🇵🇭 Philippines
Visa-free for 30 days, with a compulsory eTravel registration.
The Philippines gives Australians 30 days visa-free, extendable in-country. The one piece of admin is eTravel — a free registration that must be done within 72 hours of departure and is checked at check-in. Regional travel advice varies significantly across the country, so read Smartraveller by region, not nationally.
Your Philippines trip setup
21 things Australians need to sort. Tick them off as you go.
Entry requirements
Visa-freeUp to 30 days View detailsConnectivity
Compare 8 plansFrom $6.50 Compare eSIMsTravel insurance
Compare 5 policysFrom $20.90 Compare insuranceMoney & payments
Compare 5 cards0.43% – 0.65% conversion fee Compare cardsAirport transfer
MNL → ManilaFrom $8 Compare optionsDriving
AU licence OKDrives on the right Compare car hireTravel essentials
Adapter type A/B/CTap water: not safe to drink View guideThings to do
Compare 5 experiencesFrom $30 Explore activitiesPhilippines at a glance for Australians
Best time to visit
December – April (dry season)
Typhoon season runs roughly June – November and mostly affects the east and north.
8h 30m from Sydney (direct)
Health & safety
Smartraveller: Exercise a high degree of caution — higher levels apply in parts of Mindanao
No reciprocal agreement. Facilities outside Manila and Cebu are limited; serious cases are often evacuated to Singapore or Australia.
Emergency: 911
Money
Malls, hotels and chains take cards. Islands, markets, tricycles and small resorts are cash.
Common in cities, scarce on smaller islands. Most charge a ₱250 (about AUD $7) foreign card fee and cap withdrawals at ₱10,000.
Tipping: Appreciated and increasingly expected in tourism. 10% at restaurants if no service charge; ₱50 – ₱100 for porters and drivers.
Language & culture
Filipino and English (both official)
English: Very widely spoken
Capital: Manila
Australian dollar to Philippine peso
₱44.1 PHP per AUD
Last recorded rate
These are mid-market rates — the rate banks trade at, published by the European Central Bank. It is not what you will be offered. Expect a card or exchange service to take 0.5% to 5% off it, which is exactly what our travel money comparison is for. Past movement doesn't predict future rates, and none of this is financial advice.
View the numbers as a table
Where Australians go in Philippines
Manila
Cebu
Boracay
Palawan
Siargao
Philippines FAQs for Australian travellers
Do Australians need a visa for the Philippines?
No. Australian passport holders get 30 days visa-free, extendable at a Bureau of Immigration office. You must complete the free eTravel registration within 72 hours before you arrive.
Is eTravel free for the Philippines?
Yes. Register at the official etravel.gov.ph site — it's free and takes a few minutes. Save the QR code, because airlines check it at Australian check-in.
Do I need proof of onward travel for the Philippines?
Yes, and it's genuinely enforced. Airlines routinely refuse boarding in Australia without a confirmed onward ticket departing within your 30-day visa-free period.
What adapter do I need for the Philippines?
A Type A adapter — flat American-style pins. The unusual part is the voltage: 220V with American-style plugs, so your Australian chargers work electrically but the plug won't fit.
Is travel insurance valid everywhere in the Philippines?
Not necessarily. Smartraveller advises against travel to parts of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, and most Australian policies exclude cover in 'do not travel' areas. Check the regional advice for your specific islands.
Watching Philippines?
We'll email you if the visa, arrival card or entry fee rules change for Australian passport holders travelling to Philippines.