Chinese seeking PH visitor visa required to submit social ID

The DFA officially imposed the additional requirement on May 28 for all Chinese nationals applying for the said visa in any Philippine embassy or consulate. (File photo by Lawrence Ruiz – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – Chinese nationals applying for a Philippine 9 (a) temporary visitor’s visa would have to submit their Chinese Social Insurance Record Certificates, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.

The DFA officially imposed the additional requirement on May 28 for all Chinese nationals applying for the said visa in any Philippine embassy or consulate.

“The additional visa requirement is part of the DFA’s continuing efforts to enhance its visa policies and regulations for the safe and efficient entry of foreign visitors,” the agency said in a statement dated June 13.

The certificate must be registered for at least six months at the time of the submission of the visa application.

Exceptions to this visa requirement will only apply to Chinese nationals currently enrolled in primary, secondary, or college education who will be required to submit proof of enrollment, and retirees above 55 years old.

Other exceptions to the requirement, meanwhile, would only be considered on a case-by-case basis, the DFA said.

The foreign service circular was signed on May 28, effective immediately, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza told the Philippine News Agency.

The DFA first announced it was mulling this additional requirement on May 9 after catching a number of visa applicants submitting fake documents, particularly from the China side.

In a recent presser, DFA Undersecretary Jesus Domingo said the same measure of requiring this document has been done by other embassies in China.