Do I need an AEP to work for a Philippine employer?

Yes, unless you fall under an exemption or exclusion in DOLE Department Order 248. The order says the employer must secure an AEP before employment starts. Gainful employment here means an employer-employee relationship under Philippine law.

Does an SRRV let me skip the AEP?

PRA lists an exemption from separate work/student visas or permits. DO 248 separately exempts permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holders — and those people still request a Certificate of Exemption. Confirm your category with DOLE for the specific hire; do not invent a blanket free pass from a tourist stamp.

Can I work while on a tourist visa?

No. A temporary-visitor stay is not an AEP exemption category. Local employment needs the AEP (or a Certificate of Exemption / Exclusion) plus the matching BI work visa track where applicable.

Where do I file an AEP now?

As of mid-2026, DOLE centralized AEP functions under the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE). Treat the filing office as high-volatility and confirm on dole.gov.ph / BLE before you travel on a deadline.

Earn in Philippines

In plain termsThree doors stay separate: stay (SRRV / visitor), earn (AEP or Certificate of Exemption), tax (Philippine-source for aliens). Crossing one does not open the others.

AEP is the default for local hire

Except where exempted or excluded, an employer must secure an Alien Employment Permit before a foreign national starts work (yes). Coverage is keyed to an employer-employee relationship (yes).

Applications generally need a prior labor-market publication (yes), unless the hire is publication-exempt under the order.

Resident-visa exemption track

DO 248 exempts permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holders from securing an AEP (yes). They still request a Certificate of Exemption (yes).

PRA publishes that SRRV holders are exempt from separate work/student visas or permits (yes). Align the two texts with DOLE for the actual hire — do not skip the certificate step on a brochure reading.

Tourist stay is not work authority

Client trapA tourist / temporary-visitor stamp is not by itself authority to take local employment (yes). Remote work for a foreign employer without a Philippine employment relationship is a different fact pattern — still not a substitute for AEP when a local employer-employee relationship exists.

Where AEP is filed (2026)

AEP administration was centralized under DOLE's Bureau of Local Employment (yes). Treat the office and email path as high-volatility; confirm on DOLE/BLE before a filing deadline.

An Alien Employment Permit (AEP) is required before a foreign national starts gainful employment — unless exempted or excluded
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule I §3 Coverage — except as exempted or excluded, every employer who intends to employ a foreign national shall first secure an AEP prior to the actual start of employment
yeschecked Aug 2026
AEP coverage is keyed to an employer-employee relationship under Philippine law
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule I §3 — Gainful employment means employment in the Philippines within an employer-employee relationship as determined by Philippine laws
yeschecked Aug 2026
Permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holders are exempt from securing an AEP
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule V §1(f) — Exemptions: any foreign national who is a permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holder
yeschecked Aug 2026
Exempt categories still request a Certificate of Exemption before employment
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule V §2 — a foreign national falling under an exemption who intends to be employed shall request a Certificate of Exemption from DOLE
yeschecked Aug 2026
AEP applications generally require a prior labor-market publication
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule II §1 — precondition: employer publishes the vacant position and the foreign national's name (labor market test), unless publication-exempt
yeschecked Aug 2026
AEP filing and issuance are centralized at DOLE-BLE (2026)
DOLE DO 248-B s.2026 — AEP functions centralized under the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE); Philippine Information Agency report 6 Jul 2026 / KPMG Flash Alert 2026-163
yeschecked Aug 2026
PRA lists SRRV work/student permit exemption — confirm Certificate of Exemption with DOLE for the specific hire
PRA SRRV benefits — Exemption from separate work/student visa or permits (pra.gov.ph/SRRVisa); align with DO 248 resident-visa exemption + Certificate of Exemption track
yeschecked Aug 2026
A tourist / temporary-visitor stay is not by itself authority to take local employment
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule I §3 — AEP required for gainful employment unless exempted/excluded; a tourist/temporary visitor stamp is not an AEP exemption category under Rule V §1
yeschecked Aug 2026

Next doors

Stay & visa — SRRV deposits and fees.
Tax — aliens = Philippine-source only.
Contrast: Thailand earn · Vietnam earn.

Common questions

Do I need an AEP to work for a Philippine employer?: Yes, unless you fall under an exemption or exclusion in DOLE Department Order 248. The order says the employer must secure an AEP before employment starts. Gainful employment here means an employer-employee relationship under Philippine law.
Does an SRRV let me skip the AEP?: PRA lists an exemption from separate work/student visas or permits. DO 248 separately exempts permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holders — and those people still request a Certificate of Exemption. Confirm your category with DOLE for the specific hire; do not invent a blanket free pass from a tourist stamp.
Can I work while on a tourist visa?: No. A temporary-visitor stay is not an AEP exemption category. Local employment needs the AEP (or a Certificate of Exemption / Exclusion) plus the matching BI work visa track where applicable.
Where do I file an AEP now?: As of mid-2026, DOLE centralized AEP functions under the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE). Treat the filing office as high-volatility and confirm on dole.gov.ph / BLE before you travel on a deadline.