Obtaining a work visa for the Philippines can be a complex process. There are a number of documents you will need to have prepared. Fortunately, since 2019, the Hague Convention on the Apostille has been in force in the Philippines. This means that double-certification is no longer necessary and the process of legalisation for British documents is a simple matter of obtaining an apostille.
Once you have an offer of employment from a company in the Philippines or have obtained permission to establish a business there, the first thing you will want to do is apply for an Alien Employment Permit (AEP). The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) issues AEPs. They provide initial authorisation for foreigners to work in the Philippines. AEPs are not guaranteed, even if all information and documentation is submitted correctly; because the Philippines has a policy for preferential use of Filipino labour [1], foreigners will only be granted permission to fill a role if that role cannot be filled by any suitably qualified, available, and willing Filipino national.
Provided you obtain an AEP, this will form part of your visa application. Other necessary documents include:
- Passport photocopies,
- Income Tax Return (ITR) photocopy,
- Notarised application form,
As well as, for corporations:
- Certificate of Registration from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
- Certificate of Registration from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),
- Articles of incorporation,
- Notarised certification stating number of foreign and Filipino employees.
You may also need to present other documents for employment purposes. For example, criminal records checks (Police Certificates or DBS), degree certificates, marriage certificates and birth certificates. These, along with the corporate documents listed above, will likely require apostilles. Some of them will also require certification or notarisation. As a general rule, any document that is not an original or duplicate version issued by an official body and bearing an original signature will likely require certification or notarisation before legalisation. Hence, if you are submitting copies of your documents rather than originals, you may need to have them certified first.
As mentioned above, the Philippines work visa application forms, including the certification of the number of employees if you are applying as a corporation, require notarisation. There is often some overlap between the functions of certification by a solicitor or notarisation. In this instance, it is not possible to substitute one for the other/ You must ensure that these forms are signed by a recognised, UK notary public, not by a solicitor. For more on the differences between certification and notarisation, see our article Solicitor Certification vs. Notarisation.
At Pardus Bloom, we have ample experience arranging the notarisation and legalisation of both personal and commercial documents. We are happy to help with any processes you may need in the run-up to your visa application and we can have everything done in good time – with our express option, we can have your documents notarised, apostilled and back to you all in the same day, or next day should you wish to have your documents returned by special delivery, which we offer for no extra fee as part of our service.