The Philippines now allows Indians visa-free entry

In what is sure to be welcome news for many Indian travelers, the Philippines now allows for visa-free entry at any port in the country, provided certain conditions are met.

A quick read through the information that is available on the Philippines Embassy website based in New Delhi confirms the same and lists down the conditions that need to be met. While I will encourage you to read what is exactly there on their website, the one that is the most important is that travelers should have “either a valid (used or unused) American (US), Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, United Kingdom, or Singaporean multiple-entry visa or permanent residence permit.”

Now that you have made your plans to vacation in the Philippines, there is one more thing you need to do before heading to the airport. About 72 hours before you fly out, make sure to log on to https://etravel.gov.ph and provide your travel details. Once you have done that, a unique QR code is instantly generated with your name, passport details, and a reference number. Make sure to save this on your mobile phone. While the immigration officer at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Manila did not ask to see mine, she did gesture and show me a printout of a generic QR code to confirm that I did have one before inviting me to her window.

All said and done, it is an excellent move by the concerned Philippines ministry to facilitate this.

Now, go and pack those bags, head to your nearest airport, and say “Mabuhay!” to the beautiful folks in the Philippines.