Philippine visa for Canadian travellers
Most Canadians reading this page do not need a visa at all. A Canadian passport holder entering the Philippines as a tourist gets 30 days visa-free on arrival, stamped at the airport, with nothing to file beforehand except the eTravel registration everyone completes. The 9(a) visa the consulates process is for the minority who need more than those 30 days from day one.
Check your passport’s expiry before anything else. The Philippines requires at least six months of validity beyond your stay. A visa cannot fix a passport problem, and airlines enforce the rule at check-in in Canada.
Who actually needs the 9(a) visa
What the visa costs
The published schedule for Canadian passport holders under E.O. 408, in Canadian dollars:
| 9(a) visa type | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Single entry, valid 3 months | 46.50 |
| Multiple entry, valid 6 months | 93.00 |
| Multiple entry, valid 1 year | 139.50 |
| Other nationals with Canadian PR or work permit, single entry | 62.00 |
| Other nationals, multiple entry 6 months | 124.00 |
Validity is the window to enter the Philippines; how long you may stay is stamped on arrival. Fees are non-refundable, debit is the preferred payment, and credit cards carry a 2.4% surcharge.
Where and how to apply
Visas are filed at the post with jurisdiction over your province: Toronto for the GTA, Western Ontario and Manitoba, Ottawa for Quebec, Eastern Ontario, the Atlantic provinces and Nunavut, Calgary for Alberta and Saskatchewan, Vancouver for BC and the two western territories. Applications are by appointment, in person or as each post instructs, with your passport, the application form, a photo, proof of onward travel and proof of funds among the usual requirements.
Budget passport-mailing time: the visa is affixed inside your passport, so the booklet stays at the consulate while the application is processed.The paperwork nobody warns you about
- Passport valid six months beyond the stay
- eTravel registration completed online within 72 hours of departure
- Proof of onward or return travel, asked for at check-in
- For minors travelling without both parents: check the WEG (Waiver of Exclusion Ground) rules for foreign-passport children of Filipino parents
One trap for the dual-documented family: a child with a Canadian passport and a Filipino parent may be treated as a Filipino citizen on arrival if the birth is registered, and travel rules differ by which passport the child presents. Decide which document the child travels on before booking, not at the airport.