals travelling strictly for tourism or business.
• Conditions: Entry only through NAIA in Metro Manila or Mactan-Cebu International Airport; a passport valid at least 6 months beyond the intended stay; a confirmed hotel booking; and a return or onward ticket. Derogatory-record checks still apply. The 14 days cannot be extended or converted to any other visa.
• What to do: If your trip is longer than 14 days, you will land at another airport, or you want to change status later, get a 9(a) visa before you fly. The Chinese Embassy in Manila reminded travellers on 14 June 2026 that visa-free does not mean automatic admission: officers still examine the purpose of the trip.
• Official source: DFA announcement; Chinese Embassy reminder (in Chinese)
• Our guide: Chinese passport 14-day visa-free entry explained; other nationalities: Philippines visa-free policy

Current rule: eTravel within 72 hours, free of charge

• Rule: The official eTravel FAQ says you may register within 72 hours (3 days) before arriving in or leaving the Philippines and should show proof before boarding. Registration is free, and etravel.gov.ph is the only official site.
• Who must register: The FAQ lists arriving Filipino and foreign crew, arriving Filipino and foreign passengers, and departing Filipino passengers. Diplomats and their dependents, 9(e) visa holders and holders of diplomatic or official passports are exempt. Whether a departing foreigner must register depends on the list the site shows at the time.
• Timing: The FAQ gives no start date. BI repeated the rule in notices dated 24 December 2025, 29 March 2026 and 1 April 2026, adding that you can register through the eGovPH app and should ignore sites that charge a fee.
• What to do: Register within 3 days of travel and screenshot or print the QR code. A red QR code means quarantine officers will check you before immigration.
• Official source: eTravel FAQ
• Our guide: How to fill in eTravel

December 2025 to May 2026: eGate expansion

• Background: Under a BI notice of 30 March 2024, Filipinos using eGates stopped receiving arrival stickers from 1 April 2024 and now get an email confirmation at their eTravel address.
• 16 December 2025: 78 eGates were unveiled at NAIA Terminals 1 and 3: at T1, 6 for departures and 12 for arrivals; at T3, 18 in the main departure area, 12 for OFWs and 12 for arrivals (BI, 18 December).
• 22 December 2025: BI signed a contract for upgraded eGates at international airports outside Metro Manila, to be rolled out from 2026, with airports to be announced (BI, 30 December).
• 5 May 2026: A dry run of 18 additional eGates began at NAIA T3, bringing the terminal to 60. For now they serve only arriving Filipinos and departing OFWs on airlines that comply with Advance Passenger Information (API) rules; qualified foreign nationals are targeted for the next phase (BI, 12 May).
• What foreigners should do: Keep using the manual counters and check your arrival stamp before you walk away.
• Our guide: Reading your Philippine immigration stamp; arrival steps: arriving at Manila airport

Staying longer than 14 days, or planning to switch to a long-term visa after arrival? Ask Yixing to match your passport and itinerary to the right visa →

While you are here: new extension checklist, 2026 Annual Report and the Citizen's Charter

For anyone already in the country, three items matter in 2026: a new extension checklist took effect on 4 June, the 2026 Annual Report window ran from 1 January to 1 March, and BI has posted its Citizen's Charter 2026, 1st Edition.

Effective 4 June 2026: extension checklist for temporary visitors

• Effective: The BI checklist (form IRD04.QF.007, Revision 03) is marked effective 4 June 2026.
• Who: Foreigners admitted on a 9(a) tourist visa or visa-free who need to extend their stay. The 14-day visa-free stay for Chinese nationals remains non-extendable; this checklist does not change that.
• Documents: The Consolidated General Application Form (CGAF) for extension of a temporary visitor's visa, the original passport, and a copy of any downgrading order. If you overstayed more than 6 months or beyond the maximum allowable stay, add a notarized letter of explanation with original or certified true copies of supporting papers. BI may ask for more.
• General rules: File documents in the checklist order in a legal-size folder. Philippine civil registry documents must be PSA originals. Foreign documents must be authenticated by the Philippine post covering the place of issue (or by the DFA if issued by an embassy in Manila), with an English translation where needed. Representatives attach a copy of their BI accreditation ID, or an original special power of attorney for each applicant plus a copy of the attorney-in-fact's government ID.
• Pick-up warning: The claim slip says a passport not collected within 5 working days of the release date is turned over to the applicant's embassy or consulate.
• Maximum stay: In its entry on overstays beyond 12 months, the Citizen's Charter 2026 lists the ceilings as 36 months for non-visa-required nationals and 24 months for visa-required nationals, plus 14-day and 30-day categories under specific DFA circulars and the period printed on an electronic visa.
• Official source: BI extension checklist (PDF)
• Our guide: How to extend a 9A tourist visa

1 January to 1 March 2026: the 2026 Annual Report

• Basis: A BI notice of 3 January 2026 cites Section 10 of the Alien Registration Act of 1950: registered aliens must report within the first 60 days of the year, which in 2026 meant 1 January to 1 March.
• How: Complete online registration on BI e-services, then present a valid ACR I-Card or paper ACR, a valid passport and the receipt for last year's Annual Report fee. Qualified foreigners who are in the Philippines with valid visas could use the 24/7 virtual Annual Report system and pay online.
• Consequences: You must settle the Annual Report before BI issues an ECC-B, and non-compliance can lead to administrative fines or prosecution.
• Outcome: BI said on 17 March 2026 that 133,372 foreign nationals reported this year, with more of them completing it online.
• Watch out: Some entries in the Citizen's Charter 2026 describe the window as 1 January to 2 March. Follow each year's own notice.
• Official source: BI 2026 Annual Report notice
• Our guide: Annual Report guide; card rules: ACR I-Card guide

From August 2026: Citizen's Charter 2026, 1st Edition

• Status: BI's Citizen's Charter page now carries the 2026 1st Edition. The main-office file was uploaded in August 2026, and the airport-office versions are dated 2 September and 10 September 2026. The document itself does not state an effective date.
• Why it matters: It lists, for each service, who may apply, the checklist, the steps, the processing time and the fees. Where this page and the charter disagree, the BI text wins.
• Official source: BI Citizen's Charter page; main office PDF

Already in the Philippines and your tourist visa is running out? Let Yixing check your authorized stay against the new checklist →

Work permits: AEPs centralized at DOLE from 9 June 2026

The biggest change for work permits: from 9 June 2026, all new and renewal AEP applications are handled by the DOLE Central Office, and regional offices no longer accept them. HR teams should retire any process map written before June 2026.

Effective 9 June 2026: centralized AEP processing

• Basis: DOLE Administrative Order No. 199, Series of 2026, announced in a DOLE news release dated 10 June 2026.
• What changed: Regional offices immediately stopped accepting, processing, evaluating and issuing new and renewal AEPs. The Central Office now handles all of it, and the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) runs the local publication and Labor Market Test through a digital platform and linked labor registries.
• Pending files: Applications received by regional offices by close of business on 8 June 2026 were transferred digitally to the Central Office, with the processing clock continuing from the point of transfer and no delay or penalty charged to applicants under the Ease of Doing Business Act. Records had to move within 5 calendar days, with end-to-end encryption and chain-of-custody documentation.
• Official source: DOLE news release, 10 June 2026

Posted 11 June 2026: Department Order No. 248-B and the new FAQ

• Regulation: DOLE posted Department Order No. 248-B, Series of 2026, on 11 June 2026. Its title centralizes filing, processing, evaluation, approval, issuance, release, adjudication and enforcement for AEPs and amends Department Order Nos. 248 and 248-A, Series of 2025.
• Key points in the FAQ: The BLE FAQ says applications are filed with the BLE; employers must publish the vacancy in a newspaper of general circulation at least 15 days before filing; and renewals may be filed as early as 60 days before expiry.
• Official source: DOLE AEP FAQ (PDF); BLE alien employment regulation page

18 July 2026: town halls and online payment

• What DOLE said: Its nationwide town halls walked employers through the new requirements, fees, digital payment options and a 15-day processing timeline. Fees can be paid online through LandBank BizPortal, and DOLE is prioritizing exclusion and exemption applications, ecozone locators and renewals.
• Official source: DOLE news release, 18 July 2026

Three things employers should do now. First, drop regional-office habits and rebuild your file against the FAQ. Second, take filing links and contact details only from DOLE and BLE official channels, and ignore anyone offering a "back door". Third, if an AEP is close to expiry, use the 60-day window and budget time for the 9G that follows. For the step-by-step process see the 2026 AEP filing guide; for basics, what an AEP is and who needs one; and for the visa side, the 9G work visa and AEP guide.

If you want a document check before filing, Yixing's visa and HR team can line up the AEP and 9G sequence with you. Approval decisions rest with DOLE and BI.

Hiring or renewing foreign staff? Have Yixing review your employer file and the AEP-to-9G order →

Documents and third-country visas: e-Apostille, U.S., Japan and New Zealand

Four changes affect documents and third-country visas: the DFA has issued fully digital apostilles for PSA eCertificates and CHED eCAVs since 16 March 2026; the U.S. wants nonimmigrant applicants to apply where they are nationals or residents; Japan's visa centers opened on 7 April 2025; and New Zealand stops taking paper forms for some visitor visas on 1 October 2026.

From 16 March 2026: fully digital apostille

• What changed: The DFA launched a fully digital apostille for PSA eCertificates (civil registry documents) and CHED electronic Certification, Authentication and Verification (eCAV) records. The whole process is online through the DFA e-Apostille portal, with no physical submission. Application steps are published through the PSA online ordering channel for civil documents and the CHED eCAV portal for academic records.
• Background and follow-up: The DFA first launched e-Apostille on 19 March 2024 for PSA e-certificates. From 29 June 2026, MARINA's electronic certificates were added, and the e-Apostilled document goes straight to the applicant's email.
• Caution: The DFA e-Apostille page warns that not every country accepts an e-Apostille, that printing it voids it, and that documents for non-Apostille countries still need legalization by that country's embassy in Manila.
• Official source: DFA announcement, 16 March 2026; DFA e-Apostille page
• Our guide: Philippine apostille explained

1 October 2025 and 15 July 2026: two U.S. visa rules

• Interview waivers narrowed: Under the State Department update of 18 September 2025, effective 1 October 2025, almost all nonimmigrant applicants, including those under 14 and over 79, need an in-person interview. The remaining exceptions are diplomatic and official categories and certain B and H-2A renewals, and waiver applicants must apply in their country of nationality or usual residence.
• Country of residence: The State Department notice (current version last updated 15 July 2026, marked effective immediately) tells nonimmigrant applicants to book interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence. Anyone applying on the basis of residence must be able to prove it; applying elsewhere may make it harder to qualify, and fees are neither refunded nor transferred. The U.S. Embassy in Manila shows the same notice at the top of its visa page.
• What to do: Non-Filipinos applying in Manila should make sure their Philippine residence status is solid first. The notice does not list which documents prove residence; the consular officer decides.
• Official source: Interview waiver update; country-of-residence notice; U.S. Embassy Manila visa page
• Our guide: Applying for a U.S. visa in the Philippines

From 7 April 2025: Japan visas through application centers

• What changed: The Embassy of Japan's visa page says its Visa Center started on 7 April 2025, with 3 sites in Metro Manila and 1 each in Cebu and Davao. The categories that may still apply directly at the embassy or consulates are listed on its general information page. The embassy warns that tourist visas may take several weeks.
• Official source: Embassy of Japan visa page; general information page
• Our guide: Japan visa for Chinese passport holders in the Philippines

From 1 October 2026: New Zealand ends paper forms for some visas

• What changed: Immigration New Zealand announced on 4 September 2026 that from 1 October 2026, a group of visitor and transit visas, including the Group Visitor Visa (with ADS), the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa and the Medical Treatment Visitor Visa, must be filed through enhanced Immigration Online. Paper applications lodged before that date are processed as normal; afterwards, paper is accepted only in exceptional circumstances. Partner and child visitor visas are among those not affected for now.
• Official source: Immigration New Zealand announcement
• Our guide: New Zealand visa from the Philippines

Applying for a third-country visa from Manila, or sending authenticated papers abroad? Let Yixing check the filing post, document order and authentication steps →

How to track the next change: which official pages to read and a 5-step self-check

Rules move fast, so the safest habit is to read the issuing agency's own page before every transaction and check your case in this order: entry status, authorized stay, ID card and Annual Report, work permit, then exit formalities.

Where to read the source. For entry, stay, Annual Report and ECC, use BI news and the Citizen's Charter. For eTravel, use only etravel.gov.ph. For AEPs, use DOLE news and the BLE alien employment page. For apostilles, use the DFA Authentication Division advisories. For third-country visas, use that country's embassy or immigration site. Every entry above links its source, so check the date before you act.

A 5-step self-check:

1. Entry status: did you enter visa-free, on a 9(a) or on a long-term visa? The 14-day visa-free stay for Chinese nationals cannot be extended or converted, so a longer stay needs a different route.
2. Authorized stay: when does it end? Extensions follow the checklist effective 4 June 2026, and an overstay of more than 6 months needs a notarized explanation.
3. ID card and Annual Report: stays beyond 59 days require an ACR I-Card, and registered foreigners report within the first 60 days of each year. The 2026 window closed on 1 March, so catch up if you missed it.
4. Work permit: if you are employed, confirm your AEP was filed or renewed under the centralized process in place since 9 June 2026, then look at the 9G.
5. Exit: get your ECC if you need one and settle the Annual Report first. BI holiday advisories recommend arriving at least 3 hours before departure. See what foreigners need before leaving the Philippines and how early to be at NAIA.

Spotting fake "new rules". If you cannot find it on an official page, do not act on it yet. Any site charging for eTravel is fake. Anyone claiming they can "arrange" your clearance with immigration officers should be ignored: admission and departure decisions are made by immigration officers under the law, and no agent can make them for you.

Thinking long term? To move from visitor to resident, start with long-term visa options in the Philippines. To stay through investment, read Philippines investment immigration and the SIRV process.

Yixing is a private visa consultancy in Manila with no affiliation to any government agency. We match your situation to the official requirements, prepare the file and sequence the steps; the decision stays with the agency. For a one-on-one review, contact Yixing's visa and HR team.

Not sure which of these changes applies to you? Send Yixing your passport, visa and travel dates for a status and timeline check →