3/4/11

Visa-Free Countries For Pinoys


Overseas travel for Pinoys, especially to Western countries, can be quite an exercise in embassy trips even before the journey has begun. Been there, done that - getting  fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed - all in the name of that much-sought-after visa. But thankfully, there are countries whose doors are wide open for Pinoys to enter.

In late October 2007, while still holding a Philippine passport, I wrote about which countries a Pinoy traveler can visit without needing a visa. It's not as much compared to British citizens (currently holding the record at 166 countries), Americans (159 countries) and even ASEAN neighbors like Singaporeans  (155 countries) and Malaysians (151 countries).

I checked  IATA's  Timatic database again to find out how far the new biometric Pinoy passport can pass through foreign immigration (without a visa or with visa issued upon arrival). I'm surprised at the changes:

No Visa Required:
Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica,
Dominica, Ecuador, Eritrea, Fiji, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel. Kosovo,
Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco,
Niue, Palestinian Authority, Peru, Singapore, St. Kitts-Nevis,
St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Turks & Caicos, Vanuatu, Vietnam

Visa On Arrival:
Armenia, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comores Islands, Djibouti, India
Iran, Kenya, Nepal, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mozambique,
Nicaragua, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor Leste, Tuvalu, Uganda, Zambia


Countries like El Salvador & Guatemala will allow entrance to Filipinos if they have valid Canadian, US or Schengen visas affixed to their passports. Strangely, fellow ASEAN country Myanmar, currently ruled by a military junta, requires visa. Some other countries may start allowing visas on arrival just as India recently did. 

Even when countries do not require visa or offer visa on arrival, be aware that there are stipulations attached, usually involving proof of onward journey (air/bus tickets), money and health insurance. Visa on arrival  also doesn't mean free, one still has to pay a fee before lining up for immigration. The length of stay can vary for Pinoys - from a maximum of 7 days only in the Central African Republic to 183 days in Peru! Do keep your ears to the ground as visa regulations may change anytime.

24 comments:

  1. thanks for this list.
    hhmm Brazil! ^_^

    kelan masasama jan ang JAPAN? =)

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  2. Anonymous9:52:00 AM

    sa dinami-dami na ng narating mo, dennis, pwede ka nang travel guide talaga.

    like chyng, i want to go to brazil someday; then explore europe, india, go back to tokyo and the list goes on...

    among the many countries you've been to, what are your top 3 favorites? visa or non-visa...

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  3. interesting! i love to travel so this really got me thinking where should i go first:)

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  4. very informative. i carry us passport, but my hubby still has to get a visa for me when we visited bangladesh.

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  5. ever since i learned that most of south america is open, i immeditely wanted a trip to rio.

    colombia, kosovo and suriname also looks like a great place.

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  6. Wow... salamat sa list! :D south america!!! :D i like! :D Pero afraid of the culture shock a little. Haha! :)

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  7. Chyng,
    Malabo ang Japan unless magiging kasing yaman na tayo nila :) On the other hand, since pinahirapan nila bansa natin during World War II, sana naging visa-free entrance ang part of their war reparations

    docgelo,
    On that list, I must say Peru, Morocco & India.
    Mukhang malaki talaga ang impact ng Japan sayo at gusto mo pang balikan.

    Marites,
    I know lol! But among the countries listed above that I haven't visited yet, I'd like to go to Tanzania, Nepal & Sri Lanka.

    Photo Cache,
    As with other Western countries, there are countries that do require visas for Americans - even Vietnam!

    dong ho,
    South America is a minefield of amazing sights & cultures. If you want to avoid flying into the US which requires a visa, hop on a Malaysia Airlines flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    Cza,
    I think you won't have any culture shock in South America - with a very Hispanic culture and a largely Catholic population, you'll feel at ease!

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  8. omg, I didn't know Mongolia doesn't require visa as well, this is such a good news, the top 3 countries to visit on my list are visa-free, Thank you for sharing this Dennis :)

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  9. gusto ko din pumunta ng Brazil at Peru nung nalaman ko yan kaso mahal pa din fare at kelangan ng transit visa, problem w/ most visa-free countries for Pinoy eh yung lack of direct flights at mahal ng fare.

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  10. yobong namn ng sri lanka. tumaas kilay ko---ang yaman nila ha. bat kailangan pa natin mag visa sa kanila. i would rather go to countries na di mapili sa tourists. look at Sg and HK.hahaha

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  11. Ang konti lang pala ng NO VISA. Thanks for this info. I wanna visit Vanuatu. :)

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  12. May visa requirement ba sa Libya? This is a good time to go there LOL. Just kidding.

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  13. lakwatsera de primera,
    for Pinoys who like unusual places, this current list is good. would like to visit Mongolia too!

    thepinaysolobackpacker,
    you could fly via Malaysia Airlines to Argentina Gael and bypass the US.

    pusang kalye,
    it's a government-to-government regulation kasi.
    at least, we don't have to apply in advance.

    Rizalenio,
    for sure it will change in the future depende sa improvement ng economy ng Pinas and its relations with other countries.

    bertN,
    it takes a Bert to ask this question. haha! but seriously, barring any war, Libya is interesting because they do have a rich history.

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  14. Anonymous10:44:00 AM

    wow, this is some information that we pinoys should know! peru here i come! *kahit wala akong kakilala don* nyahaha

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  15. salamat, sir! okay na to.

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  16. Doesn't China allow for a certain time Filipinos who hold Schengen or US Visas?

    Hoping to visit St. Kitts and Nevis soon! :-)

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  17. davaoena,
    highly recommended ang peru. and you don't need any kakilala, you'll meet new friends!

    Z Joya,
    you're welcome. time to plan the big trip.

    drei,
    i don't think so since even american passport holders need to apply for visas before entering china.

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  18. Anonymous1:24:00 PM

    do i need visa to turkey khit n 5 days lng ako mgstay dun? phil passport holder prn aq,pero 3 yrs n aq married at d2 n nkatira s norway

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  19. Anonymous,
    Yes, you need to apply for a visa to visit Turkey.

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  20. Thank you for this post!
    Looking forward to visit Peru ^_^

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  21. Anonymous8:40:00 AM

    paano naman un kasal sa marshallese citizen kailangan paba ng transit visa para makapunta sa bansa nila

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  22. Anonymous8:42:00 AM

    pakisagot naman po kung sino ang may alam if kailangan ko pa kumuha ng transit visa para makapunta sa asawa ko

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  23. Anonymous8:35:00 PM

    So hindi ko na kailangan ng Visa sa Columbia? Ticket na lang? Follow up question po,how much it cost pa Columbia?

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  24. Good information

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