PH, India adopt visa-free policy

THE Philippines and India will begin offering visa-free entry to each other’s citizens and resume direct flights in October, President Marcos announced Tuesday, marking a major step in strengthening tourism and cultural ties under a new strategic partnership.

In a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Marcos said the Philippines has extended visa-free access to Indian travelers, while India will also waive visa requirements for Filipino tourists. 

Both leaders hailed the move as a milestone in promoting closer ties between their peoples.

“I reiterated our introduction of a visa-free country entry privileges and extended our invitation for more Indian tourists to visit the Philippines,” he said.

“I thank Prime Minister Modi in turn for the introduction of a scheme to grant visa free-of-charge to Filipinos tourists travelling to India,” Marcos added.

The President also confirmed that direct commercial flights between the two nations will resume later this year, easing connectivity between Southeast Asia and South Asia regions.

“We welcome the resumption of direct flights from October this year and renewed our commitment to sustaining and expanding such direct air connectivity,” he said.

The tourism initiative is part of a series of bilateral agreements signed during Marcos’ five-day state visit to India. 

The deals covered a wide range of cooperation areas, including defense, maritime security, and trade, as both countries sought to elevate ties through their newly formalized strategic partnership.

Officials from both countries said the visa waiver and flight resumption will not only support economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, but also bring the Filipino and Indian communities closer through greater mobility and cultural understanding.

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