Consular Information Bulletin on the New Balikbayan Visa Privilege
1. What is the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?
2. Who may avail of the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?
3. What are the conditions to avail of the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?
4. What steps should be followed to avail of the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?
5. What documentation are required to enter the Philippines under the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?
- for former Philippine citizens
- for the foreign spouse and foreign minor unmarried children
No visa shall be required for a maximum stay of one (1) year for the following Balikbayans, every time they enter the Philippines to visit, regardless of the frequency of their travel:
1. Former Philippine citizens (including Filipinos who have become naturalized U.S. citizens, and citizens of the Bahamas, Bermuda and other countries within the jurisdiction of the Embassy of Washington, D.C.);
2. Foreign spouses and minor foreign unmarried children of Filipinos and former Filipino citizens.
The balikbayan privilege is extended to former Philippine citizens, the foreign spouse and the foreign minor unmarried children of Philippine citizens, provided that:
1. they are nationals of Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, 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, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, or Vietnam; and
2. they are traveling together to the Philippines with the balikbayan spouse.
The former Philippine citizen shall declare before a Philippine Immigration Officer at the port of entry that he/she is availing of the balikbayan privilege and shall present his/her valid passport in addition to any of the following documents:
1. cancelled Philippine passport;
2. birth certificate; 3. naturalization papers to show former Philippine citizenship; or
4. certification from the adopted country.
The accompanying foreign spouse and foreign minor unmarried children of Filipinos and former Filipino citizens shall declare before a Philippine Immigration Officer at the port of entry that he/she is accompanied by a Filipino or former Filipino spouse or parent and that he/she is availing of the balikbayan privilege, and shall present his/her valid passport in addition to the following:
1. Foreign spouse: Valid passport and Marriage certificate
2. Foreign Minor unmarried children: Birth certificate
3. Adopted children: Adoption papers
For further verification please call the Philippine Embassy at 202-467-9300 or 202-467-9324 for more information.
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