The Philippines will allow Chinese nationals to enter the country visa-free for up to 14 days starting today, the Manila Bulletin reports. Previously, mainland Chinese were only eligible for a shorter visa-free stay of up to seven days, provided they held both a return ticket and unexpired visas for Australia, Japan, Canada, Europe’s Schengen area or the US.
While the earlier scheme allowed extensions for a maximum of 21 days in total, the new policy – open to tourism and business travellers – is strictly non-extendable. Nor can it be converted into a different type of visa category, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has stressed.
The policy followed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to facilitate “trade, investments, and tourism, as well as strengthen people-to-people exchanges” with China, the DFA said.
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Visa-free entry will only be available through two gateways: Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu, the country’s main hubs for international arrivals.
To make use of the option, Chinese nationals need to present a passport with six months’ validity, a hotel booking, and a return or onward ticket out of the Philippines. The DFA has noted that security screenings will remain in place to facilitate the entry of “legitimate travellers.”
The visa-free arrangement will be valid for one year and subject to review before its expiry, according to the DFA.
