MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of e-visa applications in China.
In an advisory dated Nov. 30, the DFA said the operations of its Philippine e-Visa System in China will be temporarily suspended “until further notice”.
“Visa applicants in China are advised to contact the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate by visiting the Directory at https://dfa.gov.ph/about/dfa-directory/our-foreign-service-posts-dfa in lodging their applications and for further inquiries,” it said.
The agency started the e-visa beta testing with Chinese tourists in Shanghai, China in August.
Last Nov. 13, the agency said it expanded the test to all its seven foreign service posts in China as it prepares to include India before the end of the year.
Based on DFA’s latest data, its embassy and consulates across China have issued a total of 1,739 Philippine e-Visas from Aug. 24 to Nov. 6.
During this period, the DFA said it gathered that the "e-Visa applicants can navigate the e-Visa system with general ease, and received the necessary support for minor technical difficulties".
At that time, it said refinements to the system were being deployed with the assistance of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
The DFA has yet to respond when asked about the reason behind the suspension. (PNA)
