Mar 282017
 

Filipinos with Philippine passports traveling this vacation season can choose any of 61 countries which do not require visa, according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (VRI).

VISA restrictions index

The Philippines placed one notch higher at 75th on the global travel freedom ranking in 2017 but kept its 61 countries list from the 2016 VRI.

The following listing from Philsite lists the countries Filipino nationals can enter even without a visa.

Asian Countries, member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

In a reciprocity visa free agreement among member nations within the ASEAN:

  • Brunei Darussalam – 14 days
  • Cambodia – 21 days
  • Indonesia – 30 days
  • Laos – 30 days
  • Malaysia – 30 days
  • Singapore – 30 days
  • Thailand – 30 days
  • Vietnam – 21 days

Asian Countries, Non-ASEAN member

  • Armenia – 120 days, visa issued on arrival
  • China, Shenzhen – 7 days, if crossing from Hong Kong, and is valid in Shenzhen area only.
  • Hong Kong – 14 days validity
  • India – 30 days, eTourist visa online.
  • Iran – 15 days, must obtain an e-visa pre-approval code from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Israel – 90 days
  • Kyrgyzstan – 30 days, visa on arrival
  • Laos – 21 days, visa on arrival
  • Macau – 30 days
  • Maldives – 30 days visa issued upon arrival
  • Myanmar – 21 days
  • Mongolia – 21 days
  • Nepal – 21 days visa issued on arrival
  • South Korea – 30 days, if arriving at Jeju Island or after visiting Korea 4 times with visa.
  • Sri Lanka – 30 days, but must get an Electronic Visa Authorization prior to departure.
  • Taiwan – 30 days, if holding a permanent residence certificate or an unexpired visa from:

    Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Schengen countries, United Kingdom or United States.

    And must register online at https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/nase/ prior to arrival.

  • Tajikistan – 45 days, visa on arrival
  • Timor-Leste (a.k.a. East Timor)- 30 day visa issued at the Dili airport and seaport

African Continent

  • Cape Verde Islands – 21 days
  • Comoros – 21 days
  • Djibouti – 30 day visa issued on arrival
  • Gambia – visa issued upon arrival, but must get prior clearance from immigration. 
  • Guinea-Bissau – 90 days visa issued on arrival
  • Kenya – 90 days visa issued on arrival
  • Madagascar – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Mauritania – visa issued on arrival
  • Morocco – 90 days
  • Mozambique – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Rwanda – 90 days
  • Saint Helena – visa issued upon arrival
  • Senegal – 30 days issued on arrival, invitation letter required. Visa available online.
  • Seychelles – 30 days permit, must show sufficient funds & proof of accommodation.
  • Somalia – 30 days on arrival, invitation letter by sponsor submitted 2 days before arrival.
  • Tanzania – visa issued on arrival
  • Togo (Togolese Republic) – 7 days, visa issued on arrival. Requires yellow fever vaccination
  • Uganda – 90 day visa issued on arrival at Entebbe Airport
  • Zambia – 90 days visa issued on arrival

Central America

  • Costa Rica – 30 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
  • Guatemala
  • Nicaragua – 90 days visa issued on arrival

Caribbean

  • Anguilla – 21 days
  • Dominica – 21 days
  • Haiti – 21 days
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Turks and Caicos Islands – 21 days

Europe:

  • Georgia – Visa issued on arrival. Preferably with invitation.
  • Kosovo – 90 days

Oceania/Pacific Island Nations

  • Cook Islands – 31 days
  • Fiji – 120 days, Visitor's Permit issued on arrival
  • Marshall Islands – 90 days visa issued on arrival
  • Micronesia – 30 days, entry permit required for stays over 30 days
  • Nauru – 30 days
  • Niue – 30 days
  • Northern Marianas  – visa issued on arrival
  • Palau – 30 days visa issued on arrival
  • Papua New Guinea – 60 days, visa given on arrival
  • Pitcairn Islands – 14 days, entry permit given on arrival
  • Samoa – 60 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
  • Tuvalu – 30 day visitor permit for tourist is issued upon arrival
  • Vanuatu – 30 days

South America

  • Bolivia – 90 days
  • Brazil – 90 days
  • Colombia – 90 days
  • Ecuador – 90 days
  • Peru – 183 days
  • Suriname – 90 days

Note that while the countries above does not require Philippine passport holders to apply for a visa in the Philippines, some will require a visa (and issue one upon arrival) after filling an application form and paying the fees. You may be required to produce your return or onward ticket and demonstrate sufficient funds to cover your stay. Most states/countries require that passports have at least 6 months validity to gain entry.

 

The post 61 countries where Pinoys can visit without a visa appeared first on Good News Pilipinas.

Sep 292013
 
Asean parks meet slated

Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:28 am | Monday, September 30th, 2013 Environment Secretary Ramon Paje: Philippine delegation head. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is hosting the 4th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Heritage Parks Conference (AHP), which will see 300 delegates, biodiversity experts and scientists tackle ecosystem degradation and the preservation of the Asean region’s natural heritage. Environment Secretary Ramon Paje will lead the Philippine delegation to the conference spearheaded by the Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB) in Tagaytay City on Oct. 1-4. The conference stakeholders come from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. ACB executive director Roberto Oliva said there were currently 33 AHPs in Southeast Asia, five of them in the Philippines—Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park and Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, all in Mindanao; and Mt. Iglit-Baco and the newest, Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, both Luzon. The Asean Declaration on Heritage Parks was signed by the environment ministers of the 10 Asean member states in December 2003 in Yangon establishing the AHP Program to promote greater collaboration in the region in the management of the parks.—Jeannette I. Andrade Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: ASEAN , Asean Center for Biodiversity , Environment , heritage parks , heritage Read More …

Aug 022013
 
Kyochon, Korean fried chicken resto, to open 1st store in December

MANILA, Philippines – The group that brought the popular Singaporean chain BreadTalk in the country is also bringing Korean fried chicken restaurant chain Kyochon here. In a briefing on Friday in Makati, businessman Wilson Chu said Kyochon will initally open nine stores in the Philippines and its first store will be located somewhere in Greenbelt in Makati. Target opening of the first store is December. Besides BreadTalk, Chu’s group was responsible for bringing ToastBox Philippines, Banana Leaf Curry House Inc., Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Philippines and Chops Chicago Steak House Inc. Chu’s group meanwhile also brought Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to the country through a joint venture with a partner. It also operates No. 8 Chinese Bistro, Royal Sporting House, and Academy of Rock Inc.  Kyochon operates 950 stores in South Korea and has expanded to the US and other countries in Asia such as China, Thailand and Indonesia. Restaurants in Camboadia, Myanmar and Laos will also be opened. By 2020, the restaurant is tageting to have 10,000 stores worldwide. “You can say we are a little ambitious,” Chu said of the restaurant’s plan to become the number one fried chicken restaurant in the country. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Chu added that their offering would be priced a little higher than BonChon, the first Korean fried chicken restaurant in the Philippines.  He cited their experience when they brought in CBTL to the Philippines and priced their coffee at P5 higher per cup than those sold Read More …

Feb 262013
 
BOC asks Laos Embassy to justify importation of 3 exotic sports cars

Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:40 am | Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has asked the embassy of Laos to justify its duty-free importation of three high-end sports cars—a Ferrari Spider and two Lamborghini Aventadors. Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon told the Inquirer the BOC at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) had declared the three exotic cars as “abandoned” since their consignees had not processed their papers since the vehicles arrived in November last year, or more than the 30-day limit to claim them. “The official and full report is being prepared by district collector (Carlos) So but offhand, unofficially, it’s confirmed that the Lao embassy is acknowledging the shipments,” said Biazon in an interview. An official of the Lao Embassy said it had submitted its reply to BOC and declined to discuss the matter. A source in the BOC said the Spider and Aventadors were supposed to be delivered to different consignees at the same address: 34 Lapu-Lapu St., Magallanes Village, Makati City, care of the Embassy of Laos. Since they arrived on Nov. 28, nobody has come forward to claim the cars after BOC agents questioned why diplomats would buy fast cars as their service vehicles. Biazon said the BOC would auction off the Ferrari and Lamborghinis if the Lao embassy fails to justify the use of its duty-free perk to bring in the pricey vehicles. “An order of abandonment was already issued. It is a step closer to seizure. The embassy says there’s a Read More …