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Foreign spouses, minor children of Filipinos need entry visa to Philippines —BI


The Bureau of Immigration on Saturday said foreign spouses and minor children of Filipinos need entry visas before they will be allowed to enter the country effective Sunday, August 9, 2020.

The entry visa may be applied for at the nearest Philippine foreign service post, the BI said.

Below is the list of persons allowed to enter the Philippines:

  • Filipinos
  • Foreign spouse and minor children of Filipinos
  • Children with special needs (regardless of age) of Filipinos
  • Foreign parent of minor Filipinos
  • Foreign parent of children with special needs (regardless of age) of Filipinos
  • Accredited foreign government and international organisation officials and their dependents
  • Foreign airline crew members
  • Foreign seafarers with 9(c) visa
  • Foreign nationals with long-term visas

 

All persons mentioned above except for Filipinos and foreign airline crew members need to comply with the four conditions set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

These conditions are:

  1. must have a valid and existing visa at the time of entry
  2. with pre-booked accredited quarantine facility
  3. with pre-booked COVID-19 testing provider
  4. subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers as set by the National Task Force for COVID-19

 

Aside from foreign spouses and minor children of Filipinos, the following also need to apply for an entry visa at the nearest Philippine foreign service post:

  • children with special needs (regardless of age) of Filipinos
  • foreign parent of minor Filipinos
  • foreign parent of children with special needs (regardless of age) of Filipinos

 

"It is clear from the latest updates from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution 60 that foreigners, including spouses of Philippine citizens, allowed to enter country must have the proper visas prior their arrival in the country," BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.

Morente said that prior to the issuance of Resolution 60 of IATF-EID, foreigners married to Filipinos needed only to present their marriage certificates and other proof of matrimonial relationship before they are allowed entry to the country.

"But that is no longer the case with the issuance of this latest IATF-EID resolution . Foreign spouses of Filipinos must now secure entry visas from our Consulates abroad before traveling to the Philippines. Otherwise, they will be denied entry by our immigration officers and sent back to their ports of origin," Morente said.

BI Port Operations Acting Chief Grifton Medina however said that foreign spouses, dependents and parents of Filipinos who already hold permanent and temporary resident visas do not need to apply for a new entry visa and may enter the country anytime.

"Those aliens who already hold valid permanent and temporary resident visas which they acquired by reason of marriage to Filipinos under Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act can enter the country anytime," Medina said.

He however reminded foreign spouses of Filipinos to always bring with them their authenticated marriage certificate and other supporting documents when they travel to the Philippines for BI officials to see if needed.

"There have been many instances already wherein foreign passengers claiming to be spouses of Filipinos were turned back by our officers at the airport due to their failure to show proof of marriage," Medina said.

As for exiting the country, only the following are allowed to leave:

  • foreign nationals
  • overseas Filipino workers (does not apply where destination has existing travel restriction)
  • permanent visa holders
  • students enrolled abroad and participants accepted in exchange visitor programs

 

Filipinos who will embark on essential travel for business and work, medical, emergency or humanitarian reasons may also be allowed to exit the country subject to sufficient supporting documents, but only if their destination has no travel restriction. —KG, GMA News

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