The Philippines and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Philippines since 14 May 2019
- Issued by
- Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of Consular Affairs (Aseana, Parañaque) and regional consular offices, by online appointment
- Language
- English, accepted as it is
- Register
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Tax treaty
- Signed 1989, in force 1991 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- Free trade talks since 2015
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from the Philippines
Passport copy, certified by a notary in the Philippines.
Proof of address in the Philippines, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Philippine notary public. Then obtain a Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act (CANA) from the Regional Trial Court that supervises the notary. Only then will the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) apostille it.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of Consular Affairs (Aseana, Parañaque) and regional consular offices, by online appointment. The apostille costs 100 Philippine pesos (PHP) per document. At Aseana, it is ready the same day. Other offices take 3 to 5 days. An e-apostille is available for selected documents.
Official page: https://www.apostille.gov.ph
Good to know. People often forget the CANA from the court. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) only accepts a notarised power of attorney with the CANA. You can take SEC certified copies to the DFA directly.
If a company from the Philippines becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Order certified true copies of the Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Incorporation and the latest General Information Sheet (GIS) showing directors and shareholders. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between the Philippines and the EU
The European Union (EU) was the Philippines' fourth-largest trading partner in 2025, with 8.3% of the country's total trade in goods. Trade in goods reached €17.6 billion in 2025.
Machinery and appliances made up 69.2% of EU imports from the Philippines in 2025 and 25.9% of EU exports to the country. In 2024, trade in services reached €10.3 billion, and the stock of EU foreign direct investment in the Philippines reached €15.4 billion.
Since December 2014, the Philippines has used the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which removes tariffs in full on two thirds of all product categories. In 2023, 73% of exports from the Philippines eligible for these tariff reductions entered the EU at preferential rates.
Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement started on 22 December 2015 and paused after a second round in February 2017. The EU and the Philippines announced their resumption in March 2024.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Your next step from the Philippines
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