The Philippines has extended visa-free travel to Chinese nationals in the latest bid to boost the Southeast Asian island nation’s economy. The new border rules came into force on 16 January 2026, allowing Chinese passport holders to visit the Philippines visa-free for up to 14 days for tourism or business purposes.
Announcing the visa waiver, Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the scheme would be trialled for a year at only two entry points: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
The 14-day visa-free period cannot be extended or converted into another Philippine visa category. To qualify, Chinese nationals must present a passport that is valid for six months beyond the dates of travel, and be able to show proof of accommodation bookings, as well as return or onward tickets. Philippine embassies have also sought to issue security and public order reassurances, emphasising that background checks and criminal record verifications on Chinese visitors will still take place.
After South Korea, China was the second biggest source market for travel to the Philippines before the COVID-19 pandemic, sending 1.75 million Chinese travellers there in 2019. The visa announcement is therefore part of a bid to recover these visitor numbers and is part of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s strategy to “facilitate trade, investments and tourism while strengthening people-to-people exchanges with China.” The waiver brings the number of countries whose citizens can visit the Philippines visa-free to 158.
The policy shift is a unilateral one but brings the Philippines in line with competitor markets in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The measure effectively streamlines the red tape that Chinese passport holders have previously encountered when planning trips to the Philippines, meaning they no longer are obliged to try to book consular appointments weeks ahead of any visit. It is being touted by commentators as a significant win for corporate travellers working in the construction, engineering, and manufacturing sectors and is anticipated to boost the number of Chinese buyers attending trade fairs such as Manila’s upcoming premier design and lifestyle trade show, FAME, in February 2026.
Chinese travellers and their employers and human resources teams are urged to keep copies of hotel and travel bookings in case of spot checks, and to ensure they respect the visa waiver conditions to avoid incurring overstay penalties. Standard Philippine visas remain available for application if the terms of the visa waiver policy do not suit the needs of travellers.
