Philippine Immigration for Foreign English Students!

All foreigners who wish to come to the Philippines for English study need to understand a few details about visas and other immigration expenses. Here is a basic list of current requirements (as of June 2024).

A NOTE ABOUT VISAS

All foreign nationals must have a visa to enter the country. Some countries are required to get a visa from a Philippine consular office or embassy prior to departure, but travelers from many countries only need a round-trip ticket out of the Philippines and they can get a FREE 30-Day visa at the airport when they arrive.

You can click here to go to the Philippine government website where you can see what the visa requirements are for your country.

If the student stays longer than the 30-Day FREE visa, they will have to get visa extensions for the duration of their study in the country.

Each month of extension will cost about US$ 70.00.

The SPECIAL STUDY PERMIT (SSP)

For travelers coming only for tourism, the visa is all they need. However, if the traveler is coming to study English, it is a little more complicated.

All arriving travelers who want to study English must get a Special Study Permit (SSP) after they arrive at their school. The SSP allows the student to study English at that school for a period of up to six (6) months.

If the student wants to extend their stay at their school beyond six months, they must pay for a new SSP.

Also, please understand that the SSP is "school-specific." This means that if the student receives an SSP at a certain school and then decides to transfer to a different school, even if the transfer is within the first six months of the original SSP, they must get a new SSP to study at the new school.

The SSP costs about US$ 120.00 and each English student, regardless of their age, must have an SSP.

The ALIEN CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION (ICARD)

When applying for the SSP, each student must also pay the fee for an Alien Certificate of Registration (ICARD). The ICARD will cost US$ 50.00.

Aside from the ICARD fee being paid with the SSP, all students who apply for a second visa extension will have to pay an additional US$ 50.00 for another ICARD fee.

IMMIGRATION SUMMARY

This means that if you are a foreign traveler coming to the Philippines to study Engish, in addition to your plane ticket, school tuition, and housing, even though you might receive a "FREE 30-Day Visa" when you arrive at the airport, you will be required to pay about US$ 170.00 for various immigration fees. Here at ETHOS, we have an Immigration officer. She will collect your passport, application papers, and money for your fees, and process your requirements for you.

We will process all your immigration needs without any service fees. You will pay only the amounts printed on the Immigration fee receipts. We will however, ask that you pay the transportation cost for our ETHOS representative to go to the immigration office for you so that you don't have to go!

Therefore, if you are planning to come study English in the Philippines, regardless of the school, you need to ask the school if these immigration fees are included in their price quotation for your study package. Here at ETHOS, these immigration fees are NOT included in our price quotastions. You will need to bring additional funds with you to pay for your SSP, ICARD, and visa extension fees while you are studying here at ETHOS.

VERY IMPORTANT: BEFORE YOU TRAVEL to CEBU

One final note about your trip and immigration. All foreign travelers to the Philippines, regardless of the purpose of their trip, must complete the online eTravel registration within the 72 hours before their departure for the Philippines.

To accomplish this, simply go here and follow instructions.

It is best if you download the eTravel app and then use the app on your phone for the registration. If registration is successful, you will be given a special QR code screen, which you can save as a picture on your phone. You will need to show this special screen when you pass through immigration at the airport when you arrive.

Need more information?

Thank you for visiting our website! If you would like more information about something, CLICK HERE to submit an email form. You should receive a response from us within 24 hours.

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You can translate our site here:

Want a FREE 2-WEEK Christmas Vacation?

If you book a study that starts in October, November or December, and the study extends at least two (2) weeks into January of 2025, we will give you two weeks of FREE housing in our dormitory.
We close ETHOS for the final 2 weeks of each year so our staff can have a Christmas vacation with their families. During that time when there are no classes, you can go to the beach, have a tropical vacation in the middle of winter, and not have to worry about the cost of a hotel!

This is our entrance!

We have a modern facility!

We have small classes.

Maximum of 6 students!

More classrooms upstairs.

We have a large library and student lounge.

Where we have our graduations!

Comments from our students:

“It was so much fun and I’m glad I chose Ethos. My pronunciation has greatly improved and I made a lot of Filipino friends. With the study abroad plan I can work in a hotel in Australia and I think it is fascinating. I had fun when I went out to eat BBQ with the teachers and students and it tastes good. I enjoyed talking about various things. I got to eat chocolate cake when there is a celebration or everyone’s birthday. I was very happy when I passed the interview for working holiday and we celebrated.” - M Shimakawa (Japan - studying English)

“I used Google maps and analyzed all English schools in Cebu. ETHOS had English native speakers, English culture and traditions, perfect studying conditions, American pronunciation, safe area, two big malls nearby, common meetings. I am totally satisfied. Pronunciation and reading lessons were more than I expected. I improved my writing. The Bible elective classes were high level and I regret that I didn’t attend them more often. I stayed in the dorm and it was the best one that I have ever stayed at. Modern, clean, and fully packed, comfortable two floor house with any item you might need just a minute from the school. What could be better? Perfect 100%.” - O Davidova (Russia - studying English)

“I enjoyed talking with my teachers’ every day and went on a trip with everyone. It’s cheaper than going to America since American teachers can teach you English. It was so much fun and the day ended too soon!” - R Hashino (Japan - studying English)

“A friend introduced me to ETHOS. I chose this school because it’s all American. The learning atmosphere at ETHOS is very good. The students are very well taken care of by ETHOS. I felt good, they took good care of me. I liked the Home Stay feeling very much.” - J Tsai (Taiwan - studying English)

“When I searched the internet for studying abroad in Cebu, I found a blog and found out about Ethos. I was able to learn English from native speakers, I had Home Stay housing in an American teacher’s home. I was able to talk to a native speaker every day, which really helped me learn a lot. I had an experience I will never forget. I’m really glad I came. Thank you very much.” - S Endo (Japan - studying English)

“It was really fun to be taught by Americans and being able to Home Stay in an American home. The teachers and Filipino staff were friendly and the overseas students who came were all serious and kind, so I felt like we had been together for a long time even though I only had two weeks.” - Y Sato (Japan - studyng English)

“The teachers really taught me thoroughly so I tried hard and did my best. I was able to go out to eat a lot with my fellow overseas students. I had a lot of fun with the American teachers’ kids and I enjoyed spending time with my neighbors.” - S Tamura (Japan - studying English)

“Actually, I really wanted to go to America but if I didn’t have the money and could study with Americans in Cebu, I thought it would be okay to go to Cebu without going to America. It was really fun! I’m really glad I made it to Ethos. I’m very happy that the teachers treated me as their own family. The daily lessons were very fun that four months passed by just like that.” - Y Okamura (Japan - studying English)

“I worried about the peace and order of the Philippines. Could I make it through graduation with my English knowledge? I had Home Stay and I enjoyed every day. It was a very fun 13 weeks! And I was able to make a lot of good memories with the intern. We always had fun every day!” - M Fujimoto (Japan - studying English)

ETHOS Language School