Philippines visas and work permits
Explore your visa options for living, working, and investing in the Philippines. The Emerhub team helps you find the right one, then handles the visa, the work permit, and the renewals.
Find your visa by what you're doing.
These are the long-term options, the visas that let you live in the Philippines for a year or more. Each one maps to a specific situation. Find yours, then open the detail page for requirements, costs, and timelines.
9(g) Pre-arranged Employment Visa
The standard work visa for foreign nationals on the payroll of a Philippine company. Requires employer sponsorship and an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor.
9(g) visa details→Special Investor's Resident Visa
For foreign nationals who place a qualifying investment into Philippine assets or a local company. The SIRV grants indefinite residence for as long as the investment is maintained.
SIRV details→9(d) Treaty Trader's Visa
For nationals of countries with a trade treaty with the Philippines, including the United States, Japan, and Germany, who are engaged in substantial trade or investment.
9(d) visa details→Digital Nomad Visa
For remote workers whose income comes entirely from foreign employers or clients. Established under Executive Order 86, valid up to a year and renewable. It does not permit local employment.
Digital Nomad Visa details→Special Resident Retiree's Visa
Issued by the Philippine Retirement Authority against a qualifying deposit that varies by age and pension status. The SRRV grants indefinite, multiple-entry residence.
SRRV details→13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa
For the foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen. A direct route to permanent residence, usually issued on a probationary basis for the first year before becoming permanent.
Special Visa for Employment Generation
For foreign nationals whose business employs at least ten Filipino workers. The SVEG grants indefinite residence to the investor and their immediate family.
SVEG details→Quota & Non-Quota Immigrant Visa
The 13-series immigrant visas for permanent residence. The quota visa is capped at 50 nationals per country each year; non-quota routes apply to specific circumstances.
Compare the long-term visas
What each one lets you do, how long it lasts, and whether it renews. Exact requirements and current figures live on each visa's own page.
| Visa | Best for | Work in the Philippines | Typical validity | Renewable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9(g) Pre-arranged Employment | Employees of Philippine firms | Yes, for your sponsor | 1 to 3 years | Yes |
| 9(d) Treaty Trader | Traders from treaty countries | Yes, in your venture | 1 to 2 years | Yes |
| SIRV (Investor) | Investors in local assets | Yes, in your business | While invested | Maintained |
| Digital Nomad Visa | Remote staff of foreign employers | No (foreign income only) | Up to 1 year | Once |
| SRRV (Retiree) | Retirees with a qualifying deposit | With a permit | Indefinite | Maintained |
| SVEG | Employers of 10+ Filipinos | Yes, in your business | Indefinite | Maintained |
| 13(a) Spouse | Spouses of Filipino citizens | Yes | Permanent | N/A |
Validity periods and conditions are indicative and change with policy. Confirm current requirements on each visa's page or with our team before applying.
Short-term options
Not every trip needs a residence visa. For short visits, and for short-term work before a full visa is in place, the Philippines has lighter options. The work permits below let you start legally while a 9(g) is arranged.
Visa-free entry
Available to nationals of many countries on arrival. Extendable in-country, but does not permit any form of employment.
9(a) Temporary Visitor's Visa
The tourist and business visitor visa, for nationals who need a visa before arrival or who want a longer initial stay. Extendable through the Bureau of Immigration.
Special Work Permit (SWP)
Authorizes short-term work without a 9(g), useful for project work, audits, or installations. Paired with a visitor visa rather than replacing it.
Provisional Work Permit (PWP)
Lets a new hire begin working legally while their 9(g) visa and AEP are still being processed, so onboarding doesn't have to wait.
The path to permanent residence
Most people don't arrive on a permanent permit. They move through stages, from a first visit, to a renewable residence permit, toward permanent status. Here's how the stages connect.
Short-term entry
Visa-free entry or a 9(a) visitor visa for tourism or business. No residence rights, and no employment without a separate work permit.
Long-term visa
A 9(g) work visa, SIRV, SRRV, or similar. Lets you live and, depending on the type, work in the Philippines for a defined and renewable period.
Permanent residence
A 13-series immigrant visa, such as the 13(a) for spouses, or a quota immigrant visa, grants indefinite residence in the Philippines.
Citizenship
Possible through naturalization after an extended period of residence, subject to strict conditions including continuous residency and language.
Three steps to your visa
Most work visas need an employer sponsor, an Alien Employment Permit, and filings across two agencies in the right order. We handle all of it on your behalf. You sign where required; we do the rest.
Match the visa and permit
- We confirm which visa fits what you're doing in the Philippines.
- Where employer sponsorship or an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) is required, we arrange it, through your own company or an Employer of Record arrangement.
Prepare & submit
- We assemble the documents and handle the DOLE permit and Bureau of Immigration filings in sequence.
- We submit on your behalf. You sign only where signatures are required.
Approval & renewals
- Once approved, we guide you through ACR I-Card registration and any reporting required on arrival.
- We track expiry dates and handle renewals before they lapse, including AEP renewals and a change of employer.
Common questions
If your situation isn't covered here, the detail pages go deeper, and our team can advise on your specific case.
What is a 9(g) visa?
The 9(g) Pre-arranged Employment Visa is the standard work visa for foreign nationals employed by a Philippine company. It requires an employer to sponsor the application and an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The visa is typically valid for one to three years and is renewable while your employment continues.
Do I need both an AEP and a 9(g) visa, or just one?
Most foreign employees need both. The AEP, issued by DOLE, authorizes you to work. The 9(g) visa, issued by the Bureau of Immigration, authorizes you to stay. They are separate approvals from separate agencies, usually obtained in sequence, with the AEP first. We handle both filings and the order they go in.
Can I work in the Philippines on a tourist visa?
Not on the tourist visa alone. For short-term work you can pair it with a Special Work Permit (SWP), valid up to six months, which covers project work, audits, or installations. For anything longer or for ongoing employment, you need a 9(g) visa with an AEP. A Provisional Work Permit can bridge the gap while the 9(g) is processed.
Can I work in the Philippines on a Digital Nomad Visa?
You can work remotely for your foreign employer or clients, but the Digital Nomad Visa does not permit working for Philippine companies or earning local income. If you want to work for a local company, the route is a 9(g) with an AEP. The DNV also requires that your home country offers a comparable visa to Filipino nationals, so eligibility depends on reciprocity.
What's the difference between the SRRV and the SIRV?
The SRRV (Special Resident Retiree's Visa) is for retirees and is issued by the Philippine Retirement Authority against a qualifying deposit that varies by age and pension status. The SIRV (Special Investor's Resident Visa) is for investors placing capital into Philippine assets or a local company. Both grant indefinite residence, but they serve different purposes and have different requirements.
How do I get permanent residence?
Permanent residence comes through the 13-series immigrant visas, most commonly the 13(a) for the foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen, or the quota immigrant visa, which is capped at 50 nationals per country each year. The SVEG and SIRV also grant long-term residence tied to a business or investment. The right route depends on your circumstances, which we can assess with you.
Talk to our Manila team about your case
Tell us what you're planning to do in the Philippines and how long you intend to stay. We'll confirm the right visa, what's required, and the timeline to get you there.
2 26th St, Taguig
1634 Metro Manila, Philippines