Tourist Visa Philippines

Visiting the Philippines

Foreigners longing to see the real beauty of the Philippines will have no problem visiting the country. Whether for pleasure, business, or health and medical reasons, we guarantee that the potential tourist will have a pleasurable and enjoyable experience in the Philippines.

What’s in store for the average traveler?

More than just the average white-sand beach: Boracay Island prides itself as the only seashore with sands so fine that it feels like baby powder. There are so many aqua-sports to choose from like snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, sail-boarding, kayaking, boardsailing, and boating. Boracay also offers flat-water speed sailing, wave jumping and long-board cruising.

More than just the average fauna: Straight out of Africa, the Calauit Island in Busuanga, Palawan is sanctuary to 108 African animals, and features an array of endangered Philippine animals.

The Palawan Wildlife Rescue Center is also home to endangered species of crocodiles on the verge of extinction. Located in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Rescue Center houses a hospital for sick and disabled crocodiles.

More than just the average marine life: The Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park was honored by UNESCO by including it in the prestigious World Heritage List. The “Reef” teems with dolphins, marine turtles, seabirds, 300 coral species, 46 coral genera, and 71 algae species. Palawan is home to the Dugong or sea cow, while Sorsogon in the Bicol Province is home to the giant but gentle whale sharks, locally known as Butandings.

More than just the average stairs: The eighth wonder of the world located in the high Cordilleras is the Banaue Rice Terraces. These rice terraces, sometimes referred to as Stairway to the Heavens, is said to have been built and carved into the mountains of Ifugao by ancestors of the Batad Tribe over 2,000 years ago.

More than just the average golf course: The Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite is an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus masterpiece which served as home to the 1996 World Amateur Golf Championship. It has two legendary fairways, the “Masters” course accentuated by traps and water hazards, and the “Legends” course punctuated by high mounds.

Essential documents required for a Tourist Visa

If the travel is for pleasure or for medical reasons, the applicant must fill up the visa application form and present a passport which should be valid for at least six months beyond the length of the proposed stay in the Philippines. The applicant must also submit a photocopy of the airline ticket or travel itinerary, and proof of financial capacity.

If the travel is for a business purpose, the applicant is required to submit the above-mentioned requirements, in addition to a business letter stating the purpose of his travel, the duration of his stay, and his financial means of support.

Manila Visa would like to stress that all Philippine tourist visa holders are prohibited from acquiring any form of employment. They are also not allowed to engage in business, nor study in any learning institution in the country. The business contemplated under the tourist visa is merely for personal business.

Thus, in order to lawfully carry out any business activities, the alien intending to engage in any trade inside the country must apply for an investor’s visa, which is completely separate and distinct from the business activities allowed under the tourist visa.

For non-Filipino children under fifteen (15) years of age travelling unaccompanied, the parents are required to apply for a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) by executing an “Affidavit of Request, Consent, and Guaranty” duly notarized by a local notary public or by a consular officer of the Philippine Consulate General. The WEG shall be issued by the Bureau of Immigration upon arrival of the minor in the country.

After compliance of these mandatory requirements, the tourist can now relax and enjoy everything the Philippines has to offer: Pristine white beaches with powder-like sands, tropical weather 24/7, exotic native delicacies, and most of all the legendary Filipino hospitality known worldwide.

As for the patient-tourist, he can be assured that the local medical practitioners as well as the medical facilities are the best in the world.
Based on statistics, of the ten (10) medical tourism facilities located in Cebu and Manila, a total of Php260.2 million in revenues were generated by the said facilities from a total of 4,677 foreign patient-tourists in 2008 alone. Majority of the patient-tourists who trusts and have confidence in Philippine doctors were from USA, Japan, and Guam.

Tourism on the upswing

Latest statistics issued by the tourism agency of the Philippines show that there was an average of almost twenty percent (20%) increase in tourist inflow for the year 2008, with the US and Korea as the top visitors of the country.

According to the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT), the immense arrival of foreign tourists in the country has contradicted an earlier United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) report that tourism growth in Asia and the Pacific region declined rapidly in mid-2008. “…arrivals to Singapore dropped by 1.5% in spite of several high-profile events. Foreign tourists to Hong Kong with exception of arrivals from China also declined by 4.5%,” the report said.
“Despite these market developments, international visitor arrivals to the Philippines grew by 1.5% in 2008, reaching 3,139,422,” the DOT added.
And as proof that Boracay Island remains as the beach capital of Asia, Chinese tourists rose by 21%, while Singaporean and Australian visitors also came in droves last year.