GOVPH

1. Special Study Permit (SSP) – for foreign nationals who wish to take up short-term courses such as English language training

   Vietnamese students who wish to take up short-term courses in the Philippines are advised to first obtain Temporary Visitors Visa (please refer to the Visa section for information on the requirements) valid for 59 days at the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi prior to traveling to the Philippines. This Temporary Visitor’s Visa will be converted into SSP by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration in Manila. The Philippine school will be the one to endorse the application for SSP to the Bureau of Immigration. The school will assist Vietnamese students in complying with the requirements for an SSP.

   The SSP’s validity is the same as the training duration.

2. Student Visa – for foreign students who wish to take up degree courses at Philippine universities

   There are two ways to obtain the Student Visa:

   1. If the Vietnamese student is already in Manila (for example: he/she wishes to enroll in a masters program after his/her short-term English language program). The Philippine school can endorse the application for visa conversion (from SSP to Student Visa) at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration. The Philippine school will assist the Vietnamese students with the procedures and requirements.

   2. If the Vietnamese Student is still in Vietnam and he/she will travel to the Philippines before the start of classes. The Vietnamese student has to submit the required documents to the Philippine school. The Philippine school in turn will endorse the application to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs will authorize the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi to issue the Student Visa.

   The Philippine Embassy will require the Vietnamese student to appear personally at the Embassy and submit the required documents (in addition to the documents he/she sent to the school) prior to the issuance of the Student Visa.

The Student Visa is initially valid for one (1) year. Visa extension is done at the Bureau of Immigration in Manila with the assistance and endorsement of the Philippine school.

For information on the required documents, click on the link to the “Procedures and Requirements for Obtaining a Philippine Student Visa and Special Study Permit” in the “Studying in the Philippines” main page. The brochure is available in English and Vietnamese languages. For further queries, you may call the Consular Section at +844 3943 7873 extension 114.