Country guide · Philippines

Getting a job in the Philippines, 2026

The practice of regulated professions in the Philippines is reserved to Filipino citizens by the Constitution, and even where a law opens a profession, Republic Act 5181 requires reciprocity plus three years of permanent residence before a foreign national may sit the licensure examination, which no work permit can deliver. This guide is written for two readers at once: the foreign professional coming in, who needs a DOLE permit and a separate immigration visa, and the Filipino going out, for whom the POEA was abolished in 2021 and replaced by a cabinet department. Every figure carries its source and the date we checked it.

Country guidePublished 20 September 2026·Every figure checked 20 September 2026·19 min read
₱755
Daily minimum wage in Metro Manila, non-agriculture, since 7 September 2026
NWPC, Wage Order NCR-28
3 years
Residence a foreign national needs before sitting a PRC exam, plus reciprocity
Republic Act 5181, sec 1
US$15,000
Minimum accidental death cover the agency must buy for an agency-hired OFW
RA 10022, compulsory insurance
6 months
Longest probation the Labour Code allows before you become a regular employee
Labour Code, art 281, now art 296
Section 01

Coming in: the DOLE permit, the visa, and the gate you must clear first

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This guide has two readers, and the Philippines is one of the few countries where that is not a stylistic choice but a fact about the labour market.

Who this is for

Reader one is a foreign professional coming into the Philippines. You need a permit from the Department of Labor and Employment and a visa from the Bureau of Immigration, and they are two separate things from two separate agencies.

Reader two is a Filipino working abroad or preparing to. Overseas employment is not a side story here, it is a core institution of the economy, and since 2021 it has had its own cabinet department. Section 02 is written for you.

Section 03 belongs to both of you, because the Labour Code, the regional minimum wage, the 13th month pay and the professional licensing rules apply whether you are arriving or leaving.

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Section 02

Going out: the Department of Migrant Workers and the contract that protects you

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Section 03

What both of you live under: pay, benefits, licences and the CV

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