The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said foreigners who have Filipino spouses and dependents can only enter the Philippines if they have the appropriate visa.
"It is clear from the latest updates from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution 60 that foreigners, including spouses of Philippine citizens, allowed to enter country must have the proper visas prior their arrival in the country," BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.
He said the same requirement applies to children of citizens and children with special needs, regardless of age, as well as to foreign parents of Filipino and children with special needs, also regardless of age.
Morente pointed out that prior to the issuance of said IATF-EID resolution, non-visa required foreign nationals married to Filipinos were indeed allowed to enter the country upon presentation of their marriage certificates.
"But that is no longer the case with the issuance of this latest IATF-EID resolution. Foreign spouses of Filipinos must now secure entry visas from our consulates abroad before traveling to the Philippines," Morente stated.
BI port operation chief Grifton Medina disclosed that pursuant to the said IATF-EID resolution, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a Foreign Service Circular 36 - 2020, last August 3, exempting the said foreigners from the suspension of visa issuance by Philippine Consulates.
Medina, however, clarified that the visa requirement applies only to foreign spouses, dependents and parents of Filipinos who do not have existing visas.
"Those aliens who already hold valid permanent and temporary resident visas which they acquired by reason of marriage to Filipinos under Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act can enter the country anytime," Medina said.
He explained that said aliens don't need to apply for new entry visas, as being immigrants and holders of long-term visas, they already fall in the categories of aliens allowed to enter the country since 01 August 2020.
He added there have been many instances wherein foreign passengers claiming to be spouses of Filipinos were turned back by immigration officers at the airport due to their failure to show proof of marriage.