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• Visa-Free Countries for Traveling Filipinos in 2021

Visa-Free Countries for Traveling Filipinos in 2021

What’s your dream destination? Raring to go to Japan, Korea, the US, or France? That dream can be really elusive for many Filipino travelers, what with these countries’ strict visa requirements. Applying for a visa is generally time-consuming, tedious, and costly. You won’t even get your money back when you’re denied for a visa.

Even if visa policies of certain countries have become more relaxed in recent years, some travelers would rather not go through the trouble and postpone visiting their dream destination until they’ve collected enough stamps on their passport.

The Pinoy traveler’s best bet? Traveling to visa-free countries! Filipinos can visit 67 countries without having to apply for a visa, according to the 2019 Henley Passport Index.

Visa-Free Countries Filipino Tourists Can Visit in 2020

Cambodia is one of the ASEAN countries that Filipinos can visit without a visa

If a country allows visa-free access for Filipinos, it means you don’t need a visa to enter it, as long as you meet these conditions:

• Passport with remaining validity of at least six months from the date of entry (Make sure to renew your passport if it’s about to expire or is still valid but no longer has blank visa pages.)
• Confirmed hotel reservation and a return flight ticket
• Staying in the destination country within the allowed maximum period (If you plan to stay longer, you have to secure an appropriate visa depending on your purpose of visit, e.g., tourist visa or working visa)
• No criminal record and have not overstayed in the destination country

Read more:

• Easy Steps to Philippine Passport Application and Renewal
• Should You Get Passport Assistance From a Travel Agency?

When traveling to visa-free countries, you just have to check in with your passport in the immigration counter of the airport. The immigration officer may ask for a copy of your hotel booking and/or return ticket.

Here’s the complete list of countries Filipinos can visit without a visa and the allowed maximum length of stay:

Visa-free Countries in Asia

• Brunei – 14 days
• Cambodia – 21 days
• Hong Kong – 14 days
• Indonesia – 30 days
• Israel – 90 days
• Laos – 30 days
• Macau – 30 days
• Malaysia – 30 days
• Mongolia – 21 days
• Myanmar – 14 days
• Palestinian Territory
• Singapore – 30 days
• Taiwan* – 14 days (until July 31, 2020)
• Thailand – 30 days
• Vietnam – 21 days

Visa-free Countries in Africa

• Cote d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast – 90 days
• Gambia – 90 days
• Morocco – 90 days
• Rwanda – 90 days
• Senegal – 90 days

Visa-free Countries in America

• Bolivia – 90 days
• Brazil – 90 days
• Colombia – 90 days
• Costa Rica – 30 days
• Ecuador – 90 days
• Peru – 183 days
• Suriname – 90 days

Visa-free Countries in the Caribbean

• Dominica – 21 days
• Haiti – 90 days
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines – 30 days

Visa-free Countries in Oceania

• Cook Islands – 31 days
• Fiji – 120 days
• Micronesia – 30 days
• Niue – 30 days
• Vanuatu – 30 days

Countries That Issue Visa on Arrival to Filipinos

Pinoy travelers who want to hike Mt. Everest can get visa on arrival in Nepal

Some countries issue a visa upon the visitor’s arrival. This type of visa is called visa on arrival, which means you’ll receive your visa from the immigration at the destination country’s airport.

Unlike countries that require a visa, visa-on-arrival countries don’t require visitors to undergo a pre-application process in their origin country. They just ask for documents such as a valid passport, return ticket, proof of hotel booking, and passport-size photo. Visitors may also have to pay a visa fee.

Despite this, visa-on-arrival countries are still among the easiest destinations to visit, just like visa-free countries.

Here’s the list of countries that issue visa on arrival to Filipino travelers and their maximum allowed stay:

Visa on Arrival Countries in Asia

• Armenia – 120 days
• Iran – 30 days
• Kyrgyzstan – 30 days
• Maldives – 30 days
• Nepal – 90 days
• Sri Lanka – 30 days
• Tajikistan – 45 days
• Timor-Leste – 30 days

Visa on Arrival Countries in Africa

• Benin – 30 days
• Cape Verde Islands
• Comores Islands – 45 days
• Djibouti – 31 days
• Guinea-Bissau – 90 days
• Kenya – 90 days
• Madagascar – 30 days
• Malawi – 90 days
• Mauritania
• Mauritius – 60 days
• Mozambique – 30 days
• Seychelles – 90 days
• Somalia – 30 days
• Tanzania – 90 days
• Togo – 7 days
• Uganda

Visa on Arrival Countries in the Americas

Nicaragua – 90 days

Visa on Arrival Countries in the Caribbean

• St. Lucia – 42 days
• Trinidad and Tobago

Visa on Arrival Countries in the Oceania

• Marshall Islands – 90 days
• Palau Islands – 30 days
• Papua New Guinea – 60 days
• Samoa – 60 days
• Tuvalu – 30 days

Countries with Conditional Visa Exemption

Dreaming of visiting Korea without a visa? Consider spending a lovely vacation in Jeju Island.

Some countries allow conditional visa exemption to Philippine passport holders provided they hold valid visas or valid permanent resident card to other countries. Others like China, Korea, and Jordan allow visa-free access to Filipinos visiting only a specific area in their country or as a part of a tour group based in their country. Countries that implement conditional visa exemption policies issue visa on arrival to Filipinos.

Here are countries you may visit if you meet their visa-free entry conditions:

Final Thoughts

The list of visa-free countries for Philippine passport holders changes every year. Some countries may discontinue accepting Filipino tourists without a visa, while other countries that used to require a visa may allow visa-free entry in the future.

So, just to be sure, visit the Henley Passport Index website to confirm if the country you want to visit still allows visa-free entry for Filipinos. Also, make sure to verify with the embassy or consulate of the country you’ll visit, so you can get more specific requirements for your travel.

Sources:

• (1) Visa-free trial program for Filipino tourists
• (2) Henley Passport Index website

Venus Zoleta

Venus is the Head of Content at Moneymax, with 15+ years of experience in digital marketing, corporate communications, PR, and journalism. She invests in stocks, mutual funds, VUL, and Pag-IBIG MP2. Outside of work, she’s crazy about cats and Korean dramas. Follow Venus on LinkedIn.