🇵🇭 the Philippines · employment and family status
Work permits and working in the Philippines
The Philippines makes the residence-versus-work distinction unusually clear: an Alien Certificate of Registration records immigration status, while an Alien Employment Permit addresses employment. Many local jobs also need a 9(g) work visa and regulated professions require another approval again.
Last verified 10 September 2026
The short answer
What permission does a family need to arrange?
A foreign national taking long-term local employment will commonly need a Department of Labor and Employment Alien Employment Permit (AEP) and Bureau of Immigration 9(g) status, unless a defined exemption or exclusion applies. Since 9 June 2026, AEP processing has been centralised at DOLE's Central Office, so older regional filing instructions need rechecking.
Four separate checks
A residence document is only the first layer
Work through these in order for each adult. A positive answer at one level does not fill a gap at the next.
Employer-sponsored work
How the usual local-employment route works
The employer should own the process, explain it clearly and give the worker copies of every approval.
- 01
Employer
Confirm the role and labour-market step
The employer checks whether an AEP, certificate of exemption or certificate of exclusion applies and completes the current vacancy-publication and labour-market requirements.
- 02
Employer-led
File through the current DOLE channel
Use Department Order 248 as amended and the centralised process effective from 9 June 2026—not an older regional-office checklist.
- 03
Employer + worker
Coordinate immigration permission
For applicable long-term employment, align the AEP with the Bureau of Immigration 9(g) process and any provisional authority required before final approval.
- 04
Employer + professional
Add professional approval where needed
A regulated professional must obtain the relevant PRC Special Temporary Permit before practising, even if the employment and immigration pieces are ready.
Match permission to the real activity
Six working arrangements families often ask about
Job titles alone are not enough. The employer, clients, place of work and day-to-day duties all affect the answer.
AEP and work visa usually
Job with a Philippine employer
The employer coordinates the DOLE employment-permit and Bureau of Immigration status for the named role, subject to any formal exemption or exclusion.
Check the exact short-term route
Short assignment or temporary work
A Special Work Permit or provisional route may apply in limited cases; neither is a casual alternative to the long-term process.
Verify the live immigration framework
Remote work for an overseas employer
An overseas payslip does not authorise local employment or settle Philippine tax. Do not assume a policy announcement equals an open application route.
Local activity needs full review
Freelance or consulting
Philippine clients, independent services and work through a foreign company can raise immigration, business-registration and tax issues.
No automatic AEP
Spouse on derivative 9(g) status
A spouse may be included as a dependant in the immigration petition, but their own gainful employment requires a separate work-authorisation analysis.
Special Temporary Permit
PRC-regulated profession
PRC says a foreign national must secure an STP before any full-time, part-time, temporary or occasional practice of a regulated profession.
Spouses and dependants
Living together does not mean sharing work permission
A 9(g) petition can include an eligible spouse and unmarried children under 21 for immigration purposes, but derivative status should not be read as the spouse's employment permit. DOLE assesses the spouse's own job and any AEP, exemption or exclusion separately.
Plan it early: If the spouse plans to work, ask the second employer to confirm the DOLE and Bureau of Immigration sequence before the offer becomes unconditional. Check whether the family's derivative status should remain linked to the first job.
Working for an overseas employer
Remote work still needs a legal route
The Philippines announced a digital-nomad framework in 2025, but families should rely only on a live DFA or Bureau of Immigration application route and its final conditions. Until the exact status is verified, visitor or family permission should not be described as permission for remote work. Physical work in the Philippines can also affect tax and employer obligations.
What to prepare
Check the DFA and Bureau of Immigration immediately before applying. Ask the overseas employer to approve the arrangement and assess payroll, tax and corporate presence; keep contracts, workdays, client locations and evidence of foreign remuneration.
Self-employment and business activity
Owning a business and working in it are different questions
Starting or buying a business requires the correct SEC or DTI registration, beneficial-ownership records, local permits, tax registration and compliance with foreign-ownership limits. The owner still needs lawful immigration and work authority for the duties they perform.
- Allowed foreign ownership for the exact activity
- SEC or DTI registration and current beneficial-ownership filings
- Local mayor's/business permits and sector licences
- The founder's AEP exemption/exclusion or permit and immigration route
- BIR registration, books, invoices, payroll and withholding
Regulated work
Check professional licensing before accepting the role
The Professional Regulation Commission stated again in April 2026 that foreign nationals must obtain an STP before practising a regulated profession, whether the work is full-time, part-time, temporary or occasional. The permit is specific to its profession, period, place and scope.
Find the relevant Professional Regulatory Board
Check the STP category for the proposed engagement
Prepare proof of lawful qualification in the home country
Complete authentication or apostille requirements
Verify the issued STP on the PRC site before practice begins
Employer, payroll and tax
What a prepared employer should be able to explain
The worker should not be left to join separate immigration, payroll and tax instructions after arrival.
Use the centralised 2026 process
Since 9 June 2026, DOLE says its Central Office handles AEP processing and issuance; confirm the current digital and document route.
Complete the labour-market test
Follow Department Order 248 as amended for vacancy publication and supporting evidence rather than relying on an older summary.
Report worker changes
The rules require reports on foreign workers and timely notice of material changes, including resignation or separation.
Run payroll and contributions
Register and withhold compensation tax through BIR and assess SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG coverage for the employee and employer.
Important: A work permit is not a tax ruling. Where duties are performed, days present, who pays and which entity receives the benefit can all matter.
If the job changes or ends
Plan the exit before the first day of work
A job-linked permission can affect the worker, the employer and family members whose residence depends on the principal.
- 1Employer + worker
Record the employment end
Agree final duties, notice, pay, benefits and the last day on which the foreign national performs services.
- 2Employer
Report separation to DOLE
Department Order 248 includes resignation or separation among material changes the employer must report within the prescribed period.
- 3Employer + family
Cancel or downgrade immigration status
Coordinate the AEP outcome with 9(g) downgrading or cancellation and the position of derivative spouse and child status.
- 4Payroll + worker
Collect final compliance records
Keep the AEP and visa closure documents, final payslips, BIR withholding certificate and contribution records for the next filing or employer.
Prepare before moving
Build one clear work-permission file
Check the live application list before legalising or translating documents. Authorities can set issue-date, format and authentication rules.
Identity and family
- Passport, current visa and Alien Certificate of Registration records
- Marriage and birth certificates for derivative family applications
- Recent photographs and current Philippine address
- Copies of prior immigration orders, receipts and clearances
Role and professional evidence
- Signed employment contract or appointment
- Detailed job description, workplace and salary
- Qualifications, CV and employment references
- PRC STP or other sector approval where required
Employer process
- Vacancy-publication and labour-market evidence
- AEP, exemption or exclusion application reference
- 9(g) petition and any provisional-work authority
- One calendar for AEP, visa, family, tax and reporting dates
High-change information
Recheck before anyone starts work
SettleHappy verified this guide on 10 September 2026. We schedule a full review every 90 days and bring it forward after a material official announcement. An application should still use the live authority pages on the day it is prepared.
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Common questions
Questions about work permits and working in the Philippines
Does a residence visa let me work in the Philippines?
Not automatically. Immigration permission to stay and legal permission to perform a particular job or business activity are separate questions. Some routes combine them, some require an additional permit, and family or visitor status usually needs a separate work check.
Can my spouse work on a dependant pass?
Do not assume so. A dependant may need their own employer-sponsored status, work permit or formal variation before starting. Ask the employer to identify the exact authority, category and approval in writing—not simply say that the family visa is valid.
Does being paid overseas mean local work rules do not apply?
No. Authorities can look at where the person is physically working, who benefits from the work and what the immigration category permits. Overseas payroll also does not settle personal tax, employer payroll, social-security or corporate-presence questions.
Can I invoice clients or run my own company?
Only after checking both the person's activity and the business vehicle. Company registration, foreign-ownership approval and immigration permission solve different parts of the problem. Owning shares does not automatically authorise day-to-day work for the company.
Do professional qualifications transfer automatically?
Usually not for regulated work. Healthcare, education, engineering, architecture, law, accountancy and other professions may require recognition, registration, a temporary permit or local-language evidence before work authorisation can be completed.
Who should pay government work-permit costs?
Ask the employer to set out government fees, required employer contributions, professional fees and any lawful employee costs separately. Do not pay an intermediary against a vague promise of a job or permit, and obtain receipts from the official process.
What should happen if my employment ends?
The employer and worker may both have time-sensitive notification, cancellation, tax-clearance and immigration steps. Linked family status may also be affected. Ask for the exit sequence before signing the contract, not during the final week of employment.
How often should I recheck this information?
SettleHappy reviews these pages every 90 days and after major official announcements. You should still verify the live rules when an offer is made, before an application is filed and again before anyone starts work, because procedures can change between editorial reviews.
Is an ACR card the same as permission to work?
No. DOLE's June 2026 reminder describes the distinction plainly: the ACR relates to residence, while the AEP relates to work. The job may also need the correct Bureau of Immigration work status.
Where are AEP applications handled in 2026?
DOLE announced that processing, evaluation and issuance moved to its Central Office from 9 June 2026. Because forms and instructions from regional pages can remain online, confirm the live AEP Management System process before filing.
Can a foreign doctor, teacher or engineer start once the AEP is approved?
Not necessarily. For a PRC-regulated profession, the foreign professional needs the appropriate Special Temporary Permit before practising. Other sectors can have additional regulator or accreditation requirements.