Visa regime of the Philippines: entry, visa-free period of stay, visa extension (procedure, timing, cost), departure, personal experience. Features of entering the Philippines with a child

This is the first post about motorcycle travel in the Philippines, in which I will tell you about how a simple Russian guy Sasha came to the Philippines and what happened to him in the first days of his stay in this country. You will also find out the whole truth about the crazy city of Manila.

I flew away from St. Petersburg on November 17, 2013. The cheapest and fastest way to fly to the Philippines is via Hong Kong. Considering that this super city is visa-free for Russians, it would be a sin not to stay there for a few days, which I did. Hong Kong was so incredible that for the first time in my life I seriously thought about moving for a long time. It will take a long time to tell, so I plan to write a separate post about him with delight and colorful photos.

After three wonderful days in Hong Kong, I drove to the airport, went to the check-in counter and happily handed the girl with the Philippines Air badge my passport and a printout of the ticket.

Your return ticket, sir! - she said, smiling sweetly.

Why do I need to show a return ticket? - I asked and began to feverishly figure out what to answer, since I did not have a return ticket

This is a requirement of the immigration office. Without it, we can't get you on the plane.

Eeeeee ... You know, I don't remember where he is.

No problem sir! State your last name and departure dates. I'll check the database.

I don't remember the date \\ This is not mine \\ Call my lawyer \\ Well, please!

Unfortunately, there is no way without a ticket. If you don't have one, you can buy it now at our counter. It is impossible to use the Internet because sites do not confirm the purchase immediately, and your plane will take off in an hour. At our counter, confirmation goes through immediately, but since you buy a ticket at the airport, it will cost at the maximum fare.

There weren't many options. I had to buy a ticket from Hong Kong to Manila for $ 400! By the way, the flight from St. Petersburg to Hong Kong was cheaper. But the ticket was returnable and in Manila I was able to return it, although it took a couple of days to suffer. At first they said that they needed another return ticket, and when I bought it for 50 bucks, they said that it was not needed. As a result, after 15 days, they returned the full value to the card and did not even take any commission. But the situation at the airport was of course nervous.

Therefore, advice number 1. When flying to the Philippines, always buy a return ticket!

On the plane, I came to myself from the charming view behind the window. It is very beautiful to fly through the South China Sea! Immediately you notice that there are many different clouds everywhere. This is one of the main properties of the Philippines, which guarantees unique sunsets.

The clouds are like a pattern that complements the equally endless sea, the tranquility of which is disturbed by sailing ships. And next to the island of Luzon - millions of small boats "bank". It takes only an hour and a half to fly and, frankly, I want to fly further, continuing to look at natural pictures.

At the airport in Manila, another surprise awaited me. There was no cash and I naturally went to withdraw money from an ATM. It turned out that for unknown reasons, some local banks do not service my card (Visa of Alfa-Bank). At that moment I was at a loss when I realized how dependent I am on the map. I am in a new country and I have no money even to drink coffee. Luckily, there was a friendly ATM at the other end of the airport that gave me money. That's how I first got pesos.

The first taxi driver traditionally tried to break me up. At first he said that 10 pesos per kilometer, and when we went, he said that 100 or a fixed price of 1,500 rubles. But these things don't work with me. If you have traveled across India for 10 months of your life, then you have a scent and a sophisticated technology for eliminating deception at the root of divorce. I quickly said everything I think about the driver and he brought me back to the point of the report. The road with another carrier cost about 400 rubles. Moreover, airport drivers and even cops vied with each other that it is better not to sit in ordinary city taxis because no one is responsible for your safety there.

Before leaving, I read stories about local dangers. If you believe what they write on the Internet and say on TV, then the Philippines is such a country where everyone walks with pistols, robbing and killing them until they are all washed away at one moment by a typhoon or an earthquake. “There are cannibals in the north, and terrorists in the south,” a man who has an official relationship with the Philippines once told me. What can we say about Manila! It is generally better not to go outside and not talk to anyone there, because in the capital the concentration of all bad things reaches a maximum and every Filipino you meet sharpens a huge knife behind your back.

I understood that these were all bikes, but there were so many of them that I gradually began to believe. Therefore, upon arrival, I hung myself with locks on my backpack, assumed a menacing look and began to walk quickly, looking around. This is a great recipe. Everyone sees that you are behaving like a fool, and prefers to bypass you.

Then I became convinced that everything they talked about was nonsense. The locals are wonderful, hospitable and kind people who are always ready to help you. But many people understand these stereotypes in the head of a foreigner and skillfully use them. Taxi drivers talk about the dangers of passing with strangers, in hotels they say that their guard with a shotgun will protect you from all troubles, and in a tourist restaurant there is always a man with a pistol hanging proudly. All safies, dont warri, diar sir! Thus, you can sell unnecessary security, which is a request from foreign tourists.

There is no need to talk about Manila for a long time. It is a multimillion-dollar urban agglomeration that consists of different cities. Manila itself is a small part of it. There are also several dozen different districts that consider themselves separate cities: Makati, Pasay, Ermita, Valenzuela, Quezon, Pasig, Tagig, Paranyak, etc. If you really want to figure it out, then San Miguel beer definitely won't do without.

The general opinion about Manila is that it is a terrible city. Mostly tourists use it as a staging post between their country and a beautiful beach and often spit when they think of the capital of the Philippines. But there are those who like Manila. I am more of the former.

Manila is absolutely nothing. There is the Makati skyscraper district with beautiful avenues, but after Hong Kong they seem the most boring. There is a fake restored Spanish fortress. The rest is typical low-rise Filipino developments, interspersed with huge shopping centers and large thoroughfares. The coat of arms of this city should show traffic jams and street food. Most of the time, motorists stand dead, and passers-by are constantly eating something.

The first thing that catches your eye is the unique public transport: Jeepney and Tricycles. Jeepney is an example of how the Filipinos loved the American military Jeep Wrangler. Since at that time there was no cooler car on these islands, local mechanics began to copy the design of the jeep, but to make cars sharpened for passenger transportation.

This is how incredible minibuses turned out, without which it is difficult to imagine the modern Philippines. Each driver decorates his jeepney in his own way. Everyone is trying to stand out, and therefore lurid works of art are roaming around the city and villages, pouring black solar smoke on passers-by.

Tricycles are the Filipino version of the auto rickshaw. For some reason, they chose the option of a motorcycle with a covered sidecar.

Tricycles are everywhere. This is a national type of individual transport as it is cheap and if you pull in your stomachs, 10 people can fit on it. Each region has its own unique design of tricycles and it is possible to study the culture of different Filipino peoples using them.

Thus, for the first time in Manila, your eyes are attracted most of all by jeepney and tricycles. The rest is uninteresting.

I am deeply convinced that Manila in terms of tourism is intended only for tourists-masochists. If you want to spend time in this mediocre city and understand that you are close to white beaches, incredible mountains, volcanoes and lakes, then you are undoubtedly hurting yourself. However, there is one exception. You should go to Manila if you have been sitting on a remote beach for a month and missed civilization. There you can sit in Starbucks, shop and eat fast food.

But I am not saying this because something has seriously ruined my impression. I didn’t go to the sights much, but did business. Maybe that's why I got this opinion. But on the other hand, there was a more independent assessment of this city. It's really boring there.

Manila has a strange property. There, in the morning, you do not succeed and all plans collapse, and in the evening everything is favorably resolved and the plans return to normal. For three days, every morning was nervous and incomprehensible, but in the evening I calmly sipped coffee with a sense of accomplishment. In India, if it doesn't work out, then nothing will change until you understand what you are doing wrong. And here it all depends on the time of day.

On the evening of my last day in Manila, I accidentally met at my hotel with a company of Filipinos, who turned out to be great guys, made important contacts in different cities and told me about interesting places on the route. This was the first meeting, of which there will be many in this country. I did the right thing to roughly draw up the travel route. It will be constantly ruled by chance encounters.

In the next post, I will tell you in detail about a long motorcycle purchase, which I did not make in Manila.

Read the posts about Manila that I wrote in the travel community "Vkontakte" -

The Philippines is one of the most attractive countries in Southeast Asia, thanks to its stunning beaches, natural landscapes, smiling and carefree people and ... visa policy. The main advantage of the Philippines is the opportunity to be here without leaving for up to three years.

Visa to the Philippines for Russian citizens

To visit the Philippines for up to 30 days, citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a visa.

Examples:

A. If you arrive on April 1 (30 days in a month) and depart on May 1, then you do not need a visa. Upon arrival, you simply receive a stamp in your passport, and another stamp upon departure from the Philippines.

B. If you arrive on April 1st (30 days a month) and fly out on May 2nd, then you need a visa.

Q. If you arrive on April 1st (30 days a month), and you leave early in the morning on May 2nd and plan to go through passport control on May 1st, then you do not need a visa. To the border guards from passport control, by and large, it makes no difference when you have a flight, they look at the information on the day of crossing the border. Although, most likely, you should officially fly out exactly 30 days after arrival.

Important! To visit the Philippines, a return ticket or an air ticket to any other third country is required! Officially for the period until the end of the visa, and in the case of visa-free entry for up to 30 days. However, in fact, even with a visa-free entry, you can have a ticket from the Philippines in six months or a year.

As a rule, the ticket is requested at the airline's check-in counter. That is, you cannot fly to the Philippines without a return ticket or a ticket to a third country. At all airports in the Philippines, it is enough to present an electronic ticket on your smartphone, and not make a paper printout. This also applies to the return ticket. However, it is officially stated that a paper copy of the ticket is required.

If, for one reason or another, you do not receive permission to enter the Philippines, you will be required to take a ticket to your country of residence at your own expense.

Visa to the Philippines for citizens of Ukraine and Belarus

Citizens of Ukraine and Belarus should obtain a visa in advance at the Philippine consulates in their countries.

Visa to the Philippines at the consulate of Moscow

Obtaining a tourist visa at a consulate in Moscow is the most ineffective way, as it requires additional documents that are not needed for other methods of obtaining a Philippine visa. For example, confirmed hotel reservations. The visa issued at the consulate does not give any preferences, the last word to admit or not admit a person into the country always remains with the officers of the border service. And the presence of a visa does not exempt from paying the extension of stay directly in the country.

Visa to the Philippines upon arrival

At the airport in Manila or Cebu, it was previously possible to register a stay in the country for 59 days immediately before passport control. Recently, however, this service has not been available at Manila Airport - officials are sending tourists to local immigration centers.

The cost of a 59-day stay in the country when paid at the airport of arrival is 2750 pesos. At immigration centers - 3150 pesos.

Visa for the Philippines on site

You can extend your stay in the Philippines at the Bureau of Immigration at any time before the end of your 30-day stay in the country (recommended one week in advance). Immigration offices are located in any major city in the Philippines. The procedure takes 15-30 minutes. You only need to have a passport and a completed application form (issued on the spot).

To extend the visa, it is not necessary to come to the office yourself - you can entrust this to a special representative (notarized) or intermediaries from local travel agencies that provide such services.

Approximate cost of extending a Philippine visa at an immigration center:

3150-3650 pesos - for 59 days (including 30 days of visa-free stay). This first renewal is always only for up to 59 days. Can't be done for a longer period.

8300 pesos (including tourist ID card) - "Second extension" for 60 days. It can be done after you have already extended for 59 days.

13650 peso (including tourist ID card) - "Second extension" for 180 days. The most preferred option for those who are going to stay in the Philippines for a long time. This is a fairly new feature, previously it was possible to renew each time only for a maximum of two months.

The second extension includes the mandatory receipt of a tourist ID card. This is a special laminated card, an internal document in the Philippines. Its cost for a year is just under 5,000 pesos, which are included in the price of the second renewal at a time. All subsequent renewals will cost about 2,500 pesos for a month, 3,600 pesos for two months or 11,500 for six months.

Philippine Visa Extension

Russian citizens can officially extend a visa to the Philippines for up to three years (there are cases of refusal to renew after two years). Citizens of Ukraine and Belarus - up to two years. In this case, the maximum possible one-time extension can be for a period not exceeding 6 months.

When leaving the Philippines

All stamps and visas when leaving the Philippines are nullified. In fact, it is possible not to renew a visa to the Philippines, each time before the expiration of a free month, leaving for neighboring countries for the Visa Run.

The tourist ID card is valid all year round, whether you leave the Philippines or not.

Departure from the Philippines in more than six months

Those who are in the Philippines for more than six months are required to obtain a special document - Special Travel Exit before leaving. It is obtained at the same immigration office and costs 500 pesos. However, two 2x2 photographs with a white background are also required. Special Travel Exit production times may vary from location to location. Sometimes it only takes about an hour in large cities or a week in provincial cities. The presence of such a document when leaving the country is required only for those who are in the Philippines for 6 months or more!

Violation of the Philippines visa regime

Violation of the visa regime is punishable by fines depending on the time spent in the country. Without paying a fine, you can leave the territory of the Philippines by entering black list - ban on visiting the Philippines for 5 years.

In the event that a foreigner lives in the Philippines without a proper visa extension, then anyone who reports on him will receive a reward of 20,000 pesos (approximately $ 400).

If you cannot buy a ticket, you will be placed in a special institution (prison?) And wait for a forced deportation (it can take about six months).

Vitaly Safronov, specially forwebsite

If you are going to the Philippines, then there are three options for which city to see first. You can fly to Manila, Angeles (Clark) or Cebu. Each has its own advantages. Clark is the cheapest and best located. From Cebu Airport, you can walk with your suitcases to the paradise beach. But I chose Manila, because I was going to buy a motorcycle for my "12 Islands" trip and naively thought that the easiest way to do this would be in the capital of the country.
This is the first post about motorcycle travel in the Philippines, in which I will tell you about how a simple Russian guy Sasha came to the Philippines and what happened to him during the first days of his stay in this country. You will also find out the whole truth about the crazy city of Manila.
I flew away from St. Petersburg on November 17, 2013. The cheapest and fastest way to fly to the Philippines is via Hong Kong. Considering that this super city is visa-free for Russians, it would be a sin not to stay there for a few days, which I did. Hong Kong was so incredible that for the first time in my life I seriously thought about moving for a long time. It will take a long time to tell, so I plan to write a separate post about him with delight and colorful photos.

After three wonderful days in Hong Kong, I drove to the airport, went to the check-in counter and happily handed the girl with the Philippines Air badge my passport and a printout of the ticket.

Your return ticket, sir! - she said, smiling sweetly.

Why do I need to show a return ticket? - I asked and began to feverishly figure out what to answer, since I did not have a return ticket

This is a requirement of the immigration office. Without it, we can't get you on the plane.

Eeeeee ... You know, I don't remember where he is.

No problem sir! State your last name and departure dates. I'll check the database.

I don't remember the date \\ This is not mine \\ Call my lawyer \\ Well, please!

Therefore, advice number 1. When flying to the Philippines, always buy a return ticket!

Tricycles are the Filipino version of the auto rickshaw. For some reason, they chose the option of a motorcycle with a covered sidecar.

Thus, for the first time in Manila, your eyes are attracted most of all by jeepney and tricycles. The rest is uninteresting.

In the next post, I will tell you in detail about a long motorcycle purchase, which I did not make in Manila.

Read the posts about Manila that I wrote in the travel community "Vkontakte" -

If you decide to spend a fabulous vacation on, then for citizens of Russia the first 30 days you can stay in the country without a visa. Upon arrival, you simply get a stamp in your passport for 30 days. It is very convenient for no more than this period. If you want to stay in the country for more than a month, then read on to find out what you need to do for this.

Residence in the Philippines without a visa for 30 days in 2017

To obtain a permit to stay in the Philippines in 2017, it is enough to go through passport control at the airport upon arrival, where you will be given a free stamp for 30 days. However, it is worth remembering that for this you need to meet the following conditions, so you will need:

International passportwhich is valid for another 6 months after leaving the Philippines, i.e. if you have a trip for a month, then the passport must be at least 7 months before its expiration, but of course you can hope at random and think that you will be lucky, but you won't have to. In the article: "" - you will see that it is easier to get a passport than to stand at a foreign airport with a silly look
Return tickets to Russia or if you go further, then to another country... It is imperative to print return tickets before the trip, if they are electronic. Without it, they may not even be allowed on the plane. I recommend reading the article: "" - finding the best deals, you can travel much more interesting
Proof of financial condition (unlikely)... They may also ask if you have enough funds to live in their country.

Your passport will be stamped upon arrival, but you can still go and extend it up to 59 days right at the airport (this can be done only during the day) or only then go to any immigration office. And then you can renew the visa every two months up to about 16 months without leaving the country (they say that you can extend it up to 24 months, but they have not checked it themselves, as I find out the information, I will write).

Visa for 3.6 months or 1 year stay in the Philippines at the Consular Section of the Philippines in 2017

If a long-term train to the Philippines is planned and it will last more than 30 days, then it will be more profitable for Russians (both in time and money - it will be cheaper than on the spot) to make a visa in advance at the Consular Section of the Philippines in your city.

What types of visas to the Philippines exist:

3 months — this visa can only be obtained with a single entry. Those. if you entered the Philippines on it and want to leave before it ends, then it ceases to be valid from the moment you leave. Consular fee for such a visa is 40 $ USD
6 months - multiple entry visa, i.e. you can enter and leave several times. Consular fee for such a visa is 80 $ USD
1 year - only for her requires a mandatory prior permission from DFA Manila - consular fee for her 120 $ USD

Documents required for a Philippine visa:

It is necessary to fill out a questionnaire for submission to the Consulate - the questionnaire will be issued there, on the spot.
A passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into the country, and I also advise you to make a copy of the first page of your passport, where the photo is.
Two color photographs, size 4.5x3.5 cm
For a tourist trip, they may require a hotel reservation, or if there is an invitation from the person who is waiting for you there (physical or legal). You can, of course, try to come without a hotel reservation (or an invitation), maybe it will pass and they will issue a visa, or they may refuse a visa, and in this case no one will return the money for the consular fee. In the article: "" - you can read about how to find the most profitable housing
Round-trip tickets to the Philippines (well, or tickets to another country, if you are going to travel further, always with a final date), which you can book right now, using the search form on the affiliate program at the bottom of the article (and it’s cheaper for you and tell me “thank you”)
Of course, you need a consular fee for a visa, approximately $ 40.
Also, insurance is not required to obtain a visa, however, since 2015, the Russian authorities have adopted a law that every Russian traveling abroad must have it with him. And it is better to pay a small amount of money when buying an insurance policy at home than to pay tens of thousands already on the spot, if God forbid something happened on vacation, read about insurance and buy an insurance policy online through a resource we have verified:

It is important to know that this visa is VALID FROM THE MOMENT OF OBTAINING within 3 months, i.e. do not receive it completely in advance, you need to receive it immediately before the trip for some short time.

Philippines visa extension in 2017

Whatever visa you have (or really did not have - I mean a 30-day stay without a visa), you can extend your visa at any Immigration office.

You can find the Immigration office at this link: http: //immigration.gov.ph/index.php/information/directory-of-transactions

You need to apply for a visa (or stamp) extension when there are less than 30 days left. A visa is made quickly in 15-20 minutes. You need to take with you: your passport, copies of the first page with a photograph and copies of pages where there are stamps of the Philippines, write down the address of the hotel or house where you live, and you can also take photographs (4.5x3.5 cm). you need a photo to issue an ID-CARD.

If you plan to stay in the Philippines for more than 59 days, then along with the subsequent extension of the visa, you will receive a personal card with your data and a photo (ID-CARD), so you need a photo for it.

To receive an ID-Card, pay 50 USD + 500 PHP and you still need to fill out an application for it. The card itself is issued in Manila, so you will not receive it immediately.

Renewal terms

Arrived - put a stamp for 30 days - free of charge, without a visa.
If we wanted to extend this stamp to 59 days, then we go to one of the Immigration offices and do it (there is an office at the airport - it works during the day).
If you want to stay for more than 59 days, then we go and further extend it for another 59 days (plus we get a card with our data and photo) and so on up to 16 months (i.e. every next two months), the only question is the price.

Issue price

if there was a visa-free stamp for 30 days, then it can be extended to 59 days of stay in the country for about 2500-3000 pesos
visa extension (which was for 59 days) for the next 59 days - about 4800-5000 pesos (and somewhere else 500-600 pesos per card)
And then the subsequent extensions - here the price already varies from 3000-4250, everyone has it differently, only after 8 months it stabilizes at about 2900 pesos.

Leaving the country

Most travelers see the Philippines as a perfect vacation destination, even more so a visa to the Philippines for Russians in 2020 is not required for short visits... If a longer trip is planned, then Russian citizens need to apply for a visa in advance at the Embassy or Consulates of the Philippines in Moscow or other cities.

The Philippines has the third largest English-speaking population in the world.

The need for a visa

For Russians, there are simplified entry rules. This means that for any purpose of travel, a visa to the Philippines is not needed if the stay does not exceed 30 days.

According to Philippine law, the day of arrival is not counted, that is, if the traveler arrives in the state in the morning, then 31 days is the last day for legal stay in its territory.

If the purpose of your visit to the Philippines is not tourism or you need to stay for a longer time, then you will have to go through a simple procedure for obtaining a visa at the Embassy in Moscow or at the Consulates General in Vladivostok and St. Petersburg.

To the Philippines without a visa

For most trips, a 30-day visa-free regime is enough to rest, take a diving course, visit friends, and get to know the country. In order to be able to enter the state under a visa-free regime, you need to have the following documents on hand:

A valid international passport with blank pages, it must be valid for another six months from the date of entry into the Philippines;
Pre-filled migration card;
Return ticket to Russia, or its electronic copy;
Confirmation of the availability of money.
This requirement is optional, at the border they may ask for confirmation, but they may not focus on this.

You do not need to fill out any additional questionnaires.

Filling in the migration card

The Philippine Migration Card is a special small-sized form that every foreigner must fill out and show at the border, often given right on board. There you need to enter your details, information about the hotel and the purpose of the visit. The authorities will need a migration card in the event of a missing foreigner to make it easier to find him, as well as in the event of an incident.

Border crossing procedure

Each arriving passenger undergoes border control and, if necessary, inspection. After presenting the necessary documents, a visa stamp is affixed to the passport, in which the date of entry is recorded. Visa officers will be guided by this date when a foreigner leaves the country.

Customs regulations

In the Philippines, there are certain customs regulations that must be followed by every visitor to the country.

It is forbidden to import:

Certain medications
Explosive materials;
Weapons (cold is allowed, but permission is required);
Jewelry that does not contain markings.

Allowed to import:

Animals, if there is a corresponding international veterinary certificate;
No more than two liters of alcohol, 400 cigarettes (or equivalent - 50 cigars);
Food for personal use.

It is forbidden to export:

Any representatives of the Philippine flora and fauna;
Antiques;
Rare wood products;
Jewelry.

Limitations are also imposed on the amount of cash with which the traveler arrives in the country. The amount of more than 10,000 US dollars must be declared, you cannot take more than 10,000 Philippine pesos out of the country. The rule does not apply to non-cash fundsthat are stored on maps or traveller's checks.

For more information on customs regulations, visit the Philippine Embassy website.

Extension of stay

If the standard thirty days was not enough, and the Philippine visa was not obtained in advance in Russia, then you can use the opportunity to extend your stay. It can be issued immediately at the airport, asking to put not the usual 30-day stamp, but another, which gives the right to a 59-day stay (for a fee), or you can do it already at the Immigration Office in Manila or other cities. As many as 44 offices across the country are handling extension issues in the Philippines.

You can extend not only the entry stamp, but also any Philippine visaif it has expired. There are some points to remember about the renewal:

You can extend your stay several times, for a total of 16 months;
Along with the extension, the tourist receives a special ID-document, where his personal data is recorded and there is a photo;
If the stay has been extended several times for more than six months, then you need to obtain a certificate for departure, without him at the border can be fined, it is done on the basis of a passport and ID and is paid.

Obtaining a visa at the Embassy on your own

There are times when a visa to the Philippines must be obtained in advance in Russia. This will be required if the stay in the state can be delayed due to the extension of rest, work or study in the Philippines, as well as protracted business trips. Filipino entry permits do not have a clear gradation for "study visa", "business visa", "work visa", "guest visa". Visas differ in terms of validity and a slight difference in the list of papers that need to be collected.

A visa to the Philippines is done on your own very simply, you will need to submit a small list of documents:

International passport;
A copy of the spread of the passport with personal information and photograph (2 pages);
A questionnaire filled in in Latin, it can be downloaded from the website of the Embassy;
Return tickets with a specified date;
One photo, size 30 x 40 mm;
Receipt for payment of the consular fee;
The last important document is an invitation (from the employer, or from another organization with which the trip to the Philippines is associated, from a friend / relative).
For a tourist visa, it is enough to show the reservation from the hotel.

Visa documents can be brought in person, it is also possible to submit through a representative or send by courier service, for example, DHL. Documents are accepted both in Moscow at the Embassy and at the Consulates of St. Petersburg and Vladivostok.

Visa for children

For minor children, the rules for entering the Philippines are slightly different. If the whole family goes on vacation not exceeding 30 days, then no additional documents need to be provided.

You need to request a separate visa to the Philippines for a child in the Russian Federation, if you are planning a long stay, for this you need to provide a birth certificate.

Features of entering the Philippines with a child

Due to the fact that human trafficking routes pass through the Philippines (illegal trafficking in persons, and especially children), there are nuances in the entry of foreign children.

A child can enter the state only with parents / legal guardians. Entry with relatives or third parties is almost impossible;
If the minor arrived only accompanied by one parent / guardian, then at the border it is mandatory to present a power of attorney from the second parent / guardian. This document must be translated into English and officially certified by a notary;
If it is not possible to obtain a power of attorney from the second parent (death, unknown whereabouts), you must provide a certificate in English from the competent authority, which states this fact.

Enhanced child safety measures are being taken by the government to minimize risks for minors. While in the Philippines, you should never let your children go alone, even for a few minutes, you should always look after your child and not lose sight of him.

Validity of visas

Any visa to the Philippines obtained in Russia, as well as stamps for entry and extension of stay, have their own time limit.

The cost

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

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

Identification document (ID of a foreigner) - $ 15;
Certificate for departure (if stay exceeded 6 months) - $ 12.

Conclusion

The Philippines is a great destination for a quality beach holiday for tourists. In advertising materials of travel companies, you can see many fabulous photographs in which the white sand and azure sea catch the eye and make you dream of a vacation, presenting all possible pleasures. The Internet is replete with numerous reports on visits to Boracay, Cebu, Mindanao. Some Russians "wait out" the winter in the Philippines and sometimes live there with whole families, because the absence of the need to obtain a visa saves many unnecessary problems.

Going to the Philippines, you should remember the following points:

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