The Philippines has given Chinese travellers an unexpected Lunar-New-Year gift: a unilateral visa-free policy that took effect on 16 January 2026 and was formally confirmed by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on 22 January. Holders of ordinary PRC passports visiting for tourism or business can now enter through Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport or Cebu’s Mactan-Cebu International Airport and stay for up to 14 days per trip without first obtaining a visa. Multiple entries are permitted during the 12-month pilot, provided each stay does not exceed the 14-day limit.
For travellers who still require documentation beyond the 14-day waiver—such as extended business stays, student permits or visas for accompanying non-Chinese family members—online facilitators like VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and courier support for Philippine visas and many other destinations, sparing applicants long consulate queues and giving real-time status updates.
The decision is the boldest step yet in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign to rebuild inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels. China was the Philippines’ second-largest visitor market in 2019 but arrivals remained 70 percent below that benchmark in 2025 despite a post-Covid rebound elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Officials expect the waiver to lift total mainland Chinese arrivals to 1.4 million in 2026, injecting an estimated US$1.2 billion into hotels, retail and casinos.
![Philippines Launches One-Year Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Citizens]()
For Chinese corporates the benefit is more than sun-sand-sea. Metro Manila’s fast-growing IT-BPO sector relies heavily on visiting client teams; the 14-day stamp removes at least two weeks of lead-time and roughly ¥900 in consular fees per traveller. SMEs importing Philippine nickel ore or exporting electronics also gain flexibility because executives can now make short-notice site inspections without navigating Manila’s notoriously back-logged visa queues.
Practical hurdles remain. Entry is limited to NAIA and MCIA, so travellers heading straight to resort islands such as Boracay must still connect on domestic flights. Visitors must show passports valid for six months, onward tickets, confirmed accommodation and complete the e-Travel declaration before boarding. The Chinese Embassy also reminded nationals that work, study and long-term stays still require the appropriate Philippine visas, and warned against “visa-running” or engaging in activities inconsistent with the stated purpose of travel.
If visitor numbers surge without major overstay problems, Philippine officials hinted the pilot could be extended or expanded to Davao and Clark airports in 2027. The move also places competitive pressure on neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam—each competing for the same Chinese outbound market—to deepen or lengthen their own unilateral visa waivers.
For travellers who still require documentation beyond the 14-day waiver—such as extended business stays, student permits or visas for accompanying non-Chinese family members—online facilitators like VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and courier support for Philippine visas and many other destinations, sparing applicants long consulate queues and giving real-time status updates.
The decision is the boldest step yet in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign to rebuild inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels. China was the Philippines’ second-largest visitor market in 2019 but arrivals remained 70 percent below that benchmark in 2025 despite a post-Covid rebound elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Officials expect the waiver to lift total mainland Chinese arrivals to 1.4 million in 2026, injecting an estimated US$1.2 billion into hotels, retail and casinos.
For Chinese corporates the benefit is more than sun-sand-sea. Metro Manila’s fast-growing IT-BPO sector relies heavily on visiting client teams; the 14-day stamp removes at least two weeks of lead-time and roughly ¥900 in consular fees per traveller. SMEs importing Philippine nickel ore or exporting electronics also gain flexibility because executives can now make short-notice site inspections without navigating Manila’s notoriously back-logged visa queues.
Practical hurdles remain. Entry is limited to NAIA and MCIA, so travellers heading straight to resort islands such as Boracay must still connect on domestic flights. Visitors must show passports valid for six months, onward tickets, confirmed accommodation and complete the e-Travel declaration before boarding. The Chinese Embassy also reminded nationals that work, study and long-term stays still require the appropriate Philippine visas, and warned against “visa-running” or engaging in activities inconsistent with the stated purpose of travel.
If visitor numbers surge without major overstay problems, Philippine officials hinted the pilot could be extended or expanded to Davao and Clark airports in 2027. The move also places competitive pressure on neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam—each competing for the same Chinese outbound market—to deepen or lengthen their own unilateral visa waivers.
