If I own the company, do I still need an AEP?

Often yes for day-to-day management. Some board-only roles are excluded under DO 248 — that is a narrow reading, not a slogan.

Owning a business in Philippines — invest ≠ AEP skip

In plain termsIncorporating does not delete labour paper. Anti-Dummy coverage adds a DOJ gate.

AEP default

Gainful employment needs an AEP unless exempted or excluded.

AEA

Employers covered by the Anti-Dummy Law need a DOJ Authority to Employ Alien — separate from the AEP.

Honesty

Exact foreign-equity caps and industry lists are not filed on this page yet.

Filed cells this page leans on

An Alien Employment Permit (AEP) is required before a foreign national starts gainful employment — unless exempted or excluded
DOLE Department Order No. 248, Series of 2025 — New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines (official PDF on dole.gov.ph) — AEP required for foreign nationals in gainful employment unless exempted or excluded
yeschecked Aug 2026
AEP coverage is keyed to an employer-employee relationship under Philippine law
DOLE Department Order No. 248, Series of 2025 — New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines (official PDF on dole.gov.ph) — gainful employment defined within an employer-employee relationship
yeschecked Aug 2026
Permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holders are exempt from securing an AEP
DOLE Department Order No. 248, Series of 2025 — New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines (official PDF on dole.gov.ph) — Rule V Sec. 1(f): permanent, probationary or temporary resident visa holders are exempt from securing an AEP
yeschecked Aug 2026
Exempt categories still request a Certificate of Exemption before employment
DOLE Department Order No. 248, Series of 2025 — New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines (official PDF on dole.gov.ph) — Rule V Sec. 2: an exempt foreign national who intends to be employed must request a Certificate of Exemption
yeschecked Aug 2026
AEP applications generally require a prior labor-market publication
DOLE Department Order No. 248, Series of 2025 — New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines (official PDF on dole.gov.ph) — Rule II Sec. 1: employer must publish before AEP filing (clarified by DO 248-A Series of 2025: newspaper of general circulation)
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 Department Order No. 248, Series of 2025 — New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines (official PDF on dole.gov.ph) — gainful employment requires an AEP unless the foreign national falls under an exempt or excluded category (Rule V); tourist admission is not an exempt category
yeschecked Aug 2026
Practising a regulated profession needs a PRC Special Temporary Permit (STP), separate from the AEP
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule I definitions — Special Temporary Permit (STP) issued by PRC to a foreign national to engage in the practice of a regulated profession
yeschecked Aug 2026
Nationalised / partially nationalised employers also need a DOJ Authority to Employ Alien
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule I definitions — Authority to Employ Alien (AEA) issued by DOJ where the employer is covered by the Anti-Dummy Law
yeschecked Aug 2026
Visiting / exchange / adjunct professors under a formal agreement are AEP-exempt
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule V §1(e) — visiting, exchange or adjunct professor under a formal agreement between institutions or governments
yeschecked Aug 2026
The visiting-professor exemption still needs the institutional agreement on the Certificate of Exemption dossier
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule V §2 — foreign national under §1(e) must submit a copy of the agreement between the involved academic institutions or governments with the Certificate of Exemption request
yeschecked Aug 2026
Ordinary language-centre / school employment is AEP territory (not the visiting-professor carve-out)
DOLE DO 248 s.2025 Rule I §3 — gainful employment under an employer-employee relationship needs an AEP unless exempted or excluded; ordinary language-centre hire is not on the Rule V exemption list
yeschecked Aug 2026
Filed earn-atlas clusters on this destination
Product atlas — first filed clusters for /philippines/earn (teaching, diving, hospitality, own-business, legal, tech); long tail deferred until primary cells exist
6 clusterschecked Aug 2026

Common questions

If I own the company, do I still need an AEP?: Often yes for day-to-day management. Some board-only roles are excluded under DO 248 — that is a narrow reading, not a slogan.

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