Studying in the Philippines

What a year costs

Tuition varies enormously between public and private institutions, and each sets its own fees. The University of the Philippines Diliman, the national university's main campus, publishes these rates for international degree students:

• Undergraduate tuition: PHP 1,500 per unit, plus PHP 2,000 miscellaneous fees
• Graduate tuition: PHP 300-2,500 per unit, plus PHP 1,415 miscellaneous fees
• Educational development fee: US$300-500

Multiply the per-unit rate by the units in your programme's semester plan to get your real tuition figure, then add the fixed fees. Private universities, and especially private medical schools, charge far more: get the full schedule, including laboratory and miscellaneous fees, from the school.

Living costs. UP Diliman's estimates for students on campus:

• Dormitory: PHP 3,000-6,000 a month
• Food: about PHP 210 a day, around PHP 6,300 a month
• Hygiene and personal items: PHP 300-500 a month
• Transport: PHP 9-400 a ride, depending on the mode

Private rentals in Metro Manila business districts cost many times a university dormitory. Your total budget depends mostly on where you live.

Immigration costs recur. Your student visa must be extended as long as you study, and you pay an Annual Report fee each year, so budget for Bureau of Immigration fees every year, not only on arrival.

The visa

Who needs what. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) requires a 9(f) student visa for any foreign national aged 18 or over taking a course higher than high school. Students who do not qualify for a 9(f), including those under 18 and those on short or non-degree courses, use a Special Study Permit (SSP) instead. Only BI-accredited schools may enrol foreign students.

Applying from abroad. Most students apply at a Philippine embassy or consulate in their country of origin or residence. The Los Angeles consulate charges US$250 and asks for:

• the visa application form and a personal history statement
• the Notice of Acceptance from your school, and a Certificate of Eligibility for Admission where required
• a notarised medical health certificate with laboratory reports (urinalysis, stool and blood tests) and a chest x-ray
• a police clearance certificate
• a passport valid for at least six months and six recent photos

Fees and document lists vary by post, so use your own embassy's page.

The money. The Philippines sets no fixed national amount. The rule is that you must have "sufficient means for [your] education and support". Your school or the consulate decides what evidence is enough, typically bank statements or a notarised affidavit of support from a sponsor.

Converting inside the Philippines. The BI also processes conversion to a 9(f) at its main office and authorised offices. Its published fees are PHP 9,720 for the initial conversion, which includes your ACR I-Card, and PHP 4,020 for each extension. The BI's own page says these fees are "updated as of 06 March 2014 and may change without prior notice", so confirm the current amount at the office before you go. The SSP costs PHP 5,240 plus US$50 for the I-Card on the same dated schedule.

The ACR I-Card and the Annual Report. Registered foreign nationals, including students, hold an Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card and must report to the BI within the first 60 days of each calendar year: for 2026, the window was 1 January to 1 March. Failing to report can lead to fines or prosecution, and you must settle outstanding Annual Report obligations before you can get the clearance needed to leave the country.

Working while you study

You have no general right to work on a 9(f) visa. There is no student allowance of a set number of hours. Any paid work requires a work authorisation sponsored by a Philippine employer:

• an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment, for work of a year or more
• a Special Work Permit (SWP) from the BI, for short-term assignments of up to six months

Both require an employer, and neither is designed for casual part-time student jobs. Budget on the assumption that you will not earn money in the Philippines while you study.

After you graduate

There is no post-study work visa or job-seeking stay. Your 9(f) is tied to enrolment. To remain and work, you need an employer to sponsor an AEP and the matching work visa. Otherwise, plan to leave, or change to another visa category you qualify for, before your student visa ends.

If you studied a regulated profession such as medicine or nursing, check separately whether you can sit Philippine licensing examinations as a foreign national, and whether your home country's regulator recognises the degree.

Language

English is the main language of teaching in Philippine universities, and in government, business and the courts. Universities set their own English entry requirements; check the programme page for any IELTS or TOEFL score.

Filipino and regional languages dominate daily life outside formal settings, but you can manage day to day in English in most cities, which is one reason the country is popular for English-language study.

When to apply

Universities set their own academic calendars and admission deadlines, and they differ between institutions. Check the calendar of your chosen school before planning travel.

Build in time for the visa file. The medical tests, chest x-ray and police clearance each take time to obtain, and the medical certificate must be notarised. Apply for the visa as soon as you have your Notice of Acceptance, and allow for several weeks of consular processing.

If you are converting to a 9(f) after arrival, find out from your school's international office exactly what you may do while the conversion is pending, and keep your temporary stay valid throughout.

What to watch out for

Accreditation. Only BI-accredited schools can enrol foreign students, and all higher education institutions are supervised by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Before paying anything, check both that the school is accredited to take foreign students and that the specific programme holds CHED recognition.

Scrutiny of student visas. In April 2024 the BI stated that foreign students may be subject to checks by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation under Executive Order 285 of 2000, after it found that only about 400 of 1,516 students granted visas in Cagayan in 2023 were physically present. Schools must file regular compliance reports with the BI, CHED and NICA. Attend in person, and be wary of any programme offering a student visa with mostly remote study.

Out-of-date fee schedules. The BI's published student visa fees are dated 2014. Take enough money to cover a higher amount, and confirm at the office.

The Annual Report. It is easy to forget in your second and later years. Missing the 1 January to 1 March window leads to penalties and can delay your departure.

Agents promising work. Any offer combining study with paid work, without an employer-sponsored AEP or SWP, is offering something the rules do not allow.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it, and note that the Bureau of Immigration's own fee schedule for student visas is dated March 2014.