Select a currency

Search by currency code or name

    Student visa guide

    Philippines student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The 9(f) student visa costs $205 in fees nobody can skip, up to $353 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 5 official sources

    How much does a Philippines student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in the Philippines on the 9(f) student visa costs $205 in fees you cannot skip: Conversion to student visa, all bureau fees ($155) and ACR I-Card ($50). Situational extras (extension of student visa, each later year, special Study Permit instead, for under-18s and non-degree courses and NBI clearance, when filing six months after arrival) add up to $148 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked September 2026.

    9(f) student visa cost breakdown

    Every line the Philippines application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of September 2026.

    Conversion to student visa, all bureau fees$155
    PHP 9,720 in total, the sum the bureau prints on its own fee table Bureau of Immigration: Student Visa (9F)
    ACR I-Card$50
    USD 50 on top of the peso fees, charged at the current exchange rate Bureau of Immigration: Student Visa (9F)
    Mandatory total$205
    What the 9(f) student visa costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Extension of student visa, each later year$64
    PHP 4,020, plus USD 50 again for the card Bureau of Immigration: Student Visa (9F)
    Special Study Permit instead, for under-18s and non-degree courses$84
    PHP 5,240 plus USD 50 for the card, for students who do not qualify for the visa Bureau of Immigration: Special Study Permit
    NBI clearance, when filing six months after arrival$0
    Charged by the National Bureau of Investigation rather than by immigration Bureau of Immigration: Checklist of documentary requirements for conversion to student visa
    If every extra applied$353
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Philippines bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • The bureau's fee table carries its own warning: the amounts were updated on 6 March 2014 and may change without prior notice, so treat them as the published rate rather than a quote.
    • The USD 50 card fee is the only line priced in dollars; everything else is in pesos and moves with the exchange rate.
    • Peso figures convert at USD 1 = PHP 62.78, the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026.

    Philippines student visa requirements and documents checklist

    7 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    A place at a school the Bureau of Immigration has accreditedeveryoneOnly schools accredited by the bureau may accept and enroll foreign students, and only then can the student apply for the visa. A course higher than high school and an age of at least 18 are the other two gates. source
    A joint letter request from the school and from youeveryoneThe file opens with a letter to the Commissioner signed by the school's authorized representative and the applicant, on the school letterhead with its dry seal. source
    A notice of acceptance with the school's dry seal, and a registrar's endorsementeveryoneThe acceptance notice carries a clear impression of the official dry seal, and the School Registrar signs a separate endorsement to the Commissioner asking for the conversion of your status. source
    A CHED certificate of eligibility for medicine or dentistryeveryoneApplicants for medicine or dentistry add a Certificate of Eligibility for Admission from the Commission on Higher Education, and anyone transferring or shifting course adds a CHED endorsement for it. source
    An NBI clearance if you file six months or more after arrivingeveryoneA National Bureau of Investigation clearance is required when the application goes in six months or more after your first arrival in the Philippines. A BI Clearance Certificate is required in every case. source
    Passport pages showing your latest admission and the quarantine stampeveryoneThe checklist asks for photocopies of the bio page, the latest admission with valid authorized stay, and the Bureau of Quarantine stamp, because the conversion starts from a lawful visitor's stay. source
    An ACR I-Card, because your stay will pass 59 dayseveryoneEvery registered alien whose stay exceeds 59 days holds the microchip identity card. The student card is issued in the student category, and the biometrics are captured when the visa file goes in. source

    How to apply for a Philippines student visa

    1. Enter on a temporary visitor's visa and enroll at an accredited school

      The 9(f) is a conversion, not a visa you collect abroad: you arrive as a temporary visitor, the accredited school endorses you, and the Bureau of Immigration converts the status.

      source
    2. File the conversion at the BI main office or another authorized office

      Documents are pre-screened at the Central Receiving Unit or by the frontline officer of an authorized office. Applications can also start through the bureau's eServices portal for student visa conversion.

      source
    3. Pay PHP 9,720 plus USD 50 for the card

      The conversion total breaks down as a PHP 2,000 application fee, PHP 1,000 implementation, PHP 1,000 service, PHP 500 certificate, PHP 1,000 visa fee, PHP 1,400 for the ICR and related certificates, PHP 1,000 alien registration, PHP 250 head tax, PHP 70 legal research and three PHP 500 express fees, with the ACR I-Card charged separately at USD 50.

      source
    4. Give biometrics at the Alien Registration Division

      After paying you submit the receipt and go to the image and fingerprint counter with the second copy of the application form, which is the one that opens the ACR I-Card file.

      source
    5. Watch the website, then hand in the passport for the visa stamp

      Approval is published online rather than mailed. Once it appears you submit the passport for implementation and collect the ACR I-Card when that is approved.

      source
    6. Extend each year for PHP 4,020 plus the card fee

      The extension is a PHP 2,000 extension fee, PHP 500 certificate, PHP 20 legal research and three PHP 500 express fees, plus USD 50 for the card. It involves a hearing, and biometrics are recaptured every five years for applicants aged 11 and over.

      source

    Philippines student visa processing time

    The bureau publishes no fixed decision time for the 9(f). Applicants are told to check the website for approval, and the express fees on the fee table are what buys faster handling of the certification, the filing and the card.

    Bureau of Immigration: Student Visa (9F) · checked September 2026

    Philippines student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    The bureau's guidance ties the student visa to study alone: it is granted to foreign students 18 and over taking a course higher than high school who have sufficient means of support for their education, with no employment right attached. Students below 18 or on non-degree courses take a Special Study Permit instead, which is a permit issued under a visitor's visa rather than a visa.

    sourcecompare all countries
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Philippines student visa fee?
    The 9(f) student visa application charge is $155 (Conversion to student visa, all bureau fees). Add the other mandatory items (ACR I-Card $50) and the all-in mandatory total is $205. Optional extras add up to $148 on top.
    Can you work on a Philippines student visa?
    The bureau's guidance ties the student visa to study alone: it is granted to foreign students 18 and over taking a course higher than high school who have sufficient means of support for their education, with no employment right attached. Students below 18 or on non-degree courses take a Special Study Permit instead, which is a permit issued under a visitor's visa rather than a visa. Source: Bureau of Immigration: Frequently asked questions (September 2026).
    How long does a Philippines student visa take?
    The bureau publishes no fixed decision time for the 9(f). Applicants are told to check the website for approval, and the express fees on the fee table are what buys faster handling of the certification, the filing and the card. Source: Bureau of Immigration: Student Visa (9F) (September 2026).
    What's not included in the 9(f) student visa fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified September 2026.