You’ve found a nice Filipina and you think she’s a good match. You want to meet your potential Filipina bride, and she’s happy to meet you. The problem? You’re busy and the Philippines is far away. You can take a few days off work and go someplace near, or you can wait 6 months until you get enough vacation time to visit the Philippines. If your lady can take time off, it will be just as cheap to fly her to you as to fly yourself to the Philippines.
Perhaps the Philippines is somehow unappealing to you and you want to meet elsewhere. Or maybe you’re in a relationship with a beautiful Filipina and you’re planning a honeymoon or you want to take her on a trip abroad. There are plenty of beautiful places to travel in the Philippines, but you want to experience something different. My wife and I were able to spend our honeymoon in both Singapore and Thailand. It took some doing to arrange the timing of the flights, but we had a nice trip.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy for Filipinos to travel to most countries. However, there are many countries that allow either Filipinos to travel there visa-free, or it’s easy to get a visa. Many of these are not nice countries, but there are a few good ones out there. Even the poorer countries may have a lovely resort where you spend a few happy days getting to know one another.Direct air links are another thing you’ll want to look at. If you have a long layover between your home city and Manila, it may be just as easy to fly your special Filipina somewhere in the middle.
As a caveat, I have to say I haven’t fully researched issues such as how easy it is to fly to these countries or how safe they are. If you think one is a good possibility, look into it yourself based on what you need. Here are some places to consider:
The Americas
If you live in North America and want to bring your future Filipina wife closer to you, there are not many good options.
Haiti – The closest nation to North America that Filipinos can travel to visa-free. While not the top tourist destination on anyone’s list, Haiti has seen some development in the tourist industry in the past few years. There have been a few 4-star hotels built since the 2010 earthquake, as well as a large beach resort. Filipino travelers can stay 3 months visa-free.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica – These neighboring Central American nations are relatively close to North America, but getting flights from the Philippines might be tricky. Both are safe and have a well-developed tourist industry. Nicaragua gives Filipinos a 90-day visa on arrival, which usually means there is a cost involved. Filipinos can travel to Costa Rica for 30 days visa-free.
The following Carribean islands also allow either visa-free travel or visa on arrival: Dominca, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
Brazil – This popular tourist destinations gives Filipinos a 90-day visa-free pass. It has direct air links to many large North American cities, and it’s famous for it’s beaches and the Carnivale celebration.
The following South American nations allow either visa-free travel or visa on arrival for Philippine citizens: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Suriname.
Europe
For those from Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe, the nearby choices are also thin.
Georgia – This lovely little country has many direct air links to European cities. It doesn’t have a visa-free or visa on arrival policy for Filipinos, but it is easy to apply online for a 90-day eVisa before you travel. According to the country’s visa website, you can receive your visa by email in about a day.
Armenia – If for any reason the travelers can’t go to Georgia, neighboring Armenia might be a good second choice. Filipinos can travel with a 120-day visa on arrival.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – This unrecognized and controversial enclave on the island of Cyprus allows Filipinos to travel visa-free for 3 months.
Morocco – Possibly a good choice if you’re traveling from Western Europe, Morocco offers Filipinos 90-day visa-free travel.
The Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand Regions
Australia and New Zealand aren’t too far from the Philippines, so I’m going to combine these for anyone from those two nations or who wants to travel to a country near the Philippines. Fortunately, there are many beautiful and vibrant nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Southeast Asia:
Indonesia – Indonesia has many direct flights from the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and other SE Asian nations. Bali is certainly the best place for a visit, but there are many other scenic spots throughout the country.
Singapore – Singapore is a vibrant tourist hub. It’s safe, not too expensive, and the food and shopping are great. It also features Universal Studios and other park areas on Sentosa Island.
Hong Kong – Hong Kong is also knows for it’s shopping and food, and it serves as an air hub in SE Asia. Hong Kong is also host to a Disneyland Resort. Hong Kong probably has the cheapest flights from the Philippines if you’re looking for a quick getaway.
Thailand – Phuket has direct air links with Manila and many other cities, and it’s a lovely place to visit.
Also, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Macao offer either visa-free travel or visas on arrival.
The following Oceania and Pacific island nations offer either visa-free or visa on arrival travel for Filipinos:
Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Niue, Marshal Islands, Micronesia, Samoa (not American Samoa), Tuvalu, Pitcairn Islands, and Palau.
Jeju Island, South Korea – While Filipinos need a visa to travel to the Korean mainland, it’s possible to fly directly to Jeju Island. There are no direct flights from Manila, and I’m not sure if it’s possible to go through the mainland without a transit visa, but you can fly directly to Jeju Island through Hong Kong. This might be a good option for those coming from Japan or Korea.
Africa
In addition to Morocco, several other African nations allow visa-free or visa on arrival access. These are Burundi, Cape Verdi, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Kenya (can apply for an eVisa), Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritania, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo (7 days only), Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, Malawi, and Zambia.
Others
For the sake of completion, these nations or unrecognized regions also allow visa-free or visa on arrival travel for Filipinos:
Israel, India (eVisa), Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Palestine, Sri Lanka (electronic visa authorization required), Tajikistan, Tanzania, East Timor, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kish Island.
