I’ll be fairly brief today, because the news pretty much speaks for itself. Getting in and out of Philippines for both outgoing Filipinos AND (some) incoming Australians has become easier as travel bans ease. And in time, it will get easier again.

Outgoing Travel from Philippines

There was a ruling that Filipinos with “non-essential” travel intentions couldn’t leave. In practice? Those of you with a Travel Ban Exemption (saying that you have permission from Australia to travel) were able to leave without any headaches. However the rule remained in place, and obviously it was fairly unnerving.

From now on, non-essential travel is available to Filipinos freely.

Protocols to follow

IATF Resolution no. 79 requires outbound Filipino tourists to present a round trip ticket, health and travel insurance, and a negative antigen result at least 24 hours before departure. However, according to the ruling, if the country of destination requires an RT-PCR test, then the same must be presented instead.

Departing Filipinos shall also be required to sign a declaration acknowledging the risks of their travel, to be provided by airline check-in counters.

So all you need to do is to follow those instructions, and you may leave. 

And obviously you also need:

• Australian visa (eg Australian tourist visa)
• Australian Travel Ban Exemption

I say this because I had at least one client simply not believe me when I said his lady would also need a visa in addition to the Exemption. So better I spell it out.

Australians Entering Philippines?

Since the lockdown, tourist traffic into Philippines has been restricted. Philippines has had its own travel ban. Those of you who have wanted to visit your sweetheart in Philippines have been unable to, which has led to a lot of heartache. I think 2020 will go down in most of our personal histories as the worst year of our lives, right?

Well, this has also been eased for SOME people.

Travel ban easing. Who can enter Philippines now

• Filipinos
• Their spouses and minor children
• Foreigners with long-term visas
• Foreign parents of Filipino children

The last one interests me, as I KNOW that this will match quite a few of you. Quite a few of you who’ve been missing your wife/partner AND your kids! Now? You can hop on a plane!

Rules:

Those who are eligible to enter are required to secure an entry visa from Philippine embassies or consulates, prior to their arrival.

• So get onto the Philippines Embassy or Consulate and organise an entry visa!
• And you will also need to secure a travel ban exemption based on compassionate grounds to leave Australia. Yes, we can help you with this if you need.

A positive move, no doubt! I hope this is of help to those of you missing your kids. 

https://immigration.gov.ph/images/News/2020_Yr/10_Oct/2020Oct18_Press.pdf

The Future of the Travel Ban?

The head of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs has ordered the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) to investigate ways of allowing fiancees into Philippines in order to get married by lifting the travel ban!

That means there is a working group right now trying to find ways to make this happen. It’s not something they’ve dismissed. It’s actually a high priority to the Philippines Government to allow Australian men (and other nationalities of course) into the country where they can marry their ever-patient Filipino fiancees! 

When? I have no idea. No idea how long a “working group” takes to come up with something, and how long it will then take to be made legal. But knowing the general kindness of Filipino people I have a lot more hope and faith in this than I have in Scotty in Canberra finding some heart! 

So never lose hope! This will be over, and great loves will survive and will only get stronger.

https://www.atinitonews.com/2020/10/iatf-panel-to-look-into-allowing-filipinos-foreign-partners-into-country/

Jeff Harvie is a Registered Migration Agent from Australia, but resident in Philippines since 2010 with his Filipina wife Mila and large extended family. Experienced with the Philippines culture, cross-cultural relationships and bureaucracy as well as Australian visas and Australian Migration Law, he writes with authority and fortunately with enough informality and humour that the average Aussie gets it! Down Under Visa specialises in visas for Australians in relationships with ladies and gents from Philippines, Thailand, China and Vietnam. Read MORE