Travel to Philippines – Medicine Learners

Area: 343,448 km²
Residents: 106,512,000 (2018)
Population density: 310 E / km²
Form of Government: Republic
System of Government: presidential democracy
Neighboring countries: (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan)
Capital: Manila
National language: Filipino (based on Tagalog)
Official language: English
Other languages: Chinese, Spanish, Cebuano, Iloko and about 170 other
religions:
81% Catholics,
5% Muslim,
2.8% Protestant,
2.3% Iglesia ni Cristo,
2% Independent Philippine Church,
0.8% Seventh-day Adventist,
0.5% United Church of Christ in the Philippines,
0.2% Jehovah’s Witnesses
Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP)
1 PHP = Centavos / Sentimos
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 58.56 PHP
100 PHP = 1.71 EUR
1 CHF = 52.88 PHP
100 PHP = 1.89 CHF
(rate from 04.03. 2021)
Telephone area code: +63
Time zone: UTC +8
Mains voltage: 220 – 240 V

In 2020, 259 Germans officially emigrated to this Southeast Asian island state (archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean). The archipelago of the Philippine Republic consists of more than 7,000 islands (about 880 inhabited). 542 Germans returned to their homeland from the Philippines in 2019. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 5,323 Germans officially emigrated to the Philippines and 5,878 moved back to Germany.

The Philippines are a country of emigration. Around 5.7 million people emigrated in 2017 alone. Nevertheless, some islands are among the most densely populated areas in the world due to their high birth rates. There is a very diverse mix of many ethnic groups. There is a strong economic contrast between a small, rich upper class and the broad majority of the population. The Philippines is one of the few countries where divorce is prohibited.

Filipino (based on Tagalog) is the official language of the Philippines and is spoken by about 80% of the population. English is an important second language for more than 50% of Filipinos, followed by Spanish. In addition, around 170 other languages are spoken on the islands. Cebuano is mainly spoken in the south (central Visaya and in the north and west of Mindanao). Another important regional language is Iloko.

According to allcitycodes, the climate in this fifth largest island state in the world is characterized by its proximity to the sea. No place on the total of 7,641 islands is further than 200 km from the coast. The climate can be described as mostly tropical and in the higher regions of the mountains as subtropical. In the cold seasons, there is even occasional snow on Mount Pulag.

The northern and eastern parts of the archipelago are regularly hit by typhoons, some of which are violent, from July to September. In the other parts of the archipelago, tropical storms occur all year round, some of which bring large amounts of rain. A distinction is made between the following four regional climate types:

Type Ⅰ (BLUE): Two seasons, dry from November to April and humid the rest of the year.
Type Ⅱ (GREEN): No drying time. Heavy rains from November to January.
Type Ⅲ (RED): Seasons not very pronounced. November to April relatively dry, humid the rest of the year.
Type Ⅳ (YELLOW): The precipitation is more or less evenly distributed over the whole year.

In the Philippines there are over 5,000 different animal species (e.g. water buffalo, parrots, flying squirrels, dolphins, crocodiles, snakes, tarsier, manabo, turtles, lizards) as well as around 14,000 different plants, most of them in the rainforest. Beautiful coral reefs attract divers.

Travel and Immigration

Changed travel regulations during and after the corona pandemic

Until further notice, foreigners are prohibited from entering the Philippines for tourist purposes. Filipino entry visas that have been issued have been declared invalid, and new tourist visas are not currently being issued. Exceptions apply exclusively to aircraft and ship crews, to family members (spouses, children, parents) of Filipino nationals, to diplomats and members of international organizations who are accredited in the Philippines, as well as to foreigners who are already in possession of long-term visas.

Travelers are subject to a 14-day quarantine obligation after entry, during which a PCR test must be carried out on the seventh day. All travelers, with the exception of diplomats and members of international organizations, must present a booking for an accredited quarantine facility for at least 10 days.

The quarantine will be shortened to 7 days if a vaccination certificate is presented for a complete vaccination in the Philippines or, in the case of vaccination abroad, a vaccination certificate issued by the national health authorities, which can be verified and accepted by the Philippine authorities, and the Stayed in one of the “ Green Countries ” defined by the Ministry of Health in the last 14 days before entering the country. Germany has not yet been one of these countries. Diplomats and members of international organizations must present a negative PCR test on entry that is not older than 72 hours.

To contain the virus variant B.1.617, which was first detected in India, until further notice, air passengers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and, since July 25, 2021, will also be out Malaysia and Thailand come to or have been there for the last 14 days have been refused entry to the Philippines. Travelers who were exclusively flight passengers in these countries are exempt from this entry ban.

Source: Federal Foreign Office on July 27, 2021

General provisions for travel and residence (until the corona pandemic)

Entry permit

German tourists (including Austrians and Swiss) with a valid passport will be granted a free visa for 30 days upon arrival. A valid return or onward flight ticket must be presented upon entry.

Renewal

At the local immigration authority, the residence permit can be extended up to 1 year for a fee.

Tourist visa

Anyone planning to stay in the Philippines for more than 30 days must apply for a tourist visa (obtainable at the consulate or embassy). This entitles you to a stay of 59 days.

Single entry tourist visa for 59 days – 27 euros
Tourist visa for multiple entry within 6 months – 54 euros – (allows a stay of 6 months, which must be interrupted every 59 days by short-term departure. Or you can extend your 59-day visa for another 59 days at the immigration authorities)
Tourist visa for multiple entry within one year – 81 euros – (allows a stay of one year, which has to be interrupted every 59 days by short-term departure. Or you can extend your 59-day visa for another 59 days at the immigration authorities. You can do anything often out and in.)

Permanent visa for pensioners – SRRV (Special Retiree Resident Visa)

Retirees without a pension must deposit an amount of money in a fixed deposit account in the Philippines.

Retirees aged 35 to 49 – US $ 50,000
Retirees over the age of 50 – US $ 20,000

Monthly retirees must have earnings of at least US $ 800 per month. For married couples, at least US $ 1,000 per month. In addition, US $ 10,000 must be deposited in a fixed deposit account in the Philippines.