How much does an AEP cost?

₱6,000.00 as the filing fee for one year of validity, plus ₱5,000.00 for every additional year of validity or fraction of a year. Renewal is ₱6,000.00. Replacing the card after loss, or amending it, or adding a position, is ₱3,000.00. A Certificate of Exclusion or Certificate of Exemption is ₱2,000.00 per issuance.

How long does it take?

After payment of the required fees, the application is processed for a period of 15 working days. DOLE notifies the foreign national or the employer by the email or contact details given on the application form when the card is available for release. A Certificate of Exclusion or Exemption is faster at 3 working days after complete requirements and payment.

How long is an AEP valid?

One year, unless DOLE grants a longer period matched to the employment duration in the contract or other mode of engagement. In no case may it exceed 3 years. A Certificate of Exclusion or Exemption instead runs from the date of issuance to the end date of the contract, appointment or election.

Does my employer have to advertise the job first?

Yes, and this is the step people miss. At least 15 days before filing the application, the Philippines-based employer must publish the vacancy in any newspaper of general circulation. That publication is valid and effective for 45 days from the date it appears, so filing has to happen inside that window.

When can I file for renewal?

As early as 60 days before the permit expires. The rules and documentary requirements for renewal are the same as for a new application, and renewal applications must also satisfy the publication requirement.

Can I start work while the AEP is pending?

There is a route. Foreign nationals can apply for a Provisional Work Permit with the Bureau of Immigration while the AEP is pending approval, or where the AEP is granted but the Section 9(g) work visa under CA 613 is still pending.

Can I hold more than one of these permits?

No. A foreign national is issued only one type at any given time: either an AEP, or a Certificate of Exclusion, or a Certificate of Exemption, depending on the nature of the engagement.

Alien Employment Permit: ₱6,000 and 15 Working Days

Q: What law requires it?

Article 40 of the Labor Code, as amended, which provides that any alien seeking admission to the Philippines for employment purposes, and any domestic or foreign employer who desires to engage an alien for employment in the Philippines, shall obtain an employment permit from DOLE. The current rules are Department Order No. 248-B, Series of 2026, in relation to Department Order Nos. 248 and 248-A, Series of 2025.

What it costs

DOLE publishes a full fee schedule rather than a single price, because an AEP is priced by how many years of validity it carries.

Item	Fee
AEP, 1 year validity	₱6,000.00
Every additional year of validity, or fraction of a year	₱5,000.00
Renewal	₱6,000.00
Card replacement: loss, amendment, or additional position	₱3,000.00
Certificate of Exclusion	₱2,000.00 per issuance
Certificate of Exemption	₱2,000.00 per issuance

The phrase “or fraction thereof” is the one to read carefully. A permit for two years and one month is charged as ₱6,000.00 for the first year plus ₱5,000.00 for each additional year or part of one, so the fraction is not prorated downwards.

Worked through:

Validity granted	Filing fee
1 year	₱6,000.00
2 years	₱11,000.00
3 years, the maximum	₱16,000.00

The publication step that comes first

This is the requirement that surprises employers, because it happens before the application exists.

At least 15 days prior to filing, the Philippines-based employer must publish the vacancy for the position in any newspaper of general circulation. DOLE then attaches a shelf life to that publication: it is valid and effective within 45 days from the date of publication.

That creates a window rather than a deadline. File earlier than 15 days after publication and the notice period has not run; file later than 45 days and the publication has expired and must be repeated.

The purpose is stated plainly in the FAQ: the policy safeguards the interest of Filipino workers through standards regulating alien employment. Objections received from Filipinos must be evaluated for merit and timeliness.

The timings

Stage	Published period
Publication before filing	At least 15 days
Validity of that publication	45 days from the date of publication
Processing after payment	15 working days
Certificate of Exclusion or Exemption	3 working days after complete requirements and payment
Earliest filing for renewal	60 days before expiry
Maximum AEP validity	3 years

DOLE reserves discretion inside that. It determines the appropriate validity period of the AEP, and where necessary may require the applicant’s personal appearance, hold a clarificatory conference, or conduct a verification inspection of the employer’s premises and the foreign national’s worksite.

The employment contract is assessed for consistency with the published qualifications, to confirm the foreign national actually fits the advertised position.

AEP, Exclusion, or Exemption

Three documents exist and you get exactly one. DOLE states a foreign national is issued only one type at any given time, depending on the nature of the engagement.

Document	Validity
Alien Employment Permit	1 year, unless a longer period is granted to match the contract, never more than 3 years
Certificate of Exclusion	From the date of issuance to the end date of the contract, appointment or election
Certificate of Exemption	From the date of issuance to the end date of the contract, appointment or election

The two certificates are cheaper at ₱2,000.00 and faster at 3 working days, but they are not alternatives you choose. Which one applies is determined by the nature of the engagement.

Working while it is pending

Foreign nationals urgently needed at work can apply for a Provisional Work Permit with the Bureau of Immigration. That covers two situations: the AEP is still pending approval, or the AEP is granted but the Section 9(g) work visa under Commonwealth Act 613 is still pending.

The 9(g) visa is a separate matter from the AEP and is handled by the Bureau of Immigration rather than DOLE. If you are a foreign national registering a business rather than taking employment, the 9(g) also appears in BIR’s registration checklist.

Cancelling one

A foreign national may request cancellation of an existing AEP, provided a clearance or certification is issued by the original employer.

The Bureau of Local Employment may also issue an Order for Cancellation on the employer’s request, where employment or a term of office in a hold-over capacity ends before the contract or the AEP validity period expires.

The legal basis

The requirement is Article 40 of the Labor Code, as amended:

Any alien seeking admission to the Philippines for employment purposes and any domestic or foreign employer who desires to engage an alien for employment in the Philippines shall obtain an employment permit from the Department of Labor and Employment.

The operating rules are Department Order No. 248-B, Series of 2026, read with Department Order Nos. 248 and 248-A, Series of 2025, together titled The New Rules and Regulations on the Employment of Foreign Nationals in the Philippines.

Employees of any nationality share the same statutory benefits once employed, and the 13th month pay rules make no distinction. Those are in our guide to 13th month pay.

Where this goes wrong

Filing before the 15 days have run, or after the 45 days have lapsed. Both break the publication requirement, and the second one means paying for a new advertisement.

Budgeting for one year when the contract runs longer. Each additional year is ₱5,000.00, and a fraction of a year is charged as a year.

Assuming renewal is a lighter process. DOLE states the rules and documentary requirements are the same as a new application, publication included.

Waiting for the AEP before starting. The Provisional Work Permit from the Bureau of Immigration exists precisely for that gap.