Entering the Philippines with less than 6 months on your passport

[LUFCinMakati]

I have a client who apparently has been refused entry to the Philippines as he has only 5 months and 9 days before the expiration of his passport?

Anyone heard of such issues. 

[Viking]

I guess that is according to the rules. Minimum 6 months to the day of expiration of the passport is required to be granted entry.

[BrettGC]

Pretty standard world-wide I believe.

[GeoffH]

I am surprised that the airline actually let them on to fly, in Australia you get flagged if you have less than 6 months remaining and an officer comes and talks to you (not automatically stopped from travelling I understand).

[Mike J]

According to the Bureau of Immigration website it depends on your country of citizenship.  That being said, not everyone involved in decision making may be familiar with that exception or the countries on the list.  I see that the Australia and the USA are exempt from the 6 month requirement, while Sweden is not.

http://www.immigration.gov.ph/faqs/travel-req

9.1. For aliens with diplomatic or bilateral agreements with the Philippines:

1. Unexpired passport;
2. Unexpired entry visa; and
3. Validly-issued return ticket.

• Non-visa required aliens shall be admitted an initial 30-days.

9.2. For aliens without bilateral agreements with the Philippines:

Unexpired passport;

1. Unexpired entry visa; and

(Philippine Foreign Post (PFP)-listed highly restricted aliens shall secure visa only at the PFP in their country of origin or legal residence.)

1. Validly-issued return ticket.

Note: The passport shall have at least six months’ validity beyond intended stay, unless the alien belongs to a non-visa required country who may be admitted into the Philippines with less than six months’ valid passports upon arrival and whose embassies/consulate extend or renew their passports in the Philippines.

10. Who are exempt from the “six-month passport validity” rule?

 

1. Philippine passport holders;
2. Former Filipinos and their dependents (immediate family members);
3. Permanent residents and holders of other special visa categories requiring temporary residents (with valid ACR I-Cards);
4. Passports of recognized foreign-government officials;
5. Visa under CA 613, Sec. 9, except Sec.  9(a), and 47(a)(2)  where visa validity extends beyond passport expiration date, provided, an embassy or consulate is maintained in the Philippines;
6. Those admitted by the Commissioner on humanitarian grounds; and
7. Pursuant to Operations Order No. SBM-2015-026, nationals of the following countries may be admitted into the Philippines with passports of less than six (6) months validity from date of arrival:

 

Angola	Argentina	Australia	Austria	Belgium
Benin	Brazil	Cambodia	Canada	Chile
Cyprus	Czech Republic	Ecuador	France	Germany
Greece	Iceland	Indonesia	Ireland	Isreal
Italy	Japan	Korea	Kuwait	Laos
Mexico	Myanmar	Netherlands	New Zealand	Niger
Norway	Papua New Guinea	Peru	Portugal	Romania
Saudi Arabia	Singapore	Spain	Switzerland	Thailand
Turkey	United Kingdom / GBR	United States of America	Venezuela

 

[Gary D]

Yes the rule changed a year or two ago.

[Jollygoodfellow]

10 hours ago, Gary D said:

Yes the rule changed a year or two ago.

I think it was longer than that but as someone said many would not know the rules at immigration.