Philippines Visa-Free Countries and Rules 2026: Who Gets 30, 59, 14 or 7 Days, and Which Stays Can Be Extended

The Philippines Visa-Free Policy in One Table: 30, 59, 14 and 7 Days by Passport

Philippine visa-free entry is set by passport, and the usual starting periods are 30, 59, 14 and 7 days. The Department of Foreign Affairs eVisa visa policy page is the most complete official statement, and the Bureau of Immigration's FAQ page classifies temporary visitors by how they are admitted. Put together:

Two more arrangements sit outside the table. The policy page says holders of an ETA issued by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) get an initial 30 days, and the Balikbayan privilege gives an initial year, with a nationality condition for foreign family members covered in section six.

Use the table in three steps.

1. Passport first, not ancestry or residence. The same person can fall into different tiers with different documents: a Hong Kong resident on an HKSAR passport gets 14 days, while the Hong Kong consulate's BNO page says BNO holders need no visa for up to 7 days and need one for longer stays (the policy page puts Hong Kong British passports in the 7-day tier extendable to 21 days, but if you plan to stay beyond 7 days, getting a visa first as the consulate advises is the safer course); see BNO versus HKSAR passport. A Chinese passport holder living in a third country is still assessed as a Chinese passport holder.
2. Then purpose. Visa-free entry covers temporary visitors only: tourism, business meetings, family visits and similar short trips. The Chinese and Indian 14-day tiers are limited in writing to tourism or business, and the 7-day tier to tourism.
3. Then port and length of stay. The mainland Chinese 14 days apply at two airports only. If your trip is longer than the waiver and your tier cannot be extended, get a visa before you fly.

These arrangements change. Executive Order No. 408 and its amendments form the base list, which the DFA maintains. The Chinese, Indian and Taiwan tiers were set separately in the past two years by announcement or circular, and most carry an end date: the Chinese 14 days run for one year and are reviewed before expiry, and the Taiwan 14 days run to 30 June 2027. Check the policy page and the posts' notices before travel. What people mean by a Philippine "visa on arrival" is explained in does the Philippines have a visa on arrival.

Which Countries Get 30 Days Visa-Free: The 157-Country EO 408 List, Without China or India

The 30-day tier is the Executive Order No. 408 list; the current policy page names 157 countries, and neither China nor India is among them. The page says that, under EO 408 and later amendments, the DFA keeps a list of countries whose nationals may enter without a visa if their passport is valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay and they hold a return ticket or a ticket onward to their next destination. Those nationals get an initial 30 days. Brazil and Israel carry an asterisk on the list and may stay 59 days under existing agreements. The Shanghai consulate's visa page reproduces the same 157-country list.

Frequently asked-about countries by region, each checked against the policy page list:

• Asia: Japan, South Korea and Mongolia; the nine other ASEAN states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam); Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; and Bhutan, the Maldives and Nepal.
• Middle East: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Turkey, with Israel in the 59-day tier.
• Europe: all 27 EU member states, plus the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Russia, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino and the Vatican.
• Americas: the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and others, with Brazil in the 59-day tier.
• Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Palau and others.
• Africa: more than forty countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal; see which African passports are visa-free for a country-by-country check.

If your country is not on the list, you are a visa-required national. The policy page says nationals of countries not included under EO 408 are visa-required and face a stricter set of documentary requirements. The current list does not include China or India (both have separate arrangements), nor Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Egypt or Nigeria, among others; holders of those passports should expect to obtain a visa from a Philippine embassy or consulate before travelling. The Bureau of Immigration's FAQ says a temporary visitor's visa is applied for at the Philippine post in the country of origin or place of legal residence. If you are in China, find the right post in Philippine embassies and consulates in China.

How to check a passport: open the policy page, find the section headed "Free to enter the Philippines without Visa", and search by the English country name. An asterisk means 59 days. If the country is not there, read on to the Chinese and Indian sections; if it is still not there, prepare as a visa-required national. The list keeps its own spellings, such as Republic of Korea and Swaziland, so search accordingly.

Full rules for several nationalities are in ASEAN passports and Philippine visas, Middle Eastern passports and Philippine visas, long stays for US citizens and the Indian passport guide. What a 30-day visitor may and may not do is in section five, and extensions are in section four.

Chinese, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Passports: All 14 Days, Different Limits

Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan passports all get 14 days, but the airport, extension and conversion rules differ, so do not borrow one from another. The headline rules, with the detailed guides:

Sources: the mainland 14 days come from the DFA announcement of 15 January 2026; the 7-day tier and the Hong Kong and Macau 14 days from the eVisa policy page (Foreign Service Circulars No. 112-11 and 122-11); the 30 days for Chinese diplomatic and service passports from a note on the Philippine Embassy in Beijing's visa categories page; and the Taiwan 14 days from the MECO advisory reported by PNA on 1 July 2026.

Three extra points for mainland Chinese passports:

• Two airports. Arriving through Clark, Davao, Kalibo or any other port rules out the 14-day waiver. For tourists holding a valid US, Japanese, Australian, Canadian or Schengen visa, the Hong Kong consulate's PRC passport tourism page says the 7-day tier allows entry at any Philippine port; which category you are admitted under is still the immigration officer's call.
• Transit. The policy page says Chinese nationals transiting the Philippines to a third country must obtain a Philippine transit visa before entry; see the 9(b) transit visa.
• The eVisa is not a longer version. The eVisa issued in China is also 14 days, two airports, non-extendable and non-convertible; whether you need one is covered in the Philippine eVisa guide.

Three reminders for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan documents:

1. The Hong Kong consulate's visa page says Hong Kong Document of Identity (HKDI) holders need a visa, and so do Chinese nationals, including HKSAR passport holders, who plan to stay more than 14 days; they apply for a sticker visa at the visa application centre.
2. Exit-entry permits for Hong Kong and Macau residents and local identity cards are not travel documents for the Philippines. Use the same passport for entry, any extension and departure.
3. Taiwan passport holders also have a MECO ETA route: the policy page gives ETA holders an initial 30 days under Operations Order No. SBM-2015-018. Whether ETAs are currently issued, and to whom, is for MECO's current notices to confirm.

A document-by-document comparison, and what the "visa on arrival" label really refers to, is in does the Philippines have a visa on arrival; this section gives only the conclusions.

Which Visa-Free Stays Can Be Extended: 30 Days Yes, the Chinese, Indian and Taiwan 14 Days No

A 30-day visa-free stay can be extended step by step at the Bureau of Immigration; the mainland Chinese, Indian and Taiwan 14-day stays are expressly non-extendable. The official position for each tier:

Extendable stays still have a ceiling. The motion-for-reconsideration section of the BI 9A Visa Waiver page sets the maximum allowable stay for visitors at 36 months for non-visa-required nationals and 24 months for visa-required nationals; anyone beyond that ceiling, or overstaying by more than six months, has to file a motion for reconsideration. Extensions are filed at the BI Main Office or an authorised field office on the CGAF extension form, with the documents on the Bureau's extension checklist. How the ceiling is counted and what to do when you reach it are covered in how long you can stay on a tourist visa; the rhythm of repeated extensions is in the 9(a) extension guide.

If your tier cannot be extended, leaving before it ends is the only compliant option. The official wording for the mainland Chinese, Taiwan and Indian 14 days is "non-extendible", and the counter will not bend it because your plans changed. If you want a longer stay, plan a visa before your next trip. If you have already overstayed, go to the Bureau promptly; the order of steps is in what to do about an overstay. For long overstays or a possible adverse record, consult a licensed lawyer; this article is not legal advice.

A common misunderstanding: "leave and come back and the clock resets". How many days you get on each entry is decided by the immigration officer under the law on that arrival. Frequent short exits by someone who is in practice living in the Philippines tend to draw more questions, and admission remains the officer's decision. If you plan to live there, choose the right long-term status instead of collecting entry stamps.

The 30-day tier can be extended and the 14-day tiers cannot. Find out which one you are on before deciding between an extension and a visa. Let Yixing check your extension eligibility and documents →

Conditions for Visa-Free Entry: Passport Validity, Onward Ticket, eTravel and No Work

Visa-free entry removes the visa, not the checks. Across the tiers, the policy page asks for the following, so have them ready before you fly:

1. Passport validity: at least six months beyond the intended stay. The EO 408, Chinese and Indian tiers all say this; preparing to the same standard for the others is the safe choice.
2. Return or onward ticket: required in writing for the EO 408 list, Macau SAR passports, the 7-day tier, and the Chinese and Indian tiers. A one-way ticket can be stopped at check-in; see do you need a return ticket to enter the Philippines.
3. Hotel booking: the Chinese and Indian tiers require confirmed accommodation, and the Indian 14-day tier also requires proof of financial capacity.
4. eTravel registration: every arriving traveller registers on the official etravel.gov.ph system, free of charge. The Shanghai consulate's visa page says you can register no earlier than 72 hours before arrival and may be asked to show the QR code before boarding. How to fill it in: eTravel registration step by step.
5. No derogatory record: the Chinese and Indian tiers say this in terms, and the Macau consulate's entry guidelines say people subject to DFA or Bureau of Immigration deportation or blacklist orders will not be admitted. Check your own position first: how to check whether you are blacklisted.

Visa-free status is visitor status, not a work permit. For each 9(a) visitor category, the policy page repeats that the visit must not create an employer-employee relationship with a Philippine company or entity or involve payment of compensation in the Philippines. Business meetings, conferences and site visits fit within visitor status; being employed requires a work permit and a work visa. Starting work on a visa-free stay and fixing the paperwork later is a serious risk; see what happens if you work on visitor status.

The immigration officer decides. The policy page says the admission of foreign nationals is a function of the immigration authorities at the port of entry, and that applies to visa holders and visa-free travellers alike. Expect questions on your purpose, where you are staying, how long, and when you leave. Answer truthfully and briefly, and keep your answers consistent with your documents: the purpose you state should match the papers you carry, and the length of stay you give should match your return date. Being sent to secondary inspection is not a refusal; see secondary inspection at Philippine airports.

The airline usually checks first. Check-in staff typically look at passport validity, your return ticket and the basis on which you are travelling visa-free. On the 7-day tier, have the valid third-country visa ready to show. If your documents do not satisfy the counter, you will not reach the officer.

Travelling with children: the Bureau's FAQ says children under 15 who are not accompanied by, or not joining, a parent are excludable and need a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) from the Bureau. A visa-free tier does not remove this, so check before a child travels with relatives or a school group.

When Visa-Free Entry Does Not Work: Visa-Required Nationals, Transit, Long Stays and Balikbayan Limits

If you are outside every visa-free tier, need longer than your tier allows, plan to work or study, or are only transiting, you need a visa before you fly. Typical cases:

• Visa-required nationals: apply for a temporary visitor's visa at the Philippine post in your country of origin or legal residence (BI FAQ). If you are in China, find the right post by province in Philippine embassies and consulates in China.
• Longer than a non-extendable tier: a mainland Chinese passport holder staying over 14 days, or arriving through another airport, gets a 9(a) sticker visa first; anyone planning to convert to work, study or another status after arrival applies directly to a post for a conventional visa.
• Transit: the policy page says Chinese nationals transiting to a third country need a transit visa in advance, and Indian nationals transiting or coming for non-tourism purposes need the appropriate visa from a Philippine post.
• Living, working, studying or marrying: visa-free status cannot be converted into these; see the overview of Philippine visa types. Mainland Chinese passports are not on the Bureau's 13(a) reciprocity list, so Chinese spouses of Filipinos use the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV); see 13(a) versus TRV.

Balikbayan: one year, with a nationality condition for foreign family. The Bureau's FAQ page defines a balikbayan as a Filipino citizen continuously abroad for at least a year, an overseas Filipino worker, or a former Filipino naturalised abroad and his or her family, admitted under Republic Act No. 6768 as amended by RA 9174 for an initial stay of one year. The spouse and children qualify only if they are nationals of countries under EO 408 and travel together with the balikbayan. The same page says former Filipinos and their spouses and children who are visa-required nationals are not entitled and must obtain entry visas before travelling, and the "Return Privilege" section of the Macau consulate's entry guidelines says the same. In other words, a spouse or child on a mainland Chinese passport is outside the one-year privilege even when flying with the Filipino family member.

Five common mistakes:

1. "China gets 30 days visa-free." Mainland ordinary passports get 14; 30 days applies to EO 408 nationals and to Chinese diplomatic and service passports.
2. "I'll just extend at immigration." The mainland Chinese, Indian and Taiwan 14 days are non-extendable in writing.
3. "Visa-free in Manila means visa-free in Clark." The mainland 14 days apply only at NAIA and MCIA.
4. "Any US visa gets you in visa-free." The policy page gives third-country-visa arrangements only to mainland Chinese (7 days) and Indian (30 days) passports, with different visa lists.
5. "Marrying a Filipino gives a year visa-free." Balikbayan spouses must be EO 408 nationals and travel with the Filipino spouse.

All of these rules are published by the Philippine side and can be changed by it; check the policy page and Bureau notices again before you travel. Yixing is a private consultancy with a physical office in Makati and no affiliation with any government agency. It can help you work out which tier applies to your passport, trip and long-term plans, and whether a visa is needed in advance; see visa and residence status advice. Admission and extensions are decided by the Bureau of Immigration under the law. This article is general information and contains no fee quotes.

Match your passport, arrival airport and length of stay and you will know whether visa-free entry is enough. If it is not, a visa before departure is far easier than fixing things after landing. Let Yixing plan your Philippine 9(a) visa around your trip →