Can Felons Travel To Philippines?

Made up of more than 7,000 islands, it’s not hard to imagine why the Philippines is always under the radar of many beach-lovers from around the globe.

Former felons may find it hard always wondering if port authorities in the country of their destination would dig into their records and forbid their travel. Sometimes also, it’s possible that their own country will disallow them so.

Travel Restrictions

The State Department may exercise its good judgment to deny the issuance of passport to any US citizen. The validity of this power leans mostly on public welfare and national security reasons.

Thus, even non-felon US citizens may feel that their civil liberties are violated when the Department denies their travel on ground of a hunch (i.e. that their presence in a country poses serious harm to the US interest).

As a legitimate exercise of government authority, this balances the libertarian principles that founded this great nation. Even an order of restraint from a US Armed Forces officer is a valid reason to disallow anyone from traveling.

Remember that passport issuance is a privilege. Every requirement such as parole or probation conditions must be followed to the letter, most especially if you have your criminal record scattered up in several databases.

If you have defaulted in your financial obligations to the government, pay them at once. These could be unpaid taxes of more than $5,000, child support debt in arrears of $2,500, assistance loans and emergency funding.

Reasons To Travel To Philippines

In Asia, this destination is most well-known for its white sand beaches, paradise islands, rich cultural heritage and a fascinating biodiversity of wildlife and endangered species.

Philippines is lavished with most of the nature’s wonders and resources: beautiful mountains, hills, volcanoes, forests, lakes and clear rivers. Tourists ought to catch a glimpse of these spectacles before they fade with time and man-made exploits.

The rice terraces in the Cordilleran region of northern Philippines are a living relic to the engineering and architectural ingenuity of the so-called “indos” or “uncivilized people” (Spanish-coined) that lived 2,000 years ago.

Go all the way down to the south and behold the green fields that span along the long roads. Take a boat to the scattered thousand isles and visit the famed ‘tarsier’, the world’s cutest primate.

Entry Requirements To Philippines

If you intend to travel from one country to another via the Philippines, you may use a multiple-entry transit 9(b) visa. This is obtainable from a Philippine embassy prior to entering the Philippines.

Since the US has a bilateral agreement with the Philippines, requirements for US citizens who enter the country are the following:

  • Unexpired passport
  • Unexpired entry visa
  • Entry visa is not required if you present both unexpired passport and a valid return or onward ticket to another country (Applicable only to tourism purposes and for an initial 30-day stay)
  • For stays longer than 30 days, an application for extension before any immigration offices
  • Maximum cash amount of 10,000 USD for both entry and exit
  • Must not be listed under the Black List Order (A foreign national who is not permitted to enter into the Philippines due to violation of Philippine immigration laws such as overstaying)
  • Clearance from the Philippine government for any prescribed controlled substance (i.e. medical marijuana) that you bring with you upon entry to the Philippines

Do you have any other civil impediment that may stall your plan to travel? For what reason do you want to go to the Philippines?

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