Philippines / Visas and immigration / Special Work Permit (commercial)

Special Work Permit (commercial)

The Special Work Permit is the short authorisation that lets a foreigner work before a full work visa exists, typically for a few months of project or consultancy work.

The SWP costs ₱6,440, and US$50 more if it is issued with an ACR I-Card. It is not a substitute for a 9G. It covers the gap while an AEP or a work visa is being processed, or a genuinely short engagement.

What the government charges

Item	Amount
Special Work Permit, commercial Bureau of Immigration	₱6,440
ACR I-Card, 1 year, where issued together Charged in US dollars	US$50

Published BI rate. A Provisional Work Permit, used while an AEP is pending, is a separate transaction with its own fee.

Who needs this

Foreigners doing short-term paid work who do not yet hold a work visa.
Specialists, artists, athletes and consultants engaged for a defined period.
Employees waiting for a 9G to be issued.

Who does not

Anyone intending to hold a salaried position for a year or more. That is a 9G with an AEP.
Volunteers and unpaid work, which is a different authorisation.

How it is done

Confirm the routeIf the work will last more than a few months, file the AEP and the 9G instead. Layering an SWP under a long engagement creates a gap that is later refused.
Prepare the requestEmployer request, contract or engagement letter, passport with valid admission, and the documentary checklist for the transaction.
File at the BureauPay ₱6,440 and add the card fee if an ACR I-Card is issued with it.
Watch the expiryThe permit is short by design. Diary the date the day it is issued, not the week before it ends.

Deadline and what happens if you miss it

The permit expires on its face and there is no grace period worth relying on. Working one day past it is unauthorised work, which is an immigration offence, not an administrative fee.

Why files get refused at the counter

Requesting an SWP for a role that clearly requires a 9G.
A contract that does not state the exact period and the compensation.
Applying after the work has started.

Who does what

You

Sign the engagement and provide the passport and the contract.

LPP

Decide with you whether the file is an SWP or a 9G, which is the decision that avoids a refused renewal later.

Accredited partner

Files the permit and collects it.

Have this filed without the guesswork

Send the file to us. We confirm the current fee with the agency, prepare the documents, and tell you in writing what is missing before anything is submitted.

Start this case See our fees

Sources

Bureau of Immigration, Special Work Permit, commercial: https://immigration.gov.ph/special-work-permit-commercial/

Last verified against the issuing agency on 2026-10-24. If an agency changes a fee or a deadline after that date, this page is out of date and we correct it before quoting.