Balikbayan Program: Names of 157 Countries Whose Citizens Can Enter Philippines Without Visa
- The Philippines published the full list of 157 countries whose citizens are eligible to enter under the Balikbayan Program when travelling with a former Filipino
- The Balikbayan Program was established under Republic Act 6768 and later amended by Republic Act 9174 to encourage overseas Filipinos to visit their home country
- Several African nations made the list, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia, among dozens of others across five continents
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The Philippine government has published the full list of 157 countries whose nationals are eligible to enter the Philippines under the Balikbayan Program, provided they are travelling alongside a former Filipino citizen.
The programme was established through Republic Act 6768 and later amended by Republic Act 9174.
Source: Getty Images
African countries on the Balikbayan Program list
According to the official programme description, it was "launched by the Philippine Government to attract and encourage overseas Filipinos to come and visit their motherland."
The government has made clear that eligibility is conditional: citizens from countries not included on the list must obtain a valid entry visa before travelling.
Full list of all 157 countries
The complete list of countries whose citizens qualify under the Balikbayan Program is as follows:
1. Andorra
2. Angola
3. Antigua and Barbuda
4. Argentina
5. Australia
6. Austria
7. Bahamas
8. Bahrain
9. Barbados
10. Belgium
11. Belize
12. Benin
13. Bhutan
14. Bolivia
15. Botswana
16. Brazil
17. Brunei Darussalam
18. Bulgaria
19. Burkina Faso
20. Burundi
21. Cambodia
22. Cameroon
23. Canada
24. Cape Verde
25. Central African Republic
26. Chad
27. Chile
28. Colombia
29. Comoros
30. Congo
31. Costa Rica
32. Côte d’Ivoire
33. Croatia
34. Cyprus
35. Czech Republic
36. Democratic Republic of the Congo
37. Denmark
38. Djibouti
39. Dominica
40. Dominican Republic
41. Ecuador
42. El Salvador
43. Equatorial Guinea
44. Eritrea
45. Estonia
46. Ethiopia
47. Fiji
48. Finland
49. France
50. Gabon
51. Gambia
52. Germany
53. Ghana
54. Greece
55. Grenada
56. Guatemala
57. Guinea
58. Guinea-Bissau
59. Guyana
60. Haiti
61. Honduras
62. Hungary
63. Iceland
64. Indonesia
65. Ireland
66. Israel
67. Italy
68. Jamaica
69. Japan
70. Kazakhstan
71. Kenya
72. Kiribati
73. Kuwait
74. Kyrgyzstan
75. Lao People’s Democratic Republic
76. Latvia
77. Lesotho
78. Liberia
79. Liechtenstein
80. Lithuania
81. Luxembourg
82. Madagascar
83. Malawi
84. Malaysia
85. Maldives
86. Mali
87. Malta
88. Marshall Islands
89. Mauritania
90. Mauritius
91. Mexico
92. Micronesia
93. Monaco
94. Mongolia
95. Morocco
96. Mozambique
97. Myanmar
98. Namibia
99. Nepal
100. Netherlands
101. New Zealand
102. Nicaragua
103. Niger
104. Norway
105. Oman
106. Palau
107. Panama
108. Papua New Guinea
109. Paraguay
110. Peru
111. Poland
112. Portugal
113. Qatar
114. Republic of Korea
115. Romania
116. Russia
117. Rwanda
118. Saint Kitts and Nevis
119. Saint Lucia
120. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
121. Samoa
122. San Marino
123. Sao Tome and Principe
124. Saudi Arabia
125. Senegal
126. Seychelles
127. Singapore
128. Slovak Republic
129. Slovenia
130. Solomon Islands
131. South Africa
132. Spain
133. Suriname
134. Swaziland (Eswatini)
135. Sweden
136. Switzerland
137. Tajikistan
138. Thailand
139. Togo
140. Trinidad and Tobago
141. Tunisia
142. Turkey (Türkiye)
143. Turkmenistan
144. Tuvalu
145. Uganda
146. United Arab Emirates
147. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
148. United Republic of Tanzania
149. United States of America
150. Uruguay
151. Uzbekistan
152. Vanuatu
153. Vatican
154. Venezuela
155. Vietnam
156. Zambia
157. Zimbabwe
Citizens from countries not appearing on this list are required to secure a valid entry visa before entering the Philippines under any accompanying former Filipino national.
US lists countries eligible for ESTA
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that the United States government had released the full list of countries whose citizens can travel to America using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
The ESTA programme allows eligible nationals to travel to the US for tourism, business, or transit without obtaining a traditional visa before their trip.
Source: Legit.ng
