Travel Requirements for Filipinos Meeting Foreign Partners Abroad

Planning to meet or reunite with your foreign partner abroad? Know the important travel requirements for Filipinos and tips to avoid being offloaded at Philippine Immigration.

 

As a Philippine passport holder, traveling abroad as a tourist or for a visit is not that easy. Every time we travel internationally, we first go through Philippine Immigration for inspection. They check if our travel is legal, if we are not victims of human trafficking, and if we won't be working abroad illegally. We also need to prove that we have the financial capacity to travel, to show that we won’t be staying illegally in the country of destination. Since many Filipinos tend to overstay or work abroad without proper documents, Immigration has become stricter.

 

Disclaimer: I'm not a migration lawyer, I'm not an immigration officer, and I'm not affiliated with any government agency in the Philippines. What I'm sharing is based on my personal experience, as well as experiences shared by my viewers and clients.

 

Meeting a foreign partner abroad is considered a red flag for Immigration. There's a high chance that you will undergo secondary inspection. This is based on my personal experience,when I first met my foreign partner (now my husband) in the Maldives in 2020, I was offloaded (denied exit in the Philippines) on my first try but was able to travel successfully on my second attempt.

You can read about my offload story here.

Now, if I say “red flag” or “secondary inspection”, it doesn't always mean you will be directly offloaded. What it means is that you may be called for further questioning. If you are inconsistent with your answers, hiding something, not being honest, if your answers don’t match the documents you show, or if the officer suspects you might be a trafficking victim or planning to work illegally, then you could get offloaded.

So, what should we do to avoid being offloaded? What documents should we prepare?

 

GENERAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS (Short-stay visit / Tourism)

• Passport - valid at least 6 months beyond your return date to the Philippines
• Visa - if required in your destination country
• Return / Roundtrip Ticket
• Hotel Booking - if staying in a hotel
• Proof of Occupation

1. Employed: Certificate of Employment, Approved Leave of Absence, ITR (Income Tax Return), Company ID, payslips
2. Self-employed: Business Permit, ITR (Income Tax Return), financial statements
3. Student: Proof of enrollment, valid school ID

 

• Proof of Financial Capacity - bank certificate and bank statements showing you have enough funds for your trip, especially if it's self-funded

 

How much money should you have in the bank?

I suggest at least 100 USD per day of your stay. Example: if you’ll stay abroad for 7 days, then 100 x 7 = 700 USD. So, make sure to have at least that amount or more.

But take note: even if you have a large amount in your bank account, it doesn’t guarantee approval at Immigration. They also check your source of income. If you can’t prove where your money came from, it will raise doubts.

If you are unemployed or cannot provide proof of financial capacity, then you should have a sponsor who will provide you with an Affidavit of Support and Guarantee for your travel.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS for Meeting/Reuniting with a Foreign Partner

• Invitation Letter - from your partner, declaring the invitation to meet/reunite, confirming your relationship, accommodation details if staying in their home, and if they will cover your expenses. Must be signed.
• Affidavit of Support and Guarantee -This is required if your travel is sponsored by a 2nd up to 4th-degree relative or a non-relative. Immigration often asks for this document to be authenticated at the Philippine Embassy in your sponsor's country. If you are married to your foreign partner, you do not need an Affidavit of Support. Instead, just prepare your marriage certificate and a copy of your partner's valid ID or passport.
• Copy of your partner's passport bio-page / valid ID
• Proof of a Genuine Relationship:

1. If married: Marriage certificate
2. If boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancé(e): Photos together, chat history (preferably showing your first conversation), call logs, proof of gifts or remittances

From my own experience, the immigration officer once asked my permission to check my chat conversation on WhatsApp from my phone. She asked me to scroll, and she checked how regularly we communicated. At that time, we had been chatting daily for 1 year and 6 months, so it took a long scroll to reach our first conversation. But she was already satisfied with what she saw.

 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR IMMIGRANT VISA HOLDER (Long-stay / Permanent residence permit)

1. Passport 
2. Visa/Permanent residence permit - if required in your destination country
3. CFO certificate - if your spouse is a foreign national, a dual citizen, or a former Filipino, you are required to attend the Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).  For more information on how to obtain the CFO certificate, please click here. 
4. Proof of relation with your petitioner/spouse- you must prepare marriage certificate if you are married, or a birth certificate if you are a relative.
5. Copy of your partner/petitioner's passport bio-page / valid ID

 

COMMON REASONS FOR OFFLOADING

• Inconsistent answers during Immigration questioning
• Answers and documents do not match
• No sufficient financial capacity
• Sponsored travel without an affidavit of support
• Immigrant visa holder without CFO certificate
• Signs of possible human trafficking
• Suspicion that you will work illegally abroad

TIPS TO AVOID GETTING OFFLOADED

1. Prepare complete requirements. The more supporting documents, the better. It’s always safer to be over-prepared.
2. Be honest. Lying or being too nervous may cause suspicion and lead to further questioning.
3. If your documents are legal and complete, you don’t need to worry too much. Stay calm and confident.