Philippines sets re-entry rules for foreigners with valid visas

Foreigners with valid and existing visas who left the Philippines from December 17 onwards may be permitted to return to the country as long as they comply with certain conditions, the government’s COVID-19 task force said.

The conditions include a valid and existing visa on the date of arrival, a pre-booked quarantine facility, and a pre-booked COVID-19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport, and they must be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry.

These rules will apply to foreigners who possess visas under Section 9(e) and 9(g) of Commonwealth Act 613.

“The foregoing is without prejudice to immigration laws, rules and regulations such that the Commissioner of Immigration shall have the exclusive prerogative to decide on waiver or recall of exclusion orders for the above foreign nationals, including other foreign nationals who have entered the Philippines by virtue of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) resolutions,” the policy-making body said in a resolution approved on Thursday.

The IATF directed the Bureau of Immigration to issue the guidelines including the necessary coordination with the airlines.

Early this month, Malacañang said the Philippines would keep its borders closed to international tourists, including foreign fiancés of Filipinos, even as the country gradually eased inbound travel restrictions.

The Palace argued that a COVID-19 vaccine is not yet widely available. — RSJ, GMA News