Philippines introduces cruise visa waiver for foreigners

Foreign tourists travelling via cruise ship now have an easier way to enter the Philippines thanks to the country’s new cruise visa waiver.

Launched on 16 July, the waiver is part of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT)’s ongoing campaign to entice more cruise travellers into considering the Southeast Asian nation their next destination.

The cruise visa waiver programme is a joint initiative of the DOT, the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), and the Department of Justice.

Boosting the numbers

According to DOT secretary Christina Frasco, the program reflects the current administration’s drive to boost the economy through new tourism initiatives, particularly the national cruise tourism development strategy.

Frasco said “With the implementation of the cruise visa waiver program, we expect these to increase and we expect more tourists to arrive in the Philippines, especially now that the country is well on its way towards becoming a preferred destination for luxurious expedition cruises to cruise ships that can accommodate a bigger number [of passengers.]”

In the past year, the Philippines received 123 port calls, drawing in over 101,000 passengers in total. Through the cruise visa waiver initiative, the DOT hopes to increase the numbers, drawing in 118,000 passengers at the very least this year.

What’s it all about?

The Philippines’ cruise visa waiver is for single-entry use only and is valid up to a maximum of 14 days stay in the country. It is non-extendible and non-convertible to other types of visas or immigration status. 

Those eligible for the waiver program are foreign nationals requiring visas arriving into and departing from the country via cruise ship for tourism purposes only. Applicants should have no intention to deviate from the ship’s local cruise itinerary.

Eligible foreigners may apply for the waiver online through the BoI’s e-services portal.