A few of my girl friends who are married to foreigners have told me, not once, but a number of times that they will adopt their husbands’ citizenship when the time comes, if only for the chance to change their passport.According to them, travelling between countries is a hassle when you’re holding the Philippine passport. Visa and immigration officers tend to give one a hard time, a sad fact of life that comes with being the citizen of the Third World whose enterprising countrymen can come up with anything – from fake LVs to fake documents. Yes, including what am talking about in this post. 😀
I don’t know yet how I’ll decide when the time comes.Apart from that unfortunate incident with the US Embassy a few months back, I haven’t really felt discriminated in a port of entry or given the run-around. Also, travelling to the US and Europe doesn’t hold luster for me anymore, as I’ve done it when I was younger and my fear of flying sucks. Right now, I am just enamored with travelling in and around Asia. It’s good thing that being a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Filipinos can roam around most parts without need for a visa.
Also , Doubting Thomases among immigration and embassy personnel should rest easy with the implementation of the new machine-readable passport since late 2007, and a biometric one coming up soon. Technology these days has made it virtually impossible for anyone to manufacture passports in their own backyard, which should be a good thing for legitimate travellers like you and me 😛
Luckily, I chanced upon the Henley Visa Restrictions Index which ranks countries according to the “travel freedom their citizens enjoy.” In the global ranking, Denmark topped the list, with 157 countries their residents can go to without need for a visa. The Philippines had a score of 50, ranking below Zimbabwe, and just the same as Ukraine. This means there are 50 countries we can go to without need for a visa. Partial list after the jump:
South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
North America: Costa Rica, Dominica, Haiti, Turks & Caicos Islands
Europe; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Non-ASEAN: Hong Kong, Macau, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Middle East: Iran, Israel
Note: I guess this is the disadvantage of having a PI passport. You’d want to travel unimpeded to Paris and Tuscany but your option is visa-free access to Azerbaijan instead. Ugh. UGH.
For health, passport, and visa requirements on your next trip, this KLM site is really helpful.
Thanks for the list Ajay! It seem there are plenty of interesting countries rin naman that we can visit with out green or maroon passport 😀
Any news on the biorhytmic passport, kung kelan ilalabas? I’m due for a renewal this year, sayang naman if I renew then next month i-roll out na ang bagong passport uli 🙁
Hi Nina. DFA announced last year that they’ll be issuing biometric passports mid-2009. I don’t know if they’re on target with that…
or mauuna muna ang computerized elections 😀
The visa-free countries are a revelation for me too. My choices in the list are Brazil, Peru (because of Macchu Picchu), Costa Rica, Seychelles, Morocco, Maldives, Nepal and (gulp) Iran. Ang sarap mangarap, hehe.
ajay,
feel ko yong inis when travelling with a pinoy passport, not me though, my friends.
even going to canada, it’s a hassle for them dahil wait ang lola sa kung ano anong linya at interrogation na ginagawa sa mga kebigan ko. so it’s nice to hear that there are countries who’d let pinoy in without visa.
then again, sino naman ang pupunta sa georgia na binobomba nang russo?! hahaha o kaya iran, na ewan? even those south american countries are scary.
maganda sa costa rica, although careful lang ang travellers dun, also asean and non-asean. the rest? ewan. hahaha
I have travelled both ways….with a Philippine passport and a US one and I found that it is easier to enter many foreign countries without obtaining visas with a US passport. However, it is probably safer to carry a Philippine passport when you get hijacked LOL.
Hello Reynz. Hectually, parang consuelo de bobo ang mga countries where we can go without a visa. Our diplomats need to work harder, hehehe. Or we should have voted for the presidential aspirant who wanted to make the Philippines a US territory way back in the 80s, LOL.
Btw, a model who travelled to Iran said maganda raw dun eh. Lots of historical chorva. And am sure mega-exotic ang dating ng Seychelles, Maldives and Fiji islands….another territory where we can go without a visa. Yes, Atlanta, Georgia sounds nice but not Georgia…as in GEORGIA. kaboom! hehehe
LOL Bert. No seriously…. I DO think there are instances when carrying a different passport could get you in trouble. Look what happened in Mumbai 🙁
hmpt! anong consuelo de bobo! mga engot at bobo kamo talaga ang mga ayufff na kurakot na mga ambasagdress na mga yan! if i know! kung magshopping sila sa mga discount mall kala mo me mga sariling Macy’s!
maldives is beautiful kasi officemates ko been there
and Iran? hallerrr! hahahah! ang gugwapo kamo nilaaaa! hahaha sana wag mabasa to sa amerika else baka madale ako hahahaha
Inday…. when I was still with my dear old Philippine passport it was so much hassle for me entering ports clearance, few many times the captain have to pay extra to let me out of the boat… since I became a Swiss cheese, I have more job offers since am visa less… but I still have my Phil passport of course the new one…
I had to fight for my photo pala kasi that time I had a fringe like a sweet 12 year old girl eh bawal daw may buhok sa mukha.. I nearly went nuts!!!!!!
Practical lang inday.. no. Ok proud Bisaya gyud ni pero am just been through so much hassles talaga….
Seychelles so beautiful
Pinoys get 90 days stay in Israel visa-free.
visa free sa Israel? yay! dream ko makapunta sa Jerusalem eh hehe 😉 libre talaga ang mangarap haha 😛 isama na natin ang Brazil sa pangarap! 😛
ooh, there are interesting countries under north and south america africa that i would love to check out!
but i can’t wait to get a blue passport, applying for a visa is a big big big pain.
Hi Ajay, correction lang, avisa is needed in Nepal, but you can get it upon arrival for $30,,FYI
hi ajay, i am planning for a vacation in costa rica and i am holding a philippine passport. my itinerary is toronto to miama florida and florida to liberia. My question do i still need a US visa if i stop at miami florida?..pls ajay i need your answer ASAP..thank you and Godbless
As long as you don’t process immigrations, and EXIT the airport, you’ll be fine. A stopover WILL require a Visa, however.
If you are in transit, waiting for your next flight, and don’t intend to leave the airport, a Visa is not necessary.
guys, meron lang akong tanong. pwede kumuha dito philippines ng passport without visa ang isang american citizen? sana, matulungan nyo ako. tnx!!
how i wish i get a visa. would somebody has a good heart and help me!!!! wahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
im 36 yrs old not married hoping to get visa from us…. help me waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh plssssssssss….
Ajay,
What a great name cause it’s my favorites nephews name to. Anyway I’m real glad to find this site, can you please help me! We are planning on 10 day cruise to Panama Canal on 10/11/2009. I’m a US Citizen with a US Passport. I invited my cousin to join us, he is a filipino citizen with a Philippine passport and a US Multiple Visa Entry. The Cruise Itinerary are: Aruba, Cartagena, Cristobal, Costa Rica & Jamaica. The port of embarkation & debarkation are both Ft. Lauderdale. Does he needs anything else?
Please I would greatly appreciate your response.
JJ,
That is something you would do better asking the Cruise Line, honestly. They should be familiar with these issues, it’s their bread and butter. I would anticipate you purchasing Visas as you travel, personally. Service provided and anticipated, as Cruise arrivals and departures are scheduled affairs, and ports of call are advised in advance of tour schedules.
Cheers,
Mr Z
Mr Z,
Thanks for replying! Unfortunately Cruise Line won’t release any info, their afraid of getting sued so their advice is to contact the Philippine Consulate who then told me to contact each countries Consulate Office which I have been doing for the past two weeks.
Any Help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.
JJ
hi
gusto ko lang malaman kung nid ba ng visa going to peru? filipino passport holder ako
hope to hear from you soon
tnx
to Ehnaj
PH passport is visafree in PR! What the hell r u goin to do there? Fetch a pale of Coke? LOL
Na be careful! 😉
hello..talaga?wlang visa sa mga na mention mo above?pwed ba philippines-hongkong-brazil?heheheh..gusto ko talga punta sa brazil
do filipino citizens need a visa to bermuda?
hi,
I have a few question about my passport, my passport will be expired next year, and my problem is walang embassy dito sa Morocco but im married with a moroccan, what I will do? I need your help guys…. give me some advise….
Nakakapanglumo man ang katotohanan na napaka limitado ng mga bansang maaaring puntahan ng Philippine passport holders at hindi na rin lang kaunti ang mga nakaranas ng diskriminasyon, Mas nakakalungkot isipin na may mga Pilipino na para bagang ikinakahiya ang kanilang pagkatao at mas gustong magpalit ng kanilang citizenship para lamang maging madali ang kanilang pag biyahe….
Sana ang ikahiya natin ay ang mga corrupt nating mga opisyales (elected man o appointed) at mga kababayang gumawa ng kahihiyan na siyang dahilan ng sitwasyon nating ito (isama nyo na rin ang mga nakakahiya nating mga kababayang binaggit ko sa itaas) at hindi yung pagiging Pilipino natin… Sila ang sumira sa pangalan natin dahil hindi nila pinakita ang tunay na mabuting ugali ng mga Pilpino. Sila ang dapat sisihin. Sabna hindi natin ito tularan……
Ajay, i like your honesty when you said you don’t know yet how you will decide when the time comes…. If you are going to adopt your husbands citizenship, it doesn’t automatically mean your bad…. It’s your right….
Ang nakakainis lang ay yung iilang babae (at lalaki at bakla’t tomboy at iba pa) na inilalako ang sarili sa mga dayuhan para lamang mapalitan ang kanilang citizenship… kung nahihiya sila sa bansa nila, mas ikinakahiya sila ng Bansa nila…..
super agree po kay makato.. sana wag ikahiya ang pagiging pilipino!!!!!
hi, i am planning to go to peru this march, i want to know if i need transit visa on my stopover like in amsterdam or US states? i jsut checked the flight i need to pass most of the us states. thanks waiting for ur help
yhet,
you need to get a US visa if you are transiting in the US. you have no choice but to go through immigrations kahit na lilipat ka lang naman ng eroplano. as for amsterdam, you dont need a visa as long as 1 Schengen state lang ang dadaanan mo and you have an onward ticket/boarding pass to another destination.
makatao,
sa palagay ko lang, hindi naman ito tungkol sa pagiging patriotic. hassle lang talaga ang maging pinoy passport holder, that’s the reality. i’ve travelled to a lot of places at hindi madali. may mga sitwasyon na minsan mahaharang ka sa immigration habang ang mga kasamahan mong kano, briton, at aussie ay dire-direcho lang. may mga panahon pang bago ka palusutin eh ipapa-undergo ka pa sa isang medical check-up na para bang magdadala ka ng nakahahawang sakit sa bansa nila. hindi na nga makatao eh. kaya hindi natin masisisi ang ating mga kababayan na maghangad ng mas maganda at mabuti para sa kanilang sarili.
kung iisipin, hindi nga nila tinitignan ang ethnicity natin pagdating sa immig eh. kasi ang PINOY na US passport holder, makakalusot sa kung san-sang immigration ng walang problema, pero ang PINOY na PHILIPPINE passport holder, mas mahihirapan.
hi ask ko lang kasi papaunta ako ng saigon vietnam plano ko sana pumasyal din papaunta cambodia me babayaran paba ako sa port of entry in cambodia? if meron mga howmuch kaya?
any info if it is safe to travel to cambodia from saigon? ilang hours kaya ang travel going there? gusto ko kaing pumasya sa angkor wat. Thanks
godbless!
please let me know when ang cheapest airfare from philippines to kenya. im really planning to visit kenya sometime soon.. thanks
I dont think masama kung magpalit ang isang pinoy ng citizenship to get other countries passport!
nasa puso ang pagiging pinoy di porket nagpalit ng passport ikinahihiya mo na ang iyong bansa. Sa panahon ngayon mas magandang maging practikal kesa sa maging maka bayan ng corrupt na gobyerno..
TRUE, I went to UK last Jan2009 from Dubai. The UK visa is approved without interview. My present job is HR Officer. Believe me, 7 days lang, approved na UK visa ko. Now, when I enter London Heathrow, 30 minutes akong nakatayo sa harap ng Immigration officer na para akong nag-antay ng sentensiya…..di pa ako tapos sa sagut ko, question agad. feel ko, ang dugyot-dugyot ko, as in parang nakapobre ko, in fact I have enough for my one month holiday. Anyway, I presented everything, invitation, round trip ticket, credit card and if she asked for my cash, I will show her my modest 1000 UK pound…Finally, she relented and said, enjoy your holiday. Pero believed me, para akong matatae or maiihi sa nervous, though di ako nagpalahata, smile pa rin while answering back to her and eye contact. Tapos. Pasok sa UK. True, unfortunately, hassle ang Philippine Passport pag sa mga bansang required ng visa ka mag travel. Singapore, malaysiaHK, Macao, walang issue. Walang problem.
wow talaga visa-free ang pinoy going to hong kong.so i dont need to apply for visa,i just book my air ticket!!! ganun lang kadali?
hello please can anyone confirm if its true that i don’t need to apply for visa going to Hong Kong? Becuase until now im confuse if ineed to apply or hindi na ba talaga kailangan,pleas help me before i book my ticket,tnx…
@tin
yep, CONFIRMED! no need to apply for a visa going to HK. bili ka lang ng plane ticket then pagdating mo dun sa immigration sa HK, dun ka na nila bibigyan ng visa..tatatakan ang passport mo kung ilang days sya valid. 🙂
pero ngayon medyo nagiging strict na din sila sa HK, me mga na-e Airport to Airport na din, sabi nila marami na din kasing nag ooverstay dun. depende lang siguro kung sa ka matatapat na officer, kasi ako walang tinanong sa kin, pero yung nauna sakin sa pila eh ang daming tinanong.
make sure na lang na mapapkita mo yung roundtrip ticket mo + hotel accomodation(or in my case eh yung address lang ng friend ko yung nilagay ko kasi sa knya naman ako tumuloy nun) + cash(eto eh kung tatanungin lang naman..wag mo naman proactively ipakita).
Hi,
Nabasa ko lahat ng comments regarding visas, pero I’m still confuse about sa mga visa. Please let me know po kung alin ang specific Countries na HINDI talaga kailangan ng visa kung Philippine passport holder ka. Ung ticket lang and kailangan at passport at syempre pocket money.
Many thanks!
Hello I am planning to go to Mozambique. So we will be granted visa upon arrival there? What should I bring with me if ever? May mga instances ba pinababalik? I plan to visit there mga 5 days maximum lang naman hehehe.. Thanks and please guide naman jan.. Will wait and thanks in advance 🙂
Hi, pls help me…I want to vist my relatives in Italy but there are is a requirement that I need to present an invitation letter from an Italian Citizen. My relatives in Italy are mere workers there and they are only there because of a working visa. Is the “invitation letter” from an Italian Citizen really needed inorder for me o apply for a Tourist Visa in Italy?
Thanks
Marly
Magandang Umaga,
Masakit talagang isipin na ang ating dinadalang pasaporte ng pilipinas ay walang kwenta sa US, Europe, Schengen Countries, eh kahit nga Japan, Asya na yun di pa rin tayong madaling makakapunta ang daming ka ecchhoosan kasi akala nila lahat ng Pinoy pupunta eh mag t-TNT. At hindi naman sabihin na pag pinalitan natin ang ating Citizenship eh ikinahihiya na natin ang pagka Pinoy, there are just instances na nakapag asawa ng Caucasian at gusto mong manirahan kasama niya, kaya ganun.
At meron din mga pinoy na kapag pumunta ng Amerika o kahit saan Tourist Visa yung dinadala eh nag ooverstay at nagtatago na.. kaya nagiging Bad image sa mga embahada ang mga Pilipino pero hindi naman natin masisisi, kc pag andun na tayo trabaho kaagad ang iniisip at magkano ang ipapadala sa pamilya. oh diba? hindi natin ma-ii-deny yan kc napaka family oriented at anu pang family virtues pa jan tayong mga pilipino… At ngayun ay nag-aaply ako para sa Schengen Countries, Diyos ko ang strikto.. tourista visa lang pero ang daming requirements, Haayyy naku nakakaubos na pera…
Thanks a lot for this info. God bless.
hello po. ask ko lang po, need po ba ng visa if ur travelling as tourist/sightseeing to guangzhou china for only 2 days ? Salamat po..
yes u need a visa if ure going to China. They usually give 30days tourist visa. It’s a bit hard to get a Chinese visa if its your first time to go abroad.
Pls…let me know if hndi po tlga kailangan ng visa s brazil as in buy lng ng ticket then pwede kna pmunta like hongkong
ajay,i have question hope you can help me.
i had a boyfriend foreigner from new jeysey.
my question is what is the best my boyfriend petition me so that we will be together?
it is fiancee visa is the best way for us?
1 thing pa..is philippines allow to travel with out visa in USA?
i had plans to visit my aunt and also my boyfriend?
greetings.
itatanong ko lang po i am a Philippines passport holder,then allow po ba ako mgtravel going to america without visa?
thanks and more power..
i hope i got response from you.
because i had plans to travel in USA this coming December.
Obviously yes!!
it has been mentioned several times above that you need VISA when travelling US.
If you are a Philippine passport holder..yes you are allowed to travel to the states…importante pumasa ka sa US embassy. as in hello..everyone knows that you F..king need a visa when you want to go to the US, and then interview ulit doon sa port of entry..UK and Canada and Australia ayaw mong itanong?
Hi! Ask ku lang kung mandatory requirement to get a schengen visa yung sa insurance na may minimum na 30,000 euros? If may magsponsor naman na kaibigan dun to cover the hospitalization cost if ever, necessary pa ba ito? Thanks =)
i just want to ask if confimed po b tlga that no need n po ng visa,,,, because im planning to go to brunei nxt month, ,,, with my daughter, for tourist just for 14 days, to visit my husband who’s working there,,,,and what are the other requirments asides of philippine passport that we have…. and tickets. ty