PUBLIC ADVISORY No. 11 on COVID-19 Updated Travel Restriction Guidelines of All Travelers from Countries with Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 B117 Strain
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PUBLIC ADVISORY No. 11 on COVID-19
Updated Travel Restriction Guidelines of All Travelers from Countries with Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 B117 Strain
Amended 15 January 2020
The Philippine Consulate General in Houston wishes to urgently announce that FOREIGN TRAVELERS are PROHIBITED from entering the Philippines effective 03 January 2021, 12:01 AM until 31 January 2021, if they are coming from the United States (US) or have been in the US in the past fourteen (14) days.
ALL VISA ISSUANCES are suspended with immediate effect until 31 January 2021 to foreign nationals coming from the US and other countries covered by travel restrictions.
The US joins the list of countries with similar travel restrictions to the Philippines listed below:
1. Australia | 13. India | 25. Portugal |
2. Austria | 14. Ireland | 26. Singapore |
3. Brazi | 15. Israel | 27. South Africa |
4. Canada | 16. Italy | 28. South Korea |
5. China | 17. Jamaica | 29. Spain |
6. Denmark | 18. Japan | 30. Sweden |
7. Finland | 19. Jordan | 31. Switzerland |
8. France | 20. Lebanon | 32. The Netherlands |
9. Germany | 21. Luxembourg | 33. United Arab Emirates |
10. Hong Kong SAR | 22. Norway | 34. United Kingdom |
11. Hungary | 23. Oman | |
12. Iceland | 24. Pakistan |
Effective immediately, Filipino citizens coming from the US, or who have been to the US within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, including those arriving after 03 January 2020, shall not be prohibited from entering the country, but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result.
The aforementioned additional measures, including the prohibition to enter the Philippines shall apply to all foreign nationals regardless of their visa category, including holders of 9E visas, as well as previously issued endorsements or exemptions from the temporary
suspension of visa issuance from the Department, and privileges under Republic Act No.
6768 (i.e., “Balikbayan”) for the duration of the travel ban, except the following:
- Foreign government or international organization representatives and their dependents;
- Foreign dignitaries;
- Those for medical and emergency cases, including their medical escorts; and,
- Other foreign nationals who will be exempted by the Department from said restrictions.
In addition to the above, the following rules shall apply to Filipino and foreign passengers merely transiting through a country covered by the travel restrictions:
- All passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through any of the above-mentioned countries with travel restrictions shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to such covered country, provided they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into the covered country by its immigration authorities;
- Upon arrival in the Philippines, passengers covered by the immediately preceding paragraph need not complete a full 14-day facility-based quarantine, and may be allowed home quarantine upon testing negative on RT-PCR at point of entry, pursuant to existing protocols of the national government.
- Transiting foreign passengers who left the airport of transit or were cleared for entry into the covered country/jurisdiction by its immigration authorities shall be prohibited from entering the Philippines; and
- Transiting Filipino nationals who have left the airport or were cleared for entry into the covered country/jurisdiction by its immigration authorities shall not be prohibited from entering the Philippines, but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period regardless of a negative RT-PCR result.
The Consulate General advises all travelers to the country to carefully reconsider their travel plans, including postponing their trips until after the end of the travel restrictions to avoid personal inconvenience and possible additional expenses as well as help prevent the incidence of the new COVID-19 variant in the country.
For further inquiry on this matter, the Consulate may be reached at the following email address:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
END
PUBLIC ADVISORY NO. 9 RESUMPTION OF ONSITE CONSULAR SERVICES
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PUBLIC ADVISORY NO. 9
RESUMPTION OF ONSITE CONSULAR SERVICES
The Philippine Consulate General in Houston announces the resumption of onsite processing of passport renewal / new application effective 08 SEPTEMBER 2020, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM from Monday to Friday, strictly by APPOINTMENT ONLY, while other consular services will continue to be processed by MAIL ONLY.
STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT | STRICTLY BY MAIL | MODIFIED PROCESS |
Passport renewal / New passport application |
Passport Extension |
Re-acquisition & Retention of Philippine Citizenship (Dual Citizenship): - Virtual oath-taking and - Onsite signing and claiming of documents |
Travel Document | ||
Report of Birth | ||
Report of Marriage | ||
Report of Death | ||
Consular Mortuary Certificate | ||
Visa | ||
Releasing of passports and consular documents |
For LEGALIZATION / ACKNOWLEDGMENT / NOTARIAL services, clients may execute their documents before their local notaries public, and subsequently secure the Certificates of APOSTILLE issued by the Secretary of State of their residence (Department of State of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas). Documents apostillized by the Department of State are recognized in the Philippines and there is NO need to bring the document to the Consulate. More information on this may be accessed through the following webpage: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/legal-and-notarial-services |
To safeguard the health and well-being of everyone and to limit the community spread of COVID-19, the following measures will be strictly implemented:
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LIST OF AVAILABLE CONSULAR SERVICES
PASSPORT renewal and new application (10 years validity) |
Online appointment for onsite processing is available through QLess app or by clicking the link on this page: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/ |
EXTENSION of PASSPORT validity (One (1) year) |
For those who wish to avail of extension of passport validity, applicants do not need to go to the Consulate General in Houston to submit the application as this service is offered by MAIL ONLY. Applicants are advised to send a request for passport extension at this email address and you will receive a notification with application form and procedures: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
TRAVEL DOCUMENT |
Application for travel document is by MAIL ONLY with the form and requirements available at this link: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/travel-document |
CIVIL REGISTRATION |
Report of Birth, Marriage, Death applications with complete requirements shall be sent by MAIL ONLY. Please refer to the following links for the form and procedures: Report of Birth: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/civil-registry/report-of-birth Report of Marriage: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/civil-registry/report-of-marriage Report of Death: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/civil-registry/report-of-death Consular Mortuary Certificate: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/civil-registry/report-of-death |
VISA |
Visa applications shall be sent by MAIL ONLY with scanned copies emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for pre-processing. Please be guided by Public Advisory No. 8 on the exemption of foreign spouses, children and parents of Filipino nationals from the temporary suspension of visa issuance: Follow this link for application form and procedures: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/visa-services |
RE-ACQUISITION & RETENTION OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP (Dual Citizenship) |
Submission of applications for dual citizenship shall be by MAIL ONLY, with scanned copies emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for pre-processing. If all the documents are in order, applicants shall be notified by email of the approval of the application and the schedule of the virtual oath-taking. Onsite signing and claiming of dual citizenship documents will be scheduled accordingly. Please follow this link for the procedures: https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/dual-citizenship |
Releasing of processed documents / passports |
Release of the following documents will be by MAIL ONLY: - Passport and passport extension - Travel Document - Visa stamped on foreign passport - Report of Birth - Report of Marriage - Report of Death - Consular Mortuary Certificate Please enclose with your application an empty self-addressed envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, using a pre-paid mailing envelope to be sent to: 9990 Richmond Avenue, Suite 100N Houston, TX 77042 The Consulate General recommends USPS Priority Express envelopes for large size documents. Please do not send white letter envelopes, as your return documents will not fit and do not use FEDEX. The Philippine Consulate General assumes no responsibility for any delay or loss in the mail, or while the documents are in the custody of the courier service. The applicant should take note of the tracking numbers of all envelopes used and submitted which may be tracked at the USPS website. |
Due to a large volume of telephone calls received by the Consulate General resulting in long queue of callers, the public is encouraged to send queries to the following email addresses specific to their concerns: |
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Consular Service | Email Address |
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We appeal for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Your health and safety is our primary concern.
PUBLIC ADVISORY No. 10 on COVID-19 Updated Exemptions from the Temporary Suspension of Visa Issuance and Entry Restrictions
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PUBLIC ADVISORY No. 10 on COVID-19
Updated Exemptions from the Temporary Suspension of Visa Issuance
and Entry Restrictions
The Philippine Consulate General in Houston wishes to inform the public that pursuant to IATF Resolution No. 85 dated 26 November 2020 and, with reference to Republic Act No. 6768 (Act Instituting the Balikbayan Program), as amended, the following shall be exempted from the temporary suspension of visa privileges starting 07December 2020:
- Filipino citizens’ foreign spouses and children, regardless of age, who are travelling with them; and
- Former Filipino citizens, together with their foreign spouses and children, regardless of age, who are travelling with them.
Airline staff may require either of the following documentary requirements from the above-mentioned Balikbayan passengers prior to boarding:
- Foreign Spouses
- Copy of Marriage Certificate;
- Previous immigration arrival stamp with Balikbayan (BB/RA6768) status.
2. Dependents/Children
- Copy of Birth Certificate, indicating that either or both parents are Filipino nationals;
- Copy of previously issued or expired Philippine Passport;
- Previous immigration arrival stamps with Balikbayan (BB/RA6768) status;
- Original or certified true copy of Decree of Adoption (for legally adoptive children)
3. Former Filipino
- Copy of previously issued or expired Philippine Passport;
- Copy of Birth Certificate;
- Previous immigration arrival stamps with Balikbayan (BB/RA6768) status.
The above shall be admitted under RA 6768 with one year validity of stay from the date of arrival.
The entry of the above-mentioned foreign nationals shall be subject to the following conditions:
- They must be nationals permitted/allowed to enter the country visa-free under Executive Order No. 408, s. 1960;
- They must have a pre-booked quarantine facility;
- They must have a pre-booked COVID-19 testing at a laboratory operating at the airport; and
- They are subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port of entry and during the date of entry.
Other foreign spouses and children of Filipino nationals who do not belong to the above categories are still subject to existing travel restrictions. This includes family members of Balikbayans who are nationals of countries as well as former Filipino citizens who acquired citizenship and passports of countries that are not visa-free pursuant to Executive Order No. 408, s. 1960.
They may apply for visas, as appropriate, provided that they are exempted from the travel suspension of the visa issuance, outlined in previous issuances of the Philippine Government.
Further to this, the Philippine Consulate General’s website may be visited at https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/visa-services/visa-services-during-the-covid-19-pandemic for more information on current visa services offered by the Consulate General during the pandemic.
More information can also be obtained from the official website of the Department of Foreign Affairs at https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/visainformation, including information on foreign nationals who enjoy visa free privileges.
A list of approved quarantine facilities/hotels can be found at http://quarantine.doh.gov.ph/facilities-inspected-as-of-november-27-2020/; while COVID-19 testing can be pre-booked by accomplishing the Electronic Case Investigation Form (e-CIF) prior to scheduled arrival at https://ecif.redcross.com.ph/.
For any inquiry on this matter, the Consulate may be reached at the following email address:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
END
PUBLIC ADVISORY No. 8 on COVID-19 EXEMPTION OF FOREIGN SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND PARENTS OF FILIPINO NATIONALS FROM THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF VISA ISSUANCE
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PUBLIC ADVISORY No. 8 on COVID-19
EXEMPTION OF FOREIGN SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND PARENTS
OF FILIPINO NATIONALS FROM THE
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF VISA ISSUANCE
The Philippine Consulate General in Houston (Houston PCG) wishes to inform the public that effective immediately, the following are exempted from the temporary suspension of visa issuance:
- Foreign spouses of Filipino nationals;
- Foreign minor children, and foreign children with special needs regardless of age, of Filipino nationals; and,
- Foreign parents of minor Filipino children and of Filipino children with special needs regardless of age.
The abovementioned nationals may be allowed entry into the Philippines, provided that they secure or possess appropriate visas. The exemption likewise covers former Filipinos, naturalized in other countries, who belong to said categories.
Houston PCG may now issue visas to the abovementioned nationals, pursuant to applicable regulations, provided that they present documentary proof issued by Philippine authorities or foreign governments, except those inconsistent with Philippine regulations (e.g. same-sex marriage and common-law spouse certificates).
All visa applicants are reminded that per Resolution No. 56 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the entry of the abovementioned foreigners is subject to the following conditions:
- Applicant must have a pre-booked accredited quarantine facility;
- Applicant must have a pre-booked COVID-19 testing provider; and,
- Applicant’s travel is subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers.
Houston PCG shall only entertain visa applications sent through mail. More information on the requirements for the issuance of visas can be accessed through https://houstonpcg.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/consular-services/visa-services
All visa applications shall be submitted for preprocessing through email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Further inquiries may, likewise, be addressed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. END
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