Philippines grants 2 week visa-free entry for Chinese nationals

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will grant visa-free entry to Chinese nationals for up to 14 days beginning Friday, January 16, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement. 

The temporary visa rule covers Chinese nationals entering the Phlilippines for both tourism or business and is not extendable or convertible to other kinds of visas. The privilege will also only apply to entries via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Cebu. 

Chinese nationals will only need to show the following upon entry to NAIA or MCIA: 

• a passport valid for at least six months beyond the contemplated stay
• confirmed hotel accommodation/booking
• return or onward ticket to the next country of destination

“To ensure that security and public order are maintained while facilitating the entry of legitimate travelers, checks on derogatory records of travelers will continue to apply,” said the DFA. 

The visa-free arrangement will be in effect for a year, subject to review before its expiration in 2027. 

China is only the latest country that was recently granted visa-free entry privileges by the Philippines. Earlier, Indian nationals were allowed to enter for 14 or 30 days without a visa. Manila also has a similar arrangement with Taiwan, and democratically-governed island that China sees as its own. 

The DFA’s announcement follows the re-launch of e-visa issuance to Chinese nationals — which was part of a larger push to attract more Chinese visitors, be it for tourism or business, to the Philippines. It also comes as tensions continue to simmer between the two Asian neighbors over China’s broad claims over most of the South China Sea, and Beijing’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com