Philippines travel desk
Business visitors and holiday groups, met at arrivals and seen off at departures — in Mandarin, English or Filipino. Here is what we tell every client before they book.
Fly into
Manila or Cebu
From South China
About 2½ hours
Time zone
Same as Beijing
Chinese passports
14 days visa-free
Best months
December to May
Business language
English
Packages
4 days
Makati · BGC · Binondo · Ortigas
From US$1,250flights extra
Brands meeting chains, distributors and the Filipino-Chinese trade.
7 days
Manila · El Nido
From US$2,150domestic flights included
Business owners who want the islands after the meetings.
6 days
Cebu · Bohol
From US$1,450groups of 20 or more · flights extra
Dealer rewards and company trips.
7 days
Manila · El Nido · Coron
Quoted for your datesper person, twin share
Families and groups on their first Philippines holiday.
Your dates
Manila, Clark, Cebu or Davao
Price on applicationfor companies, chambers and investors
Investors and delegations meeting regulators, ecozones and partners.
Per person, twin share. Single rooms extra.
Trade fairs
Pasay, Metro Manila
Home, furniture, fashion and lifestyle — the country's design-led export fair.
World Trade Center Metro Manila
Food, beverage and ingredients from the Philippines and abroad.
WTC Metro Manila and SMX
The food-service and hospitality show across two venues.
Fair dates are set by the organisers; we confirm them when you book.
Before you fly
Since 16 January 2026, 14 days without a visa for tourism or business — but only when you land at Manila (NAIA) or Cebu (Mactan). The stay cannot be extended or changed to another visa. Bring a passport valid six months beyond your stay, your confirmed hotel booking and a return or onward ticket. Staying longer, or flying into Clark, Davao or another airport? Apply for a temporary visitor visa before you travel; we prepare the invitation letter and itinerary.
14 days visa-free for tourism, or 30 days if you hold a valid US, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or UK visa or residence permit. Coming for business meetings? Tell us — the right visa depends on what you will be doing.
A visa is needed before you travel, from a Philippine embassy or consulate. We send the invitation letter, hotel confirmation and itinerary the application asks for.
Many nationalities get 30 days visa-free on arrival; some need a visa first. Send us your passport country and we confirm what applies before you book.
Register free at etravel.gov.ph within 72 hours before you land. You get a QR code that airline check-in and immigration will ask for. Any site that charges for it is not the government's.
Immigration officers do ask about your trip. Keep your hotel booking, return ticket and our itinerary letter on your phone or on paper. Entry rules change often — we confirm yours when you book. Checked October 2026.
Getting there
Direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xiamen — about 2½ hours from South China, 4 to 4½ from Beijing.
Direct from Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Quanzhou. Cebu is the better gateway for Bohol and the central islands.
Connections through Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, and direct flights to Manila from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Clark International, two hours north of Manila, is quicker to get through — but the visa-free entry for Chinese passports does not apply there.
Where business happens
The established business district: banks, law firms, embassies and the long-standing hotels.
Bonifacio Global City: newer towers, regional headquarters and the most walkable streets in Manila. Where most of our clients stay.
Corporate and retail headquarters, and SM Megamall, one of the country's largest malls.
Founded in 1594 and often called the world's oldest Chinatown. Filipino-Chinese trading families, wholesalers and chambers — and the markets where you see what goods really sell for.
The convention centres — SMX and the World Trade Center — and the large resort hotels near the airport.
Clark and Subic freeports to the north for logistics and light manufacturing; Cebu for furniture, export zones and the Visayas; Davao for agriculture and Mindanao.
Getting around
Guests from China
Mandarin-speaking guides and interpreters every day of the trip; Cantonese and Hokkien on request — Hokkien is the home language of many Filipino-Chinese families.
The Philippines runs on UTC+8, like Beijing. Your office in China is awake when you are working.
WeChat works normally. Filipino business runs on Viber and Messenger, so we set up the groups with your local contacts.
Cards work in hotels and malls. Alipay and WeChat Pay are taken at some malls, hotels and duty-free shops — not everywhere. We arrange pesos and a local SIM or eSIM when you land.
Chinese restaurants we know in Binondo, Makati and BGC for the business dinners; Filipino food when you want it.
Introductions to Filipino-Chinese trading families and chambers — often the fastest way into distribution.
Add the islands
About an hour's flight from Manila
Limestone lagoons, island hopping and some of Asia's best beaches. Our first choice for incentive groups.
About an hour's flight, then a short boat
White Beach, sunsets and easy resorts. Good for families and first visits.
An hour from Manila, or two by ferry from Cebu
The Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, river cruises and Panglao's beaches.
Direct flights from China
Island hopping from Mactan, waterfalls and diving on the south coast; easy to pair with Bohol.
Under two hours from Manila
Surf, palm forests and a slower pace.
Day trips by road or ferry
Tagaytay and Taal Volcano, the walled city of Intramuros, and Corregidor island.
Sample itineraries
5 days
7 days
6 days
One price
Questions
Yes, for 14 days of tourism or business — but only through Manila or Cebu airports, and the stay cannot be extended. For longer trips or other airports, apply for a visa before you travel.
Typhoon season runs from June to November. We still travel then, with a spare day in every itinerary.
Yes — in Binondo and through the chambers. It is often the fastest way into distribution.
Many electrical goods need BPS certification and devices with radios need NTC approval. We brief you before you meet buyers.
Our Philippines desk
Your host
Based in the Philippines and runs our desk there — distribution, operations and the people you will meet.
WhatsApp UmerPlan a trip
Two minutes. A person replies within two working days with a first plan.
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Entry rules, flights and prices change. We confirm everything for your passport and dates when you book.