Philippines to resume e-visa service for Chinese citizens in November

The Philippines will resume its e-visa service for Chinese citizens in November, its embassy in China announced on Wednesday.

The resumption is part of the Philippines' ongoing efforts to strengthen people-to-people exchanges with China and promote bilateral economic, trade and tourism cooperation, said the embassy.

The online system is designed to make short-term travel easier for those visiting for tourism or business, according to the embassy.

The e-visa allows a stay of up to 14 days and cannot be extended, and holders must enter the country through either Manila International Airport or Mactan-Cebu International Airport, it added.

The Philippine Foreign Ministry trialed the online system in China in August 2023, but announced at the end of November the same year that it would be suspended "until further notice."

China was the Philippines' second-largest source of tourists before the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 1.7 million visits from the Chinese mainland in 2019, according to the Philippine News Agency.