General Santos

Passport validity requirements

To enter the Philippines, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Visa requirements 

You can visit the Philippines without a visa for tourism or business for up to 30 days.

You must have a QR code to show that you have registered on the e-travel system within the 72 hours before your arrival in the Philippines. Some airlines will not allow you to board your flight to the Philippines if you cannot show the QR code.

The e-travel registration is free of charge.

Most UK visitors are also expected to have proof of return or onward travel. Immigration officials and airlines may ask for this.

To stay more than 30 days, you can apply for an extension when you are in the Philippines. If you overstay any visa without authority, it is a serious matter. You could face fees and fines, and detention if you cannot pay them, or you could be deported at your own expense.

If you want a visa to live, work, or study in the Philippines, you’ll need to meet the requirements of the Philippine immigration regulations. This includes having certain UK documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, UK police certificates and school documents) legalised by the Legalisation Office (not by the Philippine Embassy in London).  

Children travelling without their parents

If your non-Filipino children aged 14 or under are travelling without either parent, you must apply for a waiver of exclusion ground for entry into the Philippines.     

Vaccine requirements

To enter the Philippines, you must have certificates to prove you’ve had:

• a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk
• a polio   vaccine if you are coming from certain countries with a transmission risk

For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Philippines guide.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of the Philippines. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking money into the Philippines 

You cannot take in more than 50,000 Philippine pesos.

If you are bringing in foreign currency (cash or cheques) worth more than 10,000 US dollars, you must declare it on your foreign currency declaration form on arrival.

Exit requirements

If you have stayed in the Philippines for 6 months or more on a tourist visa, you must get an emigration clearance certificate (ECC) during the 72 hours before you leave the country.    

If you were in the Philippines on a visa issued by the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Board of Investments (BoI), or the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), you will need a travel pass from the department that issued your visa to leave the Philippines. If you have an ECC, you do not need a travel pass.

Airport tax

If you’re leaving the country from Cebu Mactan airport, you must pay a departure tax of 850 Philippine pesos in local currency or the equivalent in US dollars. There’s no longer a departure tax at Manila airport. This information can change and you should check with your airline before you travel.  

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of the Philippines. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking money into the Philippines 

You cannot take in more than 50,000 Philippine pesos.

If you are bringing in foreign currency (cash or cheques) worth more than 10,000 US dollars, you must declare it on your foreign currency declaration form on arrival.

Emergency services in the Philippines

Telephone: 911 (ambulance, fire, police)

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• finding English-speaking lawyers, funeral directors and translators and interpreters in the Philippines
• dealing with a death in the Philippines
• being arrested or imprisoned in the Philippines
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO 

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency. 

Help in the UK  

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

Risk information for British companies

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating in the Philippines on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Areas where FCDO advises against travel

Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago

FCDO advises against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.

FCDO also advises against all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao, except for:

• Camiguin Island
• Dinagat Island
• Siargao Island

This advice is due to terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups in south Philippines.

Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel.

Typhoons

Around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year. Most typhoons happen between June and November. Follow the advice of local authorities, and monitor the progress of storms on the Philippines state weather agency and the Philippines Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. You can find updates on typhoon2000.ph, or follow @Typhoon2k on X.

Global travel impacts due to escalation in the Middle East

Escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights.

Commercial options to depart the Philippines remain available, but your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. Before you travel:

• check travel advice for any countries or territories you are transiting through
• check for the latest updates from your airline or tour operator
• review your travel insurance policy for coverage
• monitor local and international media for the latest information and sign up for travel advice email alerts

Demonstrations

Large-scale demonstrations are expected over the coming weeks in Metro Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines.

Avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings and follow the advice of local authorities. Demonstrations may lead to travel disruption. You should allow extra time for journeys and monitor local media for updates.

See Safety and security for more information on demonstrations and rallies in the Philippines.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:  

• see general advice for women travellers 
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad 
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers  
• read about safety for solo and independent travel 
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

Get travel advice updates

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. 

Follow FCDO:   

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences 

Personal ID

You must be able to show some identification if requested by the police. If you want to keep your passport in a safe place, such as in a hotel safe, carry a printed copy of the photo page.

Public offences

Violating local laws may result in a prison sentence, served in a local prison. Sentences are severe. The judicial system allows long-term detention until a court hearing takes place. Foreign nationals have been known to spend several years in prison on remand while their cases are processed.

The detention facilities and prison conditions are far below UK standards.

Demonstrations and rallies

The Philippines Bureau of Immigration has warned foreign nationals against participating in public protests and political rallies. If you participate, you may be detained and deported. Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings of people.

Illegal drugs and prison sentences

Do not become involved with drugs of any kind. Penalties for importing and using illegal drugs are particularly severe. A conviction for possession of even a small amount of any illicit drug in the Philippines means a mandatory prison sentence.

Police and other authorities have been publicly encouraged to kill suspected drug traffickers who resist arrest.

Laws on child abuse and rape

Child abuse and rape are punished with extremely long prison sentences. Be cautious about strangers offering friendship. There have been cases where women, single or sometimes with children, have befriended single male tourists and then threatened to report rape or abuse in an apparent attempt to extort money. A child is defined in Philippine law as a person aged 17 and under.

LGBT+ travellers

The Philippines is generally a tolerant and progressive place for LGBT+ travellers, although overt public displays of affection may be considered a ‘grave scandal’ under the Revised Penal Code. If convicted, you could get a fine or a 6-month prison sentence.

Current legislation does not recognise same-sex marriage. Same-sex relationships are not illegal in the Philippines, but some stigma exists outside urban centres.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.