CONSULAR SERVICES
ACTIVITIES / PROGRAMS
Visa
- Details
Visa-required foreign nationals residing in Iran who wish to travel to the Philippines for a short visit may apply for a single-entry 9A temporary visitor's visa at the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran, except those nationalities with particular restrictions about the venue for filing applications under prevailing regulations.
The required documents to be presented at the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran is dependent upon the category of visa / purpose of travel to the Philippines, following prevailing visa rules and regulations. In all cases, the visa officer has the right to require additional documents not listed herein to establish facts and confirm information about the visa applicant and his/her purpose of travel.
Under normal circumstances, the turn-around time for a single-entry, non-immigrant visa application as a temporary visitor is five to ten (5-10) work days, starting from the next day after the date of acceptance of an application with complete support documents. The processing time may take longer, depending on the visa category being applied for, and/or the result of records verification and inter-agency checks in the Philippines.
IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO PURCHASE TRAVEL TICKETS BEFORE A VISA IS ISSUED.
Foreign nationals that travel frequently (two or more times in a year) to the Philippines may seek to obtain a multiple-entry temporary visitor's visa (valid for 6 months / 12 months ) and read the information on how to obtain such a visa in the relevant section of this website.
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IMPORTANT 1.) Submission of a visa application and payment for visa processing does not guarantee issuance. REMINDER Foreign tourists and temporary visitors with a 9(A) visa are not permitted to study, practice their profession or seek employment in the Philippines without appropriate clearance/Study Permit or Special Work Permit from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. Foreigners who shall receive compensation from Philippine sources after having been admitted to the Philippines under a category 9(A) temporary visit visa need to coordinate with their Philippine office counterpart for the issuance of a Special Work Permit (SWP) pursuant to existing policies, rules and regulations of the Bureau of Immigration and other Philippine authorities. |
For payments of visa processing fee, please refer to the current schedule of fees and charges for details. For inquiries and clarification, visa applicants can call +98 21 2266 8774-76 / local extension 11 or 21 or 23 during business hours.
Basic Requirements
1.) Original passport and photocopy of its data page. The passport must be valid for at least six (6) months beyond the intended period of stay in the Philippines. The passport must have at least four (4) blank pages for the visa and Philippine Immigration entry/exit stamps.
2.) Duly-accomplished visa application form in English, signed by the visa applicant (except minor children, whose applications will be signed by their parents/legal guardian). File the application for (9A) visa through the Online Visa Application System (OVAS) at https://www.visa.gov.ph/. A photo or PDF file of your passport data page and passport-size color photo must be submitted, along with a signed application form generated from OVAS. Upon successful completion of the application, an Applicant Reference Number (ARN) will be generated.
3.) Recent passport-size color photo of visa applicant taken within the last 3 months, pasted in the designated box of the application form.
Temporary Visitors Coming for Pleasure / Category 9A Visa
Applicants proceeding to the Philippines for a legitimate, non-immigrant purpose such as sightseeing, amusement, sports and recreation, or tourism should present the basic requirements together with the following additional supporting documents with English translation, if written in any other language:
1.) Proof of Financial Capacity
Visa applicants must show proof that they have the necessary financial resources to travel to the Philippines and return to their country of origin after their intended stay. As a conservative estimate, temporary visitors going for tours, sightseeing and recreation must be able to present financial savings (if applicable) of at least US $3,000 or its equivalent in local currency (approximately IRR 120,000,000), or about US $2,000 (approximately IRR 80,000,000) for non-tourists coming for short-term stay not exceeding 30 days in the Philippines as a temporary visitor.
The required minimum amount for financial capacity may change from time to time depending upon the assessment of the Philippine Embassy.
| Applicant Type | Required Documents |
| With gainful income / present employment | a.) Copy of latest entry of funds / Bank Certificate showing sufficient financial savings to cover expenses for short-term stay in the Philippines. |
| Without gainful income / presently unemployed |
a.) Signed letter of guarantee from spouse/relatives/friends/parents or other guarantor b.) Copy of guarantor's ID and his/her Bank Certificate showing sufficient financial savings to cover expenses for short-term stay in the Philippines of the visa applicant. |
2.) Proof of Occupation
Temporary visitors shall be required to submit documents to prove their present occupation which may be any of the following, as applicable:
| Applicant Type | Required Documents |
| If a student currently enrolled in an Iranian school | a.) Proof of enrolment (copy of school ID or Enrolment Certificate with English translation, etc.) |
| If employed / with present employment | a.) Certificate of Employment issued by the employer, providing company name and address in Iran, nature of work, years of employment, and salary/wages of visa applicant. |
| If self-employed / owns his or her own business | a. Certificate of Business Registration issued by Iranian authorities (with English translation) |
| If retired / unemployed | a. Letter to the Consul General explaining travel to the Philippines, providing applicant's last held job/work, and present source of finances and undertaking to return to Iran upon completion of travel to the Philippines. |
3.) Proof of Living Accommodation Arrangements
Temporary visitors shall be required to provide documents to show proof of living accommodation while in the Philippines, which may be any of the following:
| Applicant Type | Required Documents |
| If intending to stay with a Philippine resident |
a.) Notarized letter from the Philippine resident stating the fact that the visa applicant will stay in his/her residence for the duration of visit, providing the complete address and contact information of the Philippine resident, plus a copy of his/her ID or Philippine passport. If the inviting person residing in the Philippines is a foreigner, the letter should include his/her proof of legal status/visa in the Philippines. |
| If intending to stay in a hotel / apartment / commercial housing facility | a.) copy of room reservation / email showing dates of stay and address of the hotel / apartment / housing facility |
Note:
- Temporary visitors coming to participate in sporting events, tournaments, meets and special gatherings need to provide a notarized Letter of Invitation from the event organizers based in the Philippines in addition to the requirements listed above.
- Temporary visitors who will travel to the Philippines for sightseeing and tourism are advised to prepare a brief travel itinerary and submit this with your visa application to show your intended sites to visit.
- There is a restriction on the entry of Foreign nationals to the Philippines below fifteen years old if not travelling with a parent, or not joining a parent in the Philippines. Please read about the Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) for details.
Temporary Visitors Coming for Business / Category 9A Visa
Foreign nationals coming to the Philippines for the purpose of attending international conferences, scientific, education, commercial, and/or professional workshops, conventions, lectures, contract negotiations, and other business meetings and company-related activities of similar nature, need to submit the basic requirements together with the following documents:
If being sent to the Philippines by Iran-based company / corporation / organization:
1.) All the requirements for Temporary Visitors coming for Pleasure.
2.) Letter of Endorsement from the Iran-based company/employer duly notarized by an Iranian notary public, certifying the visa applicant’s employment with the company, the purpose of travel/nature of the business trip to the Philippines.
If being invited by a Philippine-based company / corporation / organization:
1.) All the requirements for Temporary Visitors coming for Pleasure
2.) Letter of Invitation from the Philippine-based business partner/entity/counterpart company duly notarized by a Philippine notary public. The letter should include the reference person(s) in the Philippines and his/her contact details, the nature of the visit of the visa applicant, and further state to guarantee the foreign visitor’s compliance with Philippine laws and regulations.
Temporary Visitors Coming for Family Visit / Category 9A Visa
Foreign nationals coming to the Philippines to visit immediate family members (wife/husband/son/ daughter) residing in the Philippines need to submit the basic requirements together with the following documents:
- All the requirements for Temporary Visitors coming for Pleasure.
- Proof of family ties/relations (with English translation if this is a foreign document)
- Details
How to File
Visa applicants should fill out an application form, prepare the necessary support documents based on the category of entry visa being applied for, and personally submit their application documents at the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran within the scheduled time for accepting visa transactions. The application form for non-immigrant and immigrant visas can be downloaded from this website. Lodge your entry visa (9A) application via the Department of Foreign Affairs' Online Visa Application System (OVAS) https://www.visa.gov.ph/.
Visa application forms are to be fully and legibly completed by the applicant in English, and his/her signature must be affixed in the form where required. Only properly filled-out visa applications with complete supporting documents will be accepted together with valid passports bearing the signature of the visa applicant.
When to File
Foreign travelers who need entry visas to travel to the Philippines should file their applications at least two weeks or 10 business days (excluding weekends, Philippine and Iranian holidays) before their intended departure from Iran.
Personal Appearance
As a general rule, visa applicants are required to appear in person at the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy for interview, evaluation, and assessment of their visa applications. Visa applicants below eighteen (18) years of age at the time of the application may have their parent/legal guardian sign the application form and submit the pertinent supporting documents on their behalf. The minor applicant, not an infant in arms, may be required to appear and be interviewed by the visa officer, along with the parent/legal guardian.
Applicants who are sixty (60) years old and above including individuals with disabilities may have their applications submitted by a relative or travelling companion.
REMINDER:
Foreign minor children below fifteen years of age traveling to the Philippines unaccompanied by, or not joining a parent, will not be allowed entry to the Philippines unless a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) is issued by Philippine immigration authorities in favor of the minor child. Please see the corresponding details about the entry of foreign minors and the WEG in the appropriate subsection in this website.
While the Philippine Embassy in Tehran does not presently accredit/endorse any local travel agency, effective June 2019, applicants who are unable to lodge their visa application in person at the Consular Section of the embassy, especially those residing in provinces and cities outside Tehran, can request a representative to submit their application documents and claim their passport after the processing period. The representative must be able to present a valid ID and a written letter signed by the visa applicant authorizing him/her to transact with the Consular Section regarding the applicant's visa application. As the visa applicant will not be able to appear in person before the consular officer at the Philippine Embassy, the visa application, duly filled out and signed by the visa applicant, together with all the support documents, must be notarized before a local Iranian notary public before it can be submitted by the authorized representative to the Consular Section.
Processing Period
Temporary Visitor visas (single-entry) are normally ready for release after five to ten (5-10) working days from the date of acceptance and payment of applicable fees, except for other visa applications requiring clearance and approval from Manila which needs a waiting period of at least 10-20 working days.
Processing Fees
Applicable fees for visa application evaluation and processing are non-refundable and vary per category of visa being applied for, pursuant to existing bilateral and/or multilateral agreements between various countries and the Philippines, and in accordance with regulations of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Acceptance of fees does not guarantee visa issuance.
Additional Information from Other Documents
The visa officer may require additional supporting documents not listed herein on a case-to-case basis, refuse a visa application, or deny its issuance as warranted in accordance with existing rules and regulations, consistent with Philippine law.
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NCCA Newsletter Issue No.01-2018 Excerpts Sunday, 10 May 2020 14:28
Shared on this page are the following articles excerpted from the National Commission for...
