PH extends visa-free stay for 151 countries

The Philippines is extending a warmer welcome to citizens of 151 countries by allowing them to stay in the country visa-free longer. Starting Aug. 1, 2013, nationals from countries with visa-free privilege may stay for 30 days in the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. The visa-free stay is an extension of the previous period of only 21 days. The new policy is in line with government goals of boosting tourism and attracting more foreign investments in various areas in the Philippines. Under the new scheme, qualified foreign nationals only need to present a passport valid for at least six months beyond their planned stay and an outbound ticket. “This move will hopefully encourage more tourists and investors to visit and stay in the Philippines by removing the need for them to report to immigration offices for a stay of up to a month,” Assistant Secretary of Consular Affairs Jaime Victor Ledda said. “It will also give them more flexibility in planning and managing their schedules,” he added. The new rule will apply to the following citizens of the following countries: Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Benin Bhutan Bolivia Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Lao People’s Democratic Republic Latvia Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Norway Oman Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of Korea Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Thailand Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Uganda United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United Republic of Tanzania United States of America Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Zambia Zimbabwe Meanwhile, Brazil and Israel nationals may still stay in the country 59-day visa-free given bilateral agreements with the Philippines.