Philippines Visas for Digital Nomads

• Who: citizens of around 157 countries, including the US, UK, EU countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• Stay: 30 days.
• Requirements: a passport valid for at least six months, and an onward or return ticket, which airlines check before you board.
• eTravel: register on the free official eTravel system within 72 hours before arrival and show the QR code.

You can extend your stay at Bureau of Immigration offices around the country.

• First extension: from 30 to 59 days.
• Further extensions: in one-, two- or six-month steps.
• Maximum stay: 36 months in total for most visa-waiver nationalities, after which you must leave.
• ACR I-Card: once you stay beyond 59 days, you must get an Alien Certificate of Registration identity card, a one-off cost of about $50 plus processing.
• Cost: varies by length; roughly ₱3,000 to ₱10,000 per extension, plus express fees if you want same-day service.

Apply at least a week before your current stay ends. The main office in Manila and field offices across the country, including in Cebu and many tourist areas, process extensions, often the same day. Some offices offer online extensions for the first steps. Agents can handle it for a fee.

President Marcos signed Executive Order 86 in April 2025, creating a digital nomad visa for remote workers from countries that offer Filipinos the same. It would allow stays of up to a year, renewable for another, for people with foreign income and health insurance.

As of October 2026, the implementing rules, list of eligible countries, fees and application system had not been published, and the visa did not appear on the government e-visa portal. Treat it as not yet available.

The SRRV gives indefinite residence and multiple entry to people aged 50 and over, in exchange for a deposit in a Philippine bank (the amount depends on age and whether you have a pension). It is run by the Philippine Retirement Authority and is popular with retirees, not working nomads.

Visa-free stays and extensions are for tourism. Working for Philippine employers or clients needs a work visa (usually a 9(g) visa) and an Alien Employment Permit from the Department of Labor. Remote work for foreign employers and clients during a tourist stay is a grey area that is rarely enforced, which is what the planned nomad visa is meant to address.

Overstaying brings fines that grow with each month, plus the extension fees you missed, and long overstays can lead to deportation and blacklisting. If you’ve overstayed, go to an immigration office to settle before trying to leave, because you can’t pay at the airport for long overstays.