Beta Test of Philippine e-Visa Begins in New Delhi, First Indian e-Visa Traveler Arrives in PH
Philippine Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio interacts with visa applicants during the beta testing for the new Philippine e-Visa system. (New Delhi PE photos)
NEW DELHI 16 April 2024 — The Philippine Embassy in Delhi commenced beta testing of the Philippine e-Visa System for Indian nationals on 05 April 2024. The Philippine e-Visa system is a joint project of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
A prelude to eventual full implementation, the ongoing beta test is geared towards evaluating system features and performance and applicant experience. Observations and findings are then reported to the DFA and DICT, for system finetuning.
The e-Visa beta test:
- Yields legitimate and valid 9(a) temporary visitors visas for travel to the Philippines.
- Currently requires applications to be processed and evaluated on-site. Accordingly, e-visa beta test applicants are required prior appointments to visit the embassy to access the system.
Since 05 April, the Embassy's Consular Section has already assisted several Indian e-Visa applicants, taking the opportunity to take note of client feedback and system performance. Overall, the Indian applicants described their application experience to be positive.
First Indian e-Visa holder travels to Manila
On 13 April, businesswoman Tarina Sardana made history when she became the very first Indian e-Visa bearer to travel to the Philippines. Using her e-Visa, she cleared check-in and immigration at Indira Gandhi International Airport without difficulty and arrived in Manila later the same day.
On hand to observe the first use of the e-Visa were Vice Consul Mark Anthony P. Dizon, Jose Elpidio B. Espinosa Jr., Rogelio B. Silva, Jr. and Rina Isabel P. De Chavez.
“Using the new Philippine e-Visa has been smooth”, Ms. Sardana remarked happily after clearing airport pre-departure formalities.
The e-Visa beta test and the first successful e-Visa use by an Indian traveler mark an important milestone in Philippine consular services and in fostering travel and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and India. The eventual full implementation of the e-Visa system is seen to further expand Indian tourism and business flow into the Philippines. END
The Consular Team assisting the first group of Indian applicants for the Philippine e-Visa on Day 1 of the Beta Test. (New Delhi PE photos)
Vice Consul Mark Anthony P. Dizon and Embassy personnel send off India’s first Philippine e-Visa traveler, Ms. Sardana, at Delhi airport. (New Delhi PE photos)
For more information, visit https://www.newdelhipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/Philippine-Embassy-in-India-348528665275556/.