Philippines: we apply for a visa yourself

Do I need a visa to the Philippines?

For citizens of the Russian Federation, a visa is not required if they simply plan to visit this country as tourists and for a short time. If you plan to stay here for a longer period, then you will need to apply for a visa at the Philippine Consulate.

Preferential entry rules apply for Russian travelers. You can stay in this Asian country for 30 days without a visa.

According to Philippine law, the day of arrival is not considered a day of stay, which means that if you arrive on the 1st, you can still legally stay here on the 31st.

Philippines without a visa: rules of entry and stay

Philippine border crossing stamp

By and large, 30 days is enough to have a good rest, go diving, visit your friends (if any), and fully get to know the country. To enter the Philippines without applying for a visa at the Consulate, you will need the following documents:

• international passport. The requirements for a travel document from the Philippine authorities are standard: the tourist's foreign passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the start of the trip;
• a correctly completed migration card;
• an electronic copy or original of the return air ticket;
• confirmation of solvency.

As for the last point, it is not mandatory, in most cases they do not focus on this, but you need to be prepared that the customs officer still has the right to demand evidence from you.

That’s all, you don’t need to have any more documents with you and you don’t need to fill out anything other than a migration card.

Filling out the migration card

A migration card is a small form that a foreigner must fill out and present when going through passport control. In most cases, a migration card is issued on board the plane. The form contains the tourist’s personal data, information about the hotel and the purpose of coming to the country. This measure is necessary in the event of any force majeure situation, so that the right tourist can be quickly found.

Philippines Migration Map

How the country's border is crossed

Upon arrival in the Philippines, each person goes through passport control; if the employees have any suspicions, they may order a personal search of the passenger. Then you need to present your international passport and migration card; if the card is filled out correctly, a visa stamp is placed in your passport, which displays the date of arrival in the country. When leaving the country, it is the visa stamp that customs officers look for: this makes it very easy to track visa violators.

Customs regulations

Each country has its own customs rules, everyone who comes here must know them and strictly observe them.

The following items are prohibited from being imported into the Philippines:

• medical medications (their list can be found on the website of the country’s Embassy);
• explosive materials;
• weapon. It is important to note that it is not prohibited to transport edged weapons, but you must have a special permit for them;
• jewelry that is not marked.

The following may be imported into the Philippines:

• food, not for sale, but for personal needs;
• animals, but only if they have an international veterinary certificate;
• no more than 2 liters of alcohol and 50 cigars or 400 regular cigarettes.

It is prohibited to export from the Philippines:

• antiques;
• wooden products that were made from rare wood species;
• jewelry;
• representatives of the flora and fauna of the Philippines.

The Philippine Peso is prohibited from being exported outside the country.

There are also rules for bringing cash into the country; a traveler cannot bring in more than 10 thousand dollars in cash without declaring it. There are also rules for the export of Philippine pesos: no more than 10,000 of this currency can be taken out of the country. If there is a lot of local cash left, try to spend it.

These rules do not apply to bank accounts and traveler's checks.

To find out more about customs regulations, you need to go to the website of the Philippine Embassy, ​​where you will find all the information a tourist needs.

Migration card

A tourist migration card is usually issued on board a plane landing in the Philippines. It takes the form of a form on which each arriving foreign guest must enter information about his identity, the expected dates and purposes of the visit, as well as leave hotel contacts.

Requirements for filling out migration cards are typical for most visa services in developed countries. The information from the form will allow you to quickly find a foreign citizen in the country if necessary.

Visa extension in the Philippines: extending the period of visa-free stay

It happens that the 30 days allowed by law were not enough, and a visa for a longer period was not previously issued, in which case it is possible to extend your stay in this beautiful country, the Philippines. You just need to come to the airport again and ask them to put a new stamp in your passport, which allows you to stay in the Philippines. Only this will no longer be the usual thirty-day visa stamp, but a slightly different one, which allows you to stay here for another fifty-nine days, however, you will have to pay for this stamp separately. If it is not possible to come to the airport, then this procedure can be done at any branch that deals with issues of extending your stay in the Philippines; there are more than enough such branches throughout the country; you need to check with the hotel staff where the closest one is located.

There is also the possibility of extending not only a visa stamp, but also a long-term visa, the validity of which has already expired or will expire in the near future. You just need to know some points regarding visa extension:

1. you can extend your stay in the Philippines more than once, but the total number of months cannot exceed sixteen;
2. when extending a long-term visa, the person is given an ID document, which contains his personal information and photograph;
3. if you repeatedly extend a visa for a period of more than 6 months, based on your ID and passport, you must be given a special certificate for departure, you must obtain it, otherwise, when leaving the country, you may be fined, the certificate is paid.

Video instruction: how to extend a visa in the Philippines

When is a visa needed?

With all extensions, you can stay in the Philippines for three months without a visa. But there are cases when you need to stay in this country for a longer period, in which case you need to apply for a long-term visa. For example, if a person is going to work, study, or just come to visit for a long time.

A multiple entry visa is issued for two periods, six and 12 months. The cost of the consular fee for a six-month visa is 80USD, and for an annual visa – 120USD.

Registration cost

The amount of the consular fee depends on the validity period and type of visa:

• single entry visa for three months - 40 US dollars;
• multiple entry visa for six months - $80;
• visa for sailors and pilots - $20;
• transit visa for a single entry valid for three months - $40.

The cost of student and work visas should be checked on the Embassy website.

Payment can be made either in cash in dollars or the national currency of the country of citizenship, or by bank transfer to the account of the Philippine Embassy.

The consular fee, regardless of the decision of the embassy, ​​is not refundable.

Applying for a visa to the Philippines: how to get a Philippine visa yourself

There are cases when it is necessary to obtain a long-stay visa; it is issued in Russia.

There is no classification of Philippine visas into “work”, “business”, “guest”. Visas differ slightly in terms of validity and package of documents.

Applying for a visa to the Philippines on your own is not at all difficult; you only need to prepare a certain list of documents:

• a copy of the passport pages containing the applicant’s personal information;
• a form to be filled out in English; a sample form can be downloaded from the Embassy’s website;
• return air tickets (it is enough to have a reservation);
• photo 3 by 4 centimeters;
• pay the consular fee and attach a payment receipt to the rest of the documents;
• letter of invitation from an employer, university, relative, friend, etc. This is a very important document, without which it is impossible to obtain a visa.

You can deliver documents to the Consulate yourself, or you can use a courier service. Documents are accepted in major cities of Russia, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok.

Visa to the Philippines in Russia in 2021

If the trip is expected to be long, then it makes sense to apply for a Philippines visa to the Russian Federation in advance. Citizens can apply at the consular department in three major cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Vladivostok.

In Moscow, the representative office is located near the Smolenskaya metro station at the address: Karmanitsky Lane, 6. Applications are accepted every day, except weekends, from 9 to 11:30, visas are issued from 14 to 16. Typically, the application is considered within one working week, from 2 up to 5 days.

Standard package of documents for Russians in 2021:

1. International passport and a copy of the first page. The document must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of intended departure.
2. Completed and signed application form in English.
3. A fresh 3x4 color photograph on a light background without ovals or corners.
4. Air tickets with exact date (round trip), originals and copies.
5. Confirmation of hotel reservation for tourists (can be in electronic form or a copy).
6. For children - a copy of their birth certificate. If the child is accompanied by one of the parents, you will need a power of attorney from the other parent, certified by a notary.
7. Receipt for payment of the consular fee.

For safety and peace of mind, we recommend taking out insurance.

Cost of a visa to the Philippines for Russians:

• for 3 months (single entry) - $40;
• for six months (multiple entries) - $80;
• for one year (multiple entry) - $120.

Documents for registration are submitted personally by the applicant or his authorized representative (travel agency). Documents delivered by special courier services DHL or FedEx are also considered.

Reviews from tourists about the Philippines >>

(Photo: -Gep- / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0)

Visa for children

If the whole family goes on a thirty-day vacation, then there are no special rules for the entry of a child. Parents register their minor child on the migration card.

In case of a long-term visa, you must provide a birth certificate.

Unfortunately, illegal human trafficking is thriving in the Philippines, in particular many children go missing, so there are some nuances regarding the entry of children:

1. it is impossible for a child to enter the country with relatives or third parties, he must be only with his parents;
2. If a child came to the Philippines with only one parent, then upon arrival it is necessary to present, certified by a notary, permission from the second parent that he allows the child to leave the country. Like most other documents, this one must be translated into English.
3. If it is not possible to obtain written permission from one of the parents (for example, death or unknown whereabouts), then you must provide a certificate translated into English, which indicates this fact.

To obtain a tourist visa, no additional documents are required, you just need to show your hotel reservation.

The Philippine government is taking such safety measures in order to protect tourists as much as possible from accidents. While in this country, you should not let your children go anywhere alone; do not lose sight of them, as human trafficking is highly developed in this country.

Philippines visa cost and processing time

So, as we have already found out, a 30-day tourist visa stamp is placed in the passport completely free of charge . You will have to pay in case of extension : 1st time - 75USD at the airport, 200USD at the Immigration Department; 2nd and subsequent times - 100USD .

You will also have to pay additionally:

• Identification document (foreigner ID) – 15USD ;
• Certificate for departure (if stay exceeded 6 months) – 12USD .

If you open a visa in advance, while still in Russia, then the prices will be completely different. Thus, a single-entry visa for three months will cost Russians 40USD per person. For a multiple-entry visa for six months you need to pay 80USD , and the consular fee for a multiple-entry annual visa for Russians is 120USD .

As you can see, extending a free visa stamp in the Philippines will be much more expensive than first obtaining a visa through the Philippine consulate in Russia. Therefore, immediately decide for what period you want to visit this country.

The visa is processed quite quickly; after submitting all the necessary documents, you can receive the visa in hand within two to five days.

Price

If you are planning a long-term visit, then it is much more profitable to obtain a visa to the Philippines in advance in the Russian Federation.

There are additional fees for individual documents required by a foreigner:

• Identification document (foreigner ID) – $15;
• Certificate for departure (if stay exceeded 6 months) – $12.

The Philippines is an excellent destination for quality beach holidays for tourists. In advertising materials of travel companies you can see many fabulous photographs in which snow-white sand and azure sea attract the eye and make you dream about a vacation, imagining all possible pleasures. The Internet is replete with numerous reports about visits to Boracay, Cebu, and Mindanao. Some Russians “wait out” the winter in the Philippines and sometimes live there with their entire families, because the absence of the need for a visa eliminates many unnecessary problems.

When traveling to the Philippines, you should remember the following points:

• Russians do not need a visa for a thirty-day stay;
• If you are planning a trip for a longer period, then it is most profitable to obtain a visa to the Philippines yourself at the Embassy of the country, while still in Russia - you will have to pay more on the spot for extending your stay (especially for repeated extensions);
• Visa refusals are rare; possible reasons are the same as for other countries;
• While in the Philippines, you should carefully supervise children; it is not recommended for minors to be unaccompanied;
• Before traveling, it is better to purchase medical insurance, since in the tropical climate of the country there are bacteria and diseases to which a person from mid-latitudes has no immunity;
• The fine for staying in the Philippines for Russian citizens with an expired visa is $23 for each day, payment is made at a special window at the airport. The fine must be paid in advance during business hours, as the window for paying fines is closed late in the evening and at night.

>Video: vacation in Manila, Philippines

Let's sum it up

The Philippines is a great place for a truly heavenly holiday for tourists. In the advertising brochures of many tour operators you can see incredibly beautiful photographs depicting golden beaches and azure seas that beckon tourists to come to this country. Advertisements also constantly pop up on the Internet inviting you to resorts in the Philippines. Many Russians, entire families, thanks to the visa-free regime, wait out entire winters in this country. Every day more and more tourists from Russia visit this state.

Things to remember when traveling to the Philippines:

• Russian citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to 30 days;
• if you know in advance that you will have to stay here, then it is advisable to apply for a long-term visa to the Russian Federation, it will be much cheaper than extending the visa directly in the Philippines;
• refusal to issue visas is practically zero;
• When staying within the Philippines, do not leave your children unattended; minors are highly discouraged from being alone;
• It is advisable to purchase honey before your trip. insurance, since in this country there is a fairly large number of diseases for which our people are not adapted;
• For each day of stay in the Philippines with an expired visa, there is a fairly large fine - 23USD. The fine must be paid at a special window, the work schedule of which does not provide for the presence of an employee at the workplace at night. If it happens that your plane is leaving at night, then make sure you arrive at the airport in advance to be able to pay the fine. Otherwise, you will have to miss the flight.