Philippines Visa

[Asia2000]

30 days Visa on arrival - Be aware than return ticket within 30 days, often must be shown at arrival.

Extend to 59 days cost 3130php.

Extend every 2 months OR 6 months extension now in Manila and Cebu.

The 6 month Visa:

1. You must have been here almost 2 months. You can not get 6 months after your 30 free days. Must first extend to 59 days.

2. The 6 month visa can not take you past 16 months stay.

3. 6 months visa you only get twice - once at 2 months and again at 8 months.

4. 6 months visa cost same as 3 x 2 months extension + a smaller fee.

Visa Fees :

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa/temporary-visitor-visa/extension-of-authorized-stay-beyond-59-days

Asia2000

Cebu

[ANDY2463]

30 days Visa on arrival - Be aware than return ticket within 30 days, often must be shown at arrival.

Extend to 59 days cost 3130php.

Extend every 2 months OR 6 months extension now in Manila and Cebu.

The 6 month Visa:

1. You must have been here almost 2 months. You can not get 6 months after your 30 free days. Must first extend to 59 days.

2. The 6 month visa can not take you past 16 months stay.

3. 6 months visa you only get twice - once at 2 months and again at 8 months.

4. 6 months visa cost same as 3 x 2 months extension + a smaller fee.

Visa Fees :

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa/temporary-visitor-visa/extension-of-authorized-stay-beyond-59-days

Asia2000

Cebu

Hi Asia2000

Just asking a quick question please mate (looks like you know about Philippines), with all that is going on with the entry visas back in to Thailand, I am now planning on ,coming to Manila to see if I can get myself a visa for Thai, but at the same time I can give myself a little holiday in the Philly's,

I take it we can still get visa in Manila , I have all the right paperwork marriage birth certs and bank books, can only find one entry on TV about manila Thai consulate.

I think from reading your answers above I will have no problems when I arrive in Manila ,late at night , getting a visa on entry, might even pop down to the beaches for a few days

Kind Regards

Andy

[TDCNINJA]

Andy, no problems whatsoever getting a visa on arrival in the Philippines. Also no problems extending your visa. I've lived here since October 2010 on a tourist visa. I periodically leave and visit Thailand and other S.E. Asian countries when I get board and need a temporary change of scenery.

Enjoy your stay, Mabuhay!

[ANDY2463]

Andy, no problems whatsoever getting a visa on arrival in the Philippines. Also no problems extending your visa. I've lived here since October 2010 on a tourist visa. I periodically leave and visit Thailand and other S.E. Asian countries when I get board and need a temporary change of scenery.

Enjoy your stay, Mabuhay!

Many thank Mabuhay

Great news for me looking forward to getting over now , was worried about getting back in Thailand , but now will get a visa in Manila same time have a little holiday.

[Asia2000]

Just remember to have a return ticket within 30 days on arrival to Philippines. Many get asked to show ticket, a few don't.

Enjoy Philippines

[Sheppie]

Huh and I was asked to show a return ticket...

[Asia2000]

Huh and I was asked to show a return ticket...

But you read Thaivisa and you know that already, so you had your return ticket, right ?

[stopthegreed]

When you get the six months. Can you leave and re enter without a return ticket

[TDCNINJA]

anytime you leave the Philippines the validity of a visa on arrival extension is automatically exhausted. So, if you purchase a 6 month extension at immigration and you leave 3 months later, you can return at anytime, but you start over from the beginning.

Permanent residence and other types of immigrant visa's are a different ball game.

[ExpatPH]

2019 now, and a influx of former thai expats already. Guessing the latest new rules to 'retirement' didn't go well with many expats.

No re-entry permit here as mentioned before, 

Visa laws don't change much in Philippines, so no stress, not same in Thailand.

Only know a few who use Philippines retirement option SRRV, a few payment options 20.000 $, 10.000$.

Most here stay on tourist visa forever.

Take exchange rates into consideration, as a big big bonus.

[phycokiller]

this thread is 5 years old. Is the information still valid? 

[Sterling]

My Filipina wife and kids live in Manila while I'm abroad working. Here is the latest based on my experience.

 

Most western citizens (Americans, Canadians, Australians, Europeans, etc) can get a 30 day visa on arrival.

You may or may not be asked to show an onward ticket, so I would buy or rent one beforehand.

The last time I entered I was asked if I had one and I told them yes but they didnt ask to see it.

You can ask the IO at Arrivals in Manila/Cebu for a 29 day extension right there. Not a lot of people do this but I know a few folks who have.

They asked for it when they handed over their passports and they were taken to a side office and paid the ~p3k right then and got 59 days.

 

If you get the 30 days on arrival, you'll need to go in to an immigration office before the 30 days is up and get a 29 day extension.

When your 59 days is up, I believe you can extend for up to 6 months and you will need to pay for an ACR (Alien Certificate of Registration) approximately p3k.

Maximum stay in the Philippines is 3 years at which time you will need to leave for a day and then you can come back.

I have heard on other forums where some guys who have been in the PI for over a year are getting questions from Immigration about why they need to stay on a tourist visa for so long. I think this is to push Expats to get Retirement visas.

 

The Philippines Government has a dedicated Philippines Retirement Agency (PRA) that offers a Special Resident Retirees Visa (SRRV). This is to try and get more expats to retire in the Philippines and pump money into the local economy. There are different versions of the SRRV, depending on your age and deposit requirements.

The last time I looked, over 50 you had to deposit US$10k if you have a pension and US$20k without a pension. Ages 35-49 have to deposit US$50k.

If you buy a condo there for at least US$50k, that can count toward the deposit but you have to follow their buying procedures to the T for it to count.

 

If you are married to a Filipina and you arrive on the same flight, they can ask the IO to give you a 1 year Balikbayan visa. This is a courtesy visa that Immigration gives to Filipinas for their foreigner spouse and kids. If you arrive on different flights at different times, you probably wont get it. You both have to go to the IO at the airport the same time to get it.

 

Most Expats who stay longer than 6 months will need to get an Exit Clearance Certificate before they leave and that can take a few days.

Also, not every immigration office can produce the different flavors of ECCs, so you will need to plan your exit accordingly.

If you've been in the PI for more than 6 months and have a family emergency, you cant just roll up to the airport and get on a plane.

You will probably have to go to immigration in Manila or Cebu to get an expedited ECC. I believe SRRV holders are exempt from the ECC requirement.

 

I'm sure I've forgotten a few things and I may be off on some of the exact requirements but this is a decent starting point on current Visa requirements.

 

Feel free to reply if you have any questions or if I need to make any corrections.

 

 

 

 

[ding]

Quote

Special Resident Retirees Visa (SRRV). This is to try and get more expats to retire in the Philippines and pump money into the local economy

It seems like Thailand doesn't see this part of 'a rising tide floats all boats'. Pension dollars are a clean input to GDP and increases the velocity of money directly. 

Excellent post, very useful.