Philippines Immigration Services
Working in Philippines
In general, all foreign nationals who wish to work in the Philippines must secure a work permit. The type of visa needed to work in the Philippines depends on the type of business activity and whether the employer has an entity in the Philippines.
The Philippines is part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Foreign nationals who hold an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) with a “Valid for travel to PHL” endorsement are not required to have a visa or work permit to travel to the Philippines as business visitors. Additionally, foreign nationals from certain countries, including European Union member states, Canada, United States, and others, are not required to have a visa or work permit for a short duration to do certain business-related activities.
o do activities that are considered work—whether paid or unpaid and no matter how long or short in duration—in the Philippines, all foreign nationals must secure a work visa. Some examples of work that require permits includes technical work, repairs, project management and implementation, audits, and marketing.
Processing times vary based on the type of visa, so your company should make sure to include visa application processing time when thinking about sending employees abroad to work in the Philippines. There are several different types of work visas for the Philippines, but we’ve listed some common ones below.
Types of Visas
- Special Work Permit (short-term)
- 9(G) Work Visa & Alien Employment Permit (standard work permit)
- 47(A)(2) Visa & Alien Employment Permit (special cases work permit)
Processes and requirements vary by the type of visa. To figure out which visa your business requires, click below to download our Philippines Information Sheet or click here to set up a consultation.