Philippines

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	Visa-free 30 days (per gov.uk and Wikipedia Visa policy of the Philippines, 2026), extendable via the Bureau of Immigration in increments (1, 2 or 6 months) up to a total of 36 months from most recent arrival.
us passport	Visa-free 30 days, same extension regime as above.
uk passport	Visa-free 30 days per gov.uk (2026): 'UK citizens can enter visa-free for tourism or business for up to 30 days.' (Note: a Wikipedia extraction separately returned '7 days' tied to 'British Nationals (Overseas)' passport holders specifically, not standard UK passports - treated as a contradiction/parsing artifact, see below.)
entry or eco taxes	Manila (NAIA) airport: no departure tax currently per gov.uk. Cebu Mactan airport: PHP 850 (or USD equivalent) departure fee (2026, gov.uk).
digital nomad visa	None found - gov.uk entry-requirements content contained no mention of a dedicated digital nomad visa for the Philippines.
notes	All visitors must register on the Philippines' e-Travel system within 72 hours before arrival and show the resulting QR code at the airport; proof of return/onward travel expected. Passport valid 6+ months beyond arrival. Currency import cap: max PHP 50,000 cash brought in; foreign currency over USD 10,000 must be declared.

Money

currency	Philippine Peso (PHP).
local instant payment	GCash (Globe Fintech) and PayMaya/Maya are the dominant e-wallets; InstaPay/PESONet are the interbank instant-transfer rails. GCash officially supports international/foreign-issued cards for top-up and its physical GCash Card works in 200+ countries per its own marketing, but full local wallet registration (to receive/send P2P) is understood to require a Philippine mobile number and ID verification - whether a short-term tourist can complete this easily was not confirmed this session.
scams	Fake or dishonest taxi drivers; gov.uk: 'Some taxi drivers and their accomplices have robbed and harmed passengers' - use reputable/metered taxis or ride-hailing apps. Methanol poisoning incidents in adulterated alcoholic drinks reported at popular tourist destinations (gov.uk). Armed hold-ups on jeepneys/buses reported, particularly in Manila and other large cities.

SIM & internet

id required for sim	The Philippines' SIM Registration Act (Republic Act No. 11934, signed 2022) requires SIM registration with valid ID; general market knowledge (not independently re-verified this session) holds this applies to tourist SIM purchases as well, using a passport, typically at point of sale or via an online portal within a set window or the SIM is deactivated.
notes	General market knowledge (unverified this session): Globe Telecom, Smart Communications (PLDT) and DITO are the three national operators; Globe and Smart are generally reported as the stronger networks on outer islands relevant to kite spots (Siargao, Boracay, Cuyo/Palawan area).

Insurance

recommended	gov.uk stresses comprehensive travel insurance; intensive care in the Philippines can exceed GBP 1,000/day.
evacuation note	gov.uk: 'The availability of medical care varies across the Philippines and may not meet the standards of care in the UK, particularly in rural and remote areas' - directly relevant to island kite spots like Siargao, Cuyo and Daet.

Health

vaccines	CDC (2026): routine vaccines (MMR, DTaP, flu, polio, varicella) plus Hepatitis A/B for unvaccinated travelers, Typhoid for most travelers, Japanese Encephalitis for extended rural stays, Chikungunya vaccine consideration for 6+ month stays, up-to-date COVID-19 status, and pre-exposure rabies vaccination discussion recommended for outdoor activities; gov.uk separately flags yellow fever and polio certificates as required if arriving from designated risk countries.
mosquito disease seasons	gov.uk: dengue risk is year-round but intensifies in the rainy season (June-October); CDC also flags elevated chikungunya risk nationally. CDC malaria data: malaria transmission risk exists in Palawan and Mindanao (relevant to the Cuyo area, which sits in the Palawan/Cuyo island group) but NOT in Boracay, Siargao, or Camarines Norte (Daet) - no malaria prophylaxis needed for those three destinations per CDC, but consider it for Cuyo/Palawan region.
emergency numbers	911, ask for an ambulance (gov.uk).
hospital standard	gov.uk: care 'may not meet the standards of care in the UK, particularly in rural and remote areas' - most kite destinations in this batch (Cuyo, Daet, Siargao) qualify as rural/remote relative to Manila/Cebu.
pharmacy notes	CDC warns of counterfeit rabies vaccines circulating - obtain vaccines only from authorized facilities.

Driving

road safety	gov.uk: 'Accidents happen frequently, mainly due to poor road conditions, dangerous driving and non-enforcement of traffic laws.' Avoid night travel where possible; extra caution around motorbikes.

Regulation

protected areas	Boracay's Bulabog Beach is the designated kite/watersports beach (separated from the calmer White Beach used for swimming) - this is widely reported in kite travel guides, but this session could not pull a primary-source citation confirming current zoning rules or any seasonal closures; flagged as open question.
other	FCDO (gov.uk) advises against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago due to terrorism/military clashes; Siargao is explicitly carved out as an exception to that advisory, i.e. Siargao itself is not covered by the 'avoid' zone. gov.uk also notes sexual assault reports at backpacker-popular locations 'including Coron and Siargao.'

Calendar & costs

currency	PHP

Wikipedia's Visa policy of the Philippines page, as extracted this session, listed UK visa-free stay as '7 days' but attributed that to 'British Nationals (Overseas)' passport holders specifically - this conflicts with gov.uk's clear 2026 statement that standard UK citizens get 30 days visa-free. Treated as a data-extraction artifact; 30 days (gov.uk) is the reliable figure for ordinary UK passports.

Open questions

Exact SIM Registration Act (RA 11934) process and timeline for short-stay tourists (which ID, whether passport alone suffices, deactivation window).
Whether GCash/Maya can be practically opened and used by a 1-4 week tourist without a Philippine-issued ID/TIN.
Current, precise Bulabog Beach (Boracay) kite zoning/season rules and any barangay or DENR permit requirements.
Starlink availability/pricing on Siargao, Cuyo and Daet specifically (relevant given inconsistent grid power on smaller islands).
Kite-specific baggage fees for Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirSWIFT on inter-island routes to Siargao, Busuanga (Cuyo access) and Daet-area airports.
Cost-of-living figures (beer, meal, coffee, rent) could not be retrieved this session (Numbeo access was rate-limited).