← Part of the Philippines money guide
Philippineschecked Jul 2026Do US citizens need a visa for the Philippines?
Short answer: no visa for a normal visit, but there is a free form you must do before you fly, and scam sites try to charge for it. Here is exactly what you need.
At a glance
Visa
Not needed, 30 days
eTravel
Free and mandatory
When
Within 72 hrs, both ways
Where
etravel.gov.ph only
No visa. US citizens can enter the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, extendable through the Bureau of Immigration. You need a passport valid for at least six months, an onward or return ticket, and the eTravel registration: a free, mandatory online form completed within 72 hours before arrival, and again when you leave. Do it only at the official site, etravel.gov.ph.
The official route
The only official site for the eTravel registration, and it is free. Third-party sites that charge a fee for the same form are scams the government has warned against.
Official eTravel portal(opens in a new tab) we earn nothing
No visa for a normal visit
US citizens are admitted visa-free for 30 days for tourism or business. If you want to stay longer, the Bureau of Immigration lets you extend, first to 59 days and then in increments up to a long-stay maximum, applied for before your current stay expires.
Have a passport valid for six months beyond your stay, and be ready to show an onward or return ticket and proof of where you are staying, which the officer can ask for.
eTravel: free, mandatory, both ways
Every traveler must complete the eTravel registration, a digital arrival and health declaration that replaced the old paper card. Fill it in within 72 hours before your flight, and you receive a QR code that airlines and immigration scan. It is not a visa, just a required form.
It is also required when you leave the Philippines, so you complete a departure eTravel too. Registration is free.
Use the official site, not a lookalike
Complete eTravel at etravel.gov.ph, where there is no charge. The Department of Foreign Affairs has warned that third-party websites charging a fee to file the same free form are scams, so go straight to the official portal.
For the money side of your trip, including cash, ATMs and tipping, see the Philippines money guide.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do US citizens need a visa to visit the Philippines?
No. US citizens can visit visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, and can extend through the Bureau of Immigration if they want to stay longer. You need a passport valid for at least six months, an onward or return ticket, and the free, mandatory eTravel registration completed online before arrival. There is no ESTA for the Philippines.
Is eTravel mandatory for the Philippines, and is it free?
Yes and yes. The eTravel registration is mandatory for all travelers entering the Philippines, and it is required again on departure. It is free. Complete it at etravel.gov.ph within 72 hours before your flight and save the QR code. Avoid third-party sites that charge a fee, which the government has flagged as scams.
How long can Americans stay in the Philippines without a visa?
Up to 30 days on arrival, visa-free. You can extend at a Bureau of Immigration office, first to 59 days and then in further increments, up to a long-stay maximum, as long as you apply before your current authorized stay runs out. Overstaying brings fines, so extend in good time.
What is the official website for Philippines eTravel?
The official portal is etravel.gov.ph. It is the only site that files the registration, and it is free of charge. Several lookalike sites advertise Philippines entry help and charge a fee for the identical form, so register directly at the official portal to avoid overpaying.
More on Philippines
The little money things nobody warns you about.
- Tipping in the PhilippinesThe Philippines tips more than most of Asia, closer to the US: about 10% is customary and appreciated. The one thing to check is the service charge already on many bills. Here is what you actually owe.
- Do I need cash in the Philippines, or can I use cards?Short answer: carry cash, and use cards only where they are taken. Here is where each works, how to handle the low ATM limits, and the one habit that saves you money.
- Getting around the Philippines: Grab and jeepneysShort answer: use Grab in the cities, carry coins and small bills for jeepneys and tricycles, and be firm about the meter with taxis. Here is how each works and what it costs.
- Common money scams in the Philippines, and what they cost youThe Philippines is safe for the great majority of visitors, Filipino hospitality is real, and almost none of this is dramatic. The traps tourists actually meet are ordinary money ones: a fare quoted instead of metered, a stranger who is unusually keen to help, a card machine offering dollars. They cost tens of dollars and a few habits defuse nearly all of them. Here is each one, what it costs, and how to sidestep it.
- Staying connected in the Philippines.The Philippines has two wrinkles that catch visitors: every SIM has to be registered under a 2022 law, and a tourist registration typically runs on a 30-day clock. Neither is hard, and both are worth knowing before you are standing at a counter with a boat to catch.
- What does getting sick in the Philippines cost a visitor?The Philippines has one of the more surprising medical-money stories on this site: demanding a deposit in a true emergency is a crime here, with prison terms attached. And yet private hospitals routinely ask for a deposit at admission, and discharge waits until the bill is settled. Both halves are true, and the line between them is the word emergency.
Sources, and how this was checked
Last reviewedJul 2026
- Official eTravel portalthe free mandatory registration
- US State DepartmentPhilippines entry and exit requirements
Our own readEntry rules and the eTravel window are set by the Philippines and can change, so confirm the current requirement on the official portal before you travel. Checked July 2026.
How we checkHow every guide is researched, checked and dated