Philippines Visa Requirements for UK Citizens

So you want to come to The Philippines? Good news! The English speaking enclave of Southeast Asia has one of the most lenient visa policies in the world for UK nationals. Most Brits come and stay here on a 9A Tourist Visa.

All immigration matters are handled by the Bureau of Immigration which is a subsidiary of the Department of Justice. The constitution of Philippine immigration policy is the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 as amended.

9A Tourist Visas to The Philippines

If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom upon arrival to The Philippines you will be issued a 9A tourist visa. Citizens of the UK are required to obtain a visa prior to travel to The Philippines. The 9A visa entitles the holder to stay in the country for a maximum of 30 calendar days. In order to enter the country the UK passport holder must:

Have at least 6 months validity on his passport after his intended length of stay
Possess an onward ticket to leave The Philippines before 60 days have passed

There are three types of 9A visas. The first is the tourist visa. This is by far the most common visa issued and the easiest to get. The second is the business visa. This allows you to seek business and investment opportunities in the country but does not grant permission to work. The third, and least common is the health visa. This is meant for individuals who suffer from a non-contagious illness and wish to ‘rest & recover’ in the country.

Note: Working without a permit is considered a very serious offense in The Philippines and is a sure way to get yourself deported and barred from ever returning to the country. See: American Deported for Working at Boracay Resort Without a Permit

Maximum Length of Stay for British Citizens

If you want to know how long British citizens can stay in The Philippines the answer is 36 months (3 years) on a typical 9A tourist visa. However, you can leave the country and return the very same day and extend your tourist visa for up to 36 months again. It’s important to note that once you’ve stayed in The Philippines for 6 months you must obtain an Exit Clearance Certificate prior to departure.

UK nationals wishing to stay in the country are eligible to extend their tourist visas on monthly, bi-monthly, or bi-annual increments. The 6-month visa is known as the Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE). With an LSVVE you can extend your visa every 6 months for up to 36 months. This ability to extend the visa without limit is why the 9A is often referred to as the ‘indefinite tourist visa’.

Moving to The Philippines From The UK

If you are planning to move to The Philippines from the UK on a long term basis the easiest way is to simply extend your 9A tourist visa indefinitely. Even though the maximum you can extend your tourist visa is 36 months you can literally reset the clock by leaving the country and returning the same day. That’s why some people call it the ‘indefinite tourist visa’.

However, some Brits may find this constant treadmill of endless visa extensions to be tedious and want a more permanent solution. Even more so if they plan to do business in The Philippines.

Some other options include a 13A Spousal Visa which is usually obtained by marrying a Filipino national, the Special Resident Retiree Visa (SRRV) for retirees with prior military service or big bank accounts, and the Special Investor’s Residence Visa (SIRV) another visa for those with deep pockets. Read more on these and other permanant visas

Philippine Visa Fees for UK Citizens

The fee schedule for 9A Tourist Visa extensions directly from the Bureau of Immigration’s web page are as follows:

3040 pesos for a one-month extension
- 4400 for express extensions (you get your passport back the same day)
3900 pesos for a two-month extension
- 4900 for express extensions (you get your passport back the same day)
500 pesos fine for overstaying 1-day to 1-month and 500 pesos for each month after that.
510 pesos for a Motion of Reconsideration for Overstaying. This is if you’ve overstayed for 12 months or more and want to prevent from being blacklisted by the BI
750 pesos departure tax if leaving from Cebu-Mactan Airport

Important note: I was charged an overstay fee because I overstayed by just 15 hours. This was due to the fact that my visa expiration date fell on a Sunday and I re-applied for an extension on Monday.

Overstaying Your Visa

Falling behind on their visa extensions is one of the principle reasons expats get kicked out of The Philippines. It’s really important you keep on top of your visa extension dates. That being said, if you do manage to fall behind there are redresses available to you, all of which require money.

Redress #1 Pay Up

The first redress is to simply pay the fine and go on about your business. This is available to UK overstayers of 1-month to 12 months past the original expiration date of their 9A visa. The fine is 500 pesos for 1-day to 1-month and 500 pesos each month after that. Keep in mind this is in addition to whatever the costs to extend your visa would’ve been had you kept up on your extensions.

Redress #2 File a Motion for Reconsideration

If you’ve managed to overstay for longer than 12 months you must file a Motion for Reconsideration on Updating and Extension of Authorized Stay (MORUEA) with the Bureau of Immigration. The fee for this motion is 510 pesos plus whatever your normal visa extension costs would’ve been.

The Philippines doesn’t take kindly to overstayers. The reason being is they want foreign nationals who have the means to support themselves. Usually, foreigners who fall behind on their extensions do so due to lack of funds. That’s the exact opposite type of foreigner that the country wants. If you’ve managed to overstay longer than 12 months you better have a darn good reason and you need to hire an attorney if you want any chance of your MORUEA being approved.

Note: Marriage is not a redress for overstaying! The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 (PIA) explicitly states that foreign overstayers are ineligible for a 13A spousal visa.

Further reading: The True Pros & Cons of Living in The Philippines