BI grants Balikbayans, kins visa-free entry

December 9, 2020
Balikbayans

Starting December 7, former Filipinos and spouse and children of Filipinos or former Filipinos will be allowed for a visa-free entry under Executive Order No. 408. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the one-year balikbayan (returning Filipino) privilege will also be extended to foreign spouses and children of Filipinos traveling with them.

Since the intent of the latest Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) resolution is to “enable foreigners to reunite with their families in the Philippines”, Morente advised that foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens will only be allowed entry if the Filipino or former Filipino citizen they are related to is traveling with them or is in the Philippines.

Moreover, inbound balikbayan tourists are required to:

  • Have a pre-booked quarantine facility
  • Have a pre-booked COVID-19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport
  • Must be subjected to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry

Former Filipinos who wish to avail of balikbayan privilege must present old Philippine passport or a copy of their birth certificate at the immigration officer upon arrival. Marriage certificates and birth certificates will be required for spouses and children, respectively.

Not all countries are covered by Balikbayan Program under Republic Act No. 6768. Former Filipinos and/or their immediate family who are nationals of countries not found on below list will need to secure a visa before going to the Philippines.

Andorra Greece Panama
Angola Grenada Papua New Guinea
Antigua and Barbuda Guatemala Paraguay
Argentina Guinea Peru
Australia Guinea Bissau Poland
Austria Guyana Portugal
Bahamas Haiti Qatar
Bahrain Honduras Republic of Korea
Barbados Hungary Romania
Belgium Iceland Russia
Belize Indonesia Rwanda
Benin Ireland Saint Kitts and Nevis
Bhutan Israel Saint Lucia
Bolivia Italy Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Botswana Jamaica Samoa
Brazil Japan San Marino
Brunei Darussalam Kazakhstan Sao Tome and Principe
Bulgaria Kenya Saudi Arabia
Burkina Faso Kiribati Senegal
Burundi Kuwait Seychelles
Cambodia Kyrgyzstan Singapore
Cameroon Lao People’s Democratic Republic Slovak Republic
Canada Latvia Slovenia
Cape Verde Lesotho Solomon Islands
Central African Republic Liberia South Africa
Chad Liechtenstein Spain
Chile Lithuania Suriname
Colombia Luxembourg Swaziland
Comoros Madagascar Sweden
Congo Malawi Switzerland
Costa Rica Malaysia Tajikistan
Cote d’Ivoire Maldives Thailand
Croatia Mali Togo
Cyprus Malta Trinidad and Tobago
Czech Republic Marshall Islands Tunisia
Democratic Republic of the Congo Mauritania Turkey
Denmark Mauritius Turkmenistan
Djibouti Mexico Tuvalu
Dominica Micronesia Uganda
Dominican Republic Monaco United Arab Emirates
Ecuador Mongolia United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
El Salvador Morocco United Republic of Tanzania
Equatorial Guinea Mozambique United States of America
Eritrea Myanmar Uruguay
Estonia Namibia Uzbekistan
Ethiopia Nepal Vanuatu
Fiji Netherlands Vatican
Finland New Zealand Venezuela
France Nicaragua Vietnam
Gabon Niger Zambia
Gambia Norway Zimbabwe
Germany Oman
Ghana Palau

*A Balikbayan as described by Republic Act 6768 (amended by Republic Act 9174) refers to 1) a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year; 2. A Filipino overseas worker; 3) A former Filipino citizen who had been naturalized in any of the abovementioned countries and who comes or returns to the Philippines. Their accompanying foreigner spouse and children are also considered balikbayans but are not considered balikbayan in their own right but became only such by virtue of their relationship with the said Filipino.

***
Triple i Consulting, Inc. processes a wide array of visa services. For more information on how we can assist you, contact us here, drop us an email at info@tripleiconsulting.com or give us a call at +63 (02) 8540-9623

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