The Philippines will reopen its eVisa application system for Chinese nationals starting November, allowing travelers from China to apply for short-term entry online for tourism or business visits.
According to a statement from the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, eligible Chinese visitors may apply for an eVisa if they plan to stay in the Philippines for up to 14 days without extension. Entry under this scheme will be permitted only through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Those intending to stay longer than 14 days, along with other qualified foreign residents in China, will need to file for a conventional visa at designated Visa Application Centers in Beijing, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. The embassy said it will soon release detailed information on application procedures and website access.
The eVisa program was initially launched in August 2023 but was suspended shortly after the Department of Justice ordered stricter screening to prevent the entry of illegal online gaming workers.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the system’s return addresses strong demand from the Chinese market and feedback from tourism stakeholders. “The suspension of the e-Visa system in 2023 had a significant and measurable impact on our ability to meet tourism targets, particularly from one of our strongest pre-pandemic markets,” Frasco said.
She added that while a rapid surge in tourist arrivals is not immediately expected, reinstating the eVisa signals the government’s intent to make travel access to the Philippines more convenient and competitive.
Before the pandemic, China was the country’s second-largest source of tourists, with 1.74 million Chinese visitors recorded in 2019. In comparison, only about 300,000 Chinese travelers arrived in 2024, while 203,923 have visited as of September this year, according to the Department of Tourism.
