Travel & Nomad

Philippines Travel Requirements 2026: eTravel, Visa-Free Stay, Onward Ticket and Passport Rules

A dated checklist for entering the Philippines: eTravel (free, official site only), who gets 30, 14 or 59 days visa-free, the onward ticket, passport validity and the fake sites to avoid.

Quick answer: As of 2 November 2026, most visitors to the Philippines need a free eTravel registration at etravel.gov.ph (the Bureau of Immigration says to register or update at least 72 hours before travel), a passport valid for at least six months and an onward or return ticket. Visa-free entry is up to 30 days for most passports; some get 14 or 59 days, so check your own nationality on the DFA list.

Key takeaways

eTravel is free and only lives at etravel.gov.ph (or the eGovPH app). The Bureau of Immigration called sites that charge for it fraud in April 2026.
Register at least 72 hours before travel, per the Bureau of Immigration advisory page. Save a screenshot of the confirmation.
Visa-free means 30 days for most passports, 59 for Brazil and Israel, and 14 for a short list that includes China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and India.
For the 30-day entry you need an onward or return ticket and six months of passport validity. Plan for six months beyond the day you leave, the stricter reading.

The immigration queue at Manila is a bad place to learn that your passport has five months left, or that the eTravel page you paid for was never the government's. Most entry problems for the Philippines come from three small things done late or on the wrong website. Here is the checklist, each rule tied to the agency that sets it, as of 2 November 2026.

One practical point before the rules: eTravel and your proof of onward travel both live on your phone, so you want data the moment you land. That is the last section.

What is eTravel and how early must I register?

eTravel is the Philippine government's online arrival registration. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) advisory page, read on 2 November 2026, carries an "eTravel Registration" notice telling travellers to register or update their details at least 72 hours before travel. It applies to arriving Filipinos, foreigners and crew, and you register on etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app. The site's own landing page says eTravel is free.

Tip: keep the confirmation as a screenshot as well as in the app, so one dead Wi-Fi spot at the airport does not leave you with nothing to show.

How do I spot a fake eTravel website?

Registration costs nothing, so any site that asks for money is not the government's. On 1 April 2026 Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the registration is "absolutely free" and urged travellers to use only etravel.gov.ph (Philippine News Agency, carried by SunStar); PTV News reported him calling paid sites "clear cases of fraud". It is an old trick: in February 2024 the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) named eight fake eTravel sites, which reportedly charged fees and collected personal data (Philstar).

Type etravel.gov.ph yourself; do not tap an ad or a social post.
There is no payment step. If a page wants a card number, close it.
Report fake sites to the CICC at cicc.gov.ph; the anti-scam hotline is 1326.

More arrival-day traps are in our Philippines scams guide.

Do I need a visa for the Philippines?

For tourism or business, most visitors do not, but the length of stay depends on the passport. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) guidance on its embassy pages says nationals of 157 countries can enter visa-free for stays of 59, 30, 14 or 7 days, depending on nationality and bilateral agreements.

Passport group	Visa-free stay	Note
Most visa-exempt passports, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of Europe	30 days	Ticket and passport rules below apply
Brazil and Israel	59 days	Under bilateral agreements
China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, India	14 days, with conditions	India was revised in 2025: 30 days for holders of certain foreign visas or permits; some 14-day entries cannot be extended
Passports not on the exemption list	Visa first	Apply at a Philippine embassy or consulate; an e-visa exists for eligible countries

That is the answer to "philippines tourist visa" for most readers: you do not need one, you need to know your number of days. If your passport is not on the DFA list, apply before you fly; this guide does not cover visa applications.

Do I need an onward ticket and six months on my passport?

For the 30-day visa-free entry, yes to both. DFA consular guidance lists a return or onward ticket, a passport valid for at least six months, and no deportation or blacklist order. The DFA Lisbon embassy page words the ticket rule as an outbound flight within 30 days of arrival, and the passport rule as six months after your departure date from the Philippines. Other summaries measure the six months from arrival. Plan for the stricter version: six months beyond the day you leave.

I could not open a primary page naming which documents airlines accept as proof of onward travel, so ask your airline before you fly.

How do I stay longer than 30 days?

The DFA says visa-free visitors who want longer should apply for a temporary visitor's visa at a Philippine embassy before the flight, or extend at the Bureau of Immigration inside the Philippines. Reference summaries describe a first 29-day extension and further ones after it, but I could not open BI's fee schedule, so check amounts on the BI e-Services portal.

A tourist SIM is registered for your permitted stay, not for as long as you like; see how tourist SIM registration works in 30 days.

What should I have ready on arrival day?

eTravel confirmation, registered at least 72 hours before travel, plus a screenshot.
Passport valid six months beyond your departure date.
Proof of onward travel inside your permitted stay.
Data for the first hour: queues, Grab, maps and bank codes.
A few small peso notes; see why Manila money changers reject some dollar bills.

As of 2 November 2026, the Fizen catalogue lists Philippines country plans on Globe 4G and 5G; fixed-data plans slow to 128 kbps once the data is used, and there is an unlimited high-speed option. Check Package details in the app before you buy. A travel eSIM is data only, so keep your home SIM on for bank codes. Install it at home on Wi-Fi and you are online when the plane lands. Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan, no code). You can pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, or by card.

Once you are through immigration, the same app pays locally. Fizen QR Pay lets visitors and foreigners pay QR Ph codes from USDT; people who live in the Philippines cannot use it there. It is funded only with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain (BNB Chain deposits need no gas, Solana needs a little SOL), USDT on another network or another token cannot be deposited, and KYC applies. Limits are US$800 per payment and US$1,000 per week. Steps: QR Pay getting started guide. The airport itself is in our NAIA arrival guide; the departure side, including the travel tax most tourists skip, is in the Philippines travel tax guide. Prefer the web? fizen.io/esim works too.

Frequently asked questions

Is eTravel free?

Yes. The Bureau of Immigration commissioner said on 1 April 2026 that eTravel registration is free, and the official site etravel.gov.ph says so on its landing page. Any site that charges a fee is not the official one.

Do I need a visa for the Philippines as a tourist?

Most nationalities do not. As of 2 November 2026, DFA guidance gives visa-free stays of 30 days for most exempt passports, 59 days for Brazil and Israel, and 14 days for a short list including China, India, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. If your passport is not on the DFA list, apply for a visa before you fly.

How early should I register for eTravel?

At least 72 hours before travel, according to the Bureau of Immigration advisory page read on 2 November 2026. You can register or update your details on etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app.

Do I need an onward ticket for the Philippines?

For the 30-day visa-free entry, DFA guidance requires a return or onward ticket, and the Lisbon embassy page says the outbound flight should fall within 30 days of arrival. Confirm with your airline what proof it accepts.

How long must my passport be valid for the Philippines?

At least six months. The DFA Lisbon page counts from your departure date from the Philippines and other summaries count from arrival, so keep six months beyond the day you leave to be safe.

Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit

Land in the Philippines already online. Fizen eSIM covers 150+ countries, with Globe 4G and 5G plans for the Philippines. A new Fizen programme puts US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan). Pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, or by card via Stripe. The same app pays QR Ph codes for visitors. Prefer the web? fizen.io/esim works too.

Get my eSIM gift

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Rules and prices change. Rules, fees, fares and schedules are as published on the dates given and change without notice. Check the official source or operator before you travel.
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Sources

Rules read from agency and news pages on 2 November 2026; DFA embassy pages were quoted from search extracts. eSIM details read from the Fizen catalogue on 2 November 2026.