TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco welcomed the scheduled implementation of the electronic visa (e-visa) system for temporary visitors with its pilot implementation among Chinese.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will launch the Philippine e-Visa system in Philippine Foreign Service Posts in China on August 24, 2023, an effort that is expected to boost Chinese tourist arrivals.

By the end of the year, the e-visa will also be made available for Indians.

“We are grateful that the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to implement the e-visa system will soon come into fruition with DFA’s implementation as it will surely improve the experience of inbound travelers and tourists, and have a positive impact on our international arrivals especially in the Chinese and Indian markets.

We believe that this will also foster even closer people-to-people exchanges, cultural understanding and vibrant tourism cooperation,” Frasco said

She added “the Philippines takes great pride in its diverse and captivating tourist destinations, rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality.

We are confident that the implementation of the e-visa system will encourage more Chinese and new Indian visitors to explore the wonders of our archipelago, creating unforgettable experiences and lasting memories that will certainly make them Love the Philippines as a top-of-the-mind tourist destination.”

“Certainly, the e-visa will be a game changer in the Chinese market, which currently prefers other Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia which provide landing visa to Chinese travelers thus gaining faster momentum for the tourism recovery of these countries from the negative impacts of the pandemic,” noted Frasco.

On March 24, 2023, the DOT organized a visa reforms convergence meeting following a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

The DOT, DFA, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) had discussed the streamlining of the visa application process to enhance convenience and accessibility for all international travelers, starting with Chinese visitors—primarily to help accelerate the tourism resurgence in the country.

More than the 1.7 million Chinese visitors to the Philippines were recorded by the DOT in 2019 and as of July 26, 2023, the agency tallied 137,822 arrivals from China, following the recent lifting of travel restrictions for the Chinese.

The Philippine e-Visa will allow foreigners entering the country for tourism or business to apply for temporary visitors’ visas remotely through their personal computers, laptops, and mobile devices. This project is part of the DFA’s strategic goal of optimizing ICT for its consular services, and is affirmed by the policy directive of the President to reinvigorate the tourism industry, the DFA has said.

On July 11, 2023, the DFA conducted a pilot testing of the prototype e-Visa system with DICT representatives and Consuls General, Visa Officers, and Visa Assistants of Philippine Foreign Service Posts in China. The features of the e-Visa system are currently being refined and enhanced based on the results of the pilot testing.

The e-Visa marks the transition of the DFA’s primordial mandate of issuing Philippine visas for foreign nationals entering the country in a secure digital environment. The service is expected to contribute to the Philippine government’s thrust to promote tourism and business mobility.