Latest news with #e-Visas
Arab Times
8 hours ago
- Arab Times
Now Philippines Grants Visa-Free Entry to Indian Passport Holders
MANILA, June 8: Indian travelers can now visit the Philippines without a visa, following a new policy announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Effective from June 8, 2025, Indian nationals are permitted to stay in the country for up to 14 days visa-free, provided they meet certain requirements. To qualify for visa-free entry, Indian tourists must present a passport valid for at least six months, a confirmed hotel reservation, proof of sufficient funds, and a return or onward ticket. The DFA emphasized that this privilege is strictly for tourism purposes. Additionally, Indian citizens holding valid visas or residence permits from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, the Schengen area, Singapore, or the United Kingdom (collectively known as AJACSSUK) are eligible for a longer visa-free stay of up to 30 days. These travelers must also present a valid passport and a return or onward ticket upon arrival. The DFA clarified that visa-free entry cannot be extended or converted to another visa category while in the Philippines. Applicants must also have a clean immigration record with the Bureau of Immigration. Indian nationals who wish to stay longer or visit for purposes other than tourism are still required to obtain the appropriate visa from a Philippine embassy or consulate prior to travel. For added convenience, eligible applicants may apply for e-Visas through the official Philippine eVisa website. However, these electronic visas are also non-extendable and cannot be converted to other visa types. The new policy is expected to boost tourism and strengthen ties between India and the Philippines.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Philippines now visa-free for Indian tourists
Philippines now visa-free for Indian tourists NEW DELHI: Philippines has joined the increasing ranks of countries that have become visa-free for Indian tourists from Sunday. Post-Covid, several places have gone either visa-free or visa-on-arrival to attract the high-spending desi tourists. These include Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka (free electronic visa), Seychelles, Maldives, Philippines, Indonesia (visa on arrival) and Hong Kong (online pre-clearance required), according to Travel Agents Federation of India VP Anil Kalsi. 'Indian nationals may enter the Philippines without a visa for a non-extendible and non-convertible period of 14 days for tourism purposes, upon presenting a passport valid for at least six months beyond the contemplated stay, confirmed hotel accommodation/ booking, proof of financial capacity, and return or onward ticket to the next country of destination,' according to the website of the embassy of the Philippines in New Delhi. The reason for this change is also stated clearly: 'enhancing tourism arrivals from India.' 'Indian nationals holding valid and current American, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or United Kingdom (AJACSSUK) visas or residence permits may enter the Philippines without a visa for a non-extendible period of 30 days for tourism, upon presenting a passport valid for at least six months beyond the contemplated stay, and return or onward ticket to the next country of destination,' it adds. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Don't Forget To Block Ads Before Sunday Lifestyle Tech Tips Click Here Undo These updated visa-free privileges for Indian nationals can be availed of at any Philippine port of entry, and are not convertible to a visa-based stay or other admission status categories. Indian nationals must also not have any derogatory record with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in order to be admitted into the country without a visa. 'Indian nationals transiting in the Philippines or entering the country for long-term visits and non-tourism activities are required to apply for an appropriate Philippine visa at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate in their country or origin, place of legal residence, or any country that requires entry visas for Indian nationals. Indian nationals who are eligible for e-Visas may also apply through the official Philippine e-Visa website . The DFA reminds that e-Visas may not be extended or converted to other visa-based stay or other admission status categories,' the embassy says. India has seen a spurt in outbound travel post-Covid by its nationals, while foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) to the country are yet to return to 2019 levels. In 2024, India is provisionally estimated to have received about 97 lakh FTAs, about 1.4% more than the previous year. India had crossed the 1-crore FTA mark for the first time in 2017 and had peaked at 1.1 crore in 2019. On the other hand, more Indians are travelling to foreign shores than they did in pre-Covid times. Barring the West, other countries — especially in Southeast Asia — are going all out to woo the high-spending desi globetrotters by majorly simplifying visas to boost their economies. The travel industry in India is requesting Govt to take steps to help boost inbound numbers that will create much-needed jobs and earn forex.
Filipino Times
17 hours ago
- Filipino Times
Philippines grants visa-free entry to Indian tourists starting June 8
Indian tourists can now enter the Philippines visa-free starting June 8, 2025, according to a new policy announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Indian nationals are allowed to stay for up to 14 days in the country without a visa, provided they show valid documents, such as a passport valid for at least six months, a confirmed hotel booking, proof of funds, and a return or onward ticket. Those holding valid visas or residence permits from countries like the US, Japan, Australia, Canada, the Schengen area, Singapore, or the UK (AJACSSUK) may enter the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days. They must also show a valid passport and a return or onward ticket. The DFA clarified that this visa-free entry is strictly for tourism and cannot be extended or changed into another visa type while in the country. Travelers must not have any negative immigration records with the Bureau of Immigration. Indian citizens planning to stay longer or visit for reasons other than tourism must still apply for the appropriate visa from a Philippine embassy or consulate. Eligible applicants may also apply for e-Visas through the official Philippine eVisa website. However, these e-Visas also cannot be extended or converted into other visa types.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Business
- GMA Network
PH grants visa-free entry to Indian tourists
The Philippines has granted visa-free entry to Indian tourists. Starting on Sunday, June 8, Indian tourists will be able to stay in the country visa-free for a period of 14 days, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Saturday. The visa-free arrangement is aimed at boosting tourism arrivals from India, which rose 12% in 2024 to nearly 80,000, according to data from the Department of Tourism. Despite the growth, Indian arrivals to the Philippines remain a small portion of the over five million who traveled to Southeast Asia last year. Tourists will be asked to present a passport valid for at least six months beyond their stay, a confirmed hotel booking, proof of financial capacity, and a return or onward ticket to the next destination country. Indian citizens with valid and current American, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or United Kingdom (AJACSSUK) visas or residence permits would be able to stay for 30 days visa-free and only need to show a passport valid for at least six months beyond their stay and a return or onward ticket to the next destination country. Anyone transiting in the Philippines or entering the country for long-term visits and non-tourism activities is required to apply for an appropriate Philippine visa at a Philippine embassy or consulate in their country of origin, place of legal residence, or any country that requires entry visas for Indian citizens. ''These updated visa-free privileges for Indian nationals may be availed of at any Philippine port of entry and are not convertible to a visa-based stay or other admission status categories. Indian nationals must also not have any derogatory record with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in order to be admitted into the country without a visa,'' the DFA said. ''Indian nationals who are eligible for e-Visas may also apply through the official Philippine e-Visa website The DFA reminds that e-Visas may not be extended or converted to other visa-based stay or other admission status categories,'' it added. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/with a report from Reuters/VBL, GMA Integrated News
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Tour operators ask PM Modi for ₹1000 crore allocation to increase foreign tourist arrivals
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make an immediate budgetary allocation of ₹1,000 crore under the 'Incredible India' campaign and form an 'India Tourism Board' under the PM's leadership with the specific objective of increasing foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) in the country. The IATO is the national apex body of in-bound tour operators and works closely with the Government and other hospitality stakeholders on policy issues related to foreign tourist arrivals. In a letter to Mr. Modi, the IATO said, going by trends and following discussions with stakeholders, FTA in India has still not touched the 2019 level in the last financial year. Even though foreign tourist arrivals in India have seen a rebound post-pandemic, they are still below pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals reached 9.52 million, which was 87.09% of the pre-pandemic level of 10.93 million in 2019. The Ministry of Tourism reports that the 2023 numbers were 47.89% higher than in 2022 (6.44 million), but still significantly lower than the 2019 peak. Way below potential The letter dated May 28 said while the importance of in-bound tourism as a precious foreign exchange earner and soft diplomacy tool cannot be over emphasised, India as a destination that offers raw and natural beauty is performing way below its potential. 'These measures are required as the coming season is a few months away, and it can help boost inbound tourism in this financial year,' it said. Ravi Gosain, Ppresident of IATO, said, 'when global trade is facing unprecedented disruptions due to tariff wars and geopolitical shifts, tourism exports remain unaffected. Unlike goods, India's tourism export (i.e., foreign tourists spending in India), which is non-tariff based, brings direct foreign exchange earnings into the country. 'This positions inbound tourism as a stable, sustainable, and immediate contributor to India's current account with valuable foreign exchange, by generating employment, and by helping to balance the forex trade deficit. Yet , regretfully, the country is lagging in its effort to attract foreign tourists.' He added that to enhance FTA numbers besides the steps suggested above, the steps required are: simplified visa facilitation, expanding the scope of e-Visas, fast-tracking group tourist visas, and exploring visa fee waivers for select countries. Further, we need to incentivise international airlines and air charters to improve air connectivity to key tourism circuits, especially to tier-2 and tier-3 destinations.
