By Argyll Geducos
Filipino travelers holding valid visas or residence permits from several countries will soon be able to enter the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through a visa‑on‑arrival facility, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Wednesday, June 24.
Starting June 25, Filipino citizens with Philippine passports who also hold a valid visa, residence permit, or Green Card issued by the following countries will be eligible for a UAE visa‑on‑arrival:
- United States of America
- European Union member states
- Australia
- Japan
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Canada
- New Zealand
Qualified travelers may obtain their entry visas upon arrival in the UAE instead of applying in advance.
They can choose between a 14‑day visa, costing 100 UAE dirhams (around ₱1,550) and extendable once for another 14 days at 250 dirhams (around ₱3,900), or a 60‑day visa priced at 250 dirhams, which is non‑extendable.
The DFA emphasized that travelers must present their Philippine passports along with the required valid visas, residence permits, or Green Cards.
The UAE extended this privilege in recognition of the “excellent bilateral relations” between Manila and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE hosts one of the largest Filipino communities abroad, with hundreds of thousands living and working across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other parts of the Gulf state.
Both countries continue to strengthen cooperation in labor, trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
