THE Philippines will resume issuing electronic visas (eVisas) to Chinese nationals in November 2025, a year after suspending the service due to system and vetting issues during its pilot phase.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing confirmed that the eVisa system will be relaunched across its consular offices in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and Xiamen.
The platform will allow qualified applicants residing in Mainland China and its Special Administrative Regions to apply online for short-term visits to the Philippines.
‘This initiative will make travel more convenient for Chinese nationals visiting the Philippines for tourism or business,’ said Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz.
The eVisa will be valid for a non-extendable stay of up to 14 days, with entry permitted only through Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
The relaunch follows the abrupt suspension of the eVisa system in November 2023, just three months after its pilot.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cited system reliability and payment processing limitations as key reasons for halting the rollout. At the time, the platform only accepted cash, debit, and credit cards-excluding dominant mobile payment options in China such as Alipay and WeChat Pay.
The suspension had ripple effects across the tourism sector. In a September 2025 budget hearing, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco told lawmakers that the DFA’s cancellation of the eVisa program-originally projected to issue up to 2 million visas annually-was a major factor in the country’s failure to meet its 2024 target of 7.7 million foreign arrivals.
Only 5.95 million tourists visited the Philippines that year, a 28.3% drop from the 2019 peak.
To address technical and payment issues, the DFA has partnered with VFS Global and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to improve platform stability and service delivery.
Ambassador FlorCruz signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Kishen Singh, VFS Global CEO for Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Mongolia, to formalize the collaboration.
Applicants seeking longer stays or those not eligible for the eVisa may continue to apply for conventional visas through Visa Application Centers in Beijing, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
FlorCruz emphasized that the eVisa relaunch aligns with broader diplomatic efforts to deepen bilateral ties.
‘This comes at an opportune time,’ he said, referencing the Joint Consular Consultations held in July 2025 between the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting underscored the importance of people-to-people exchange, a key theme as the Philippines commemorates 50 years of diplomatic relations with China.
Originally piloted in Manila in 2023, the eVisa system is expected to enhance consular efficiency and improve public service delivery. With China remaining one of the region’s top sources of tourists, the renewed program aims to facilitate travel and strengthen bilateral engagement.