 |
| Immigration in the Philippines |
Visas, Passports and Immigration in the Philippines
You will need a USA Passport before you may travel to foreign countries.
Check out the procedure for applying for your US Passport.
If you are outside the USA and want to renew your passport, find US Embassies, Consulates and Diplomatic Missions. You may apply for a new passport at these locations.
New countries have been added to the list of countries requiring no visa to enter the Philippines. Also, see the length of time you may stay in the Philippines without a Visa extension. A person who marries a Filipino may apply for Permanent Residency and thus avoid the bimonthly visa renewal process.
Visas for the Philippines
Read what the US Department of State advises about entry and exit requirements for US Citizens.
You will learn about visa requirements and penalties for overstaying your visa in the Philippines.
 |
| Immigration office at Intramuros, Manila |
In December 2008 I had been in the Philippines for almost a year and 3 months. In September 2007 I had received a 3-month extension. It was about to expire. Well, it was almost Christmas and I decided I'd better go to immigration. I should have gone before the holiday season started. I checked on the Philippine Immigration web site. Much to my chagrin I discovered that the offices were closed for the holidays! That was not good.
Extend Your Visa Before You Overstay!
I now had only one day to extend or depart! That night we got on the web and made reservations on Continental Airlines (now United Airlines after the merger.) I had to pay a very high fare, over $1,000 for a one-way trip to Florida, USA, because it was a last-minute booking. At 10 p.m. we received confirmation. I was on the plane at 9 a.m. the next morning. And wouldn't you know, the flight from Manila to Guam was almost empty. So much for giving your Frequent Flyer members a break!
After arriving back in the USA my wife sent me email informing me that immigration police had rounded up about 25 people, in our area of Metro Manila, who had overstayed their visas. I hear that immigration makes a habit of rounding up, at Christmas time, visitors who have overstayed their visas. I'm sure that made their Christmas especially 'merry.' So, BE SURE to go to immigration before offices are closed for the holiday! And be there early in the day so you may get your passport back before closing.
If you are on Luzon and have been in country for almost a year you will need to go to the main immigration office in Intramuros, Manila. If you go there by taxi the driver can let you out right in front of the building. You will not need the driver to wait for you. There will be plenty of taxis when you are finished there. If you go by jeepney ask the driver to tell you where to get off ( "please tell me where to 'go down' .") You may verify the information on this page by visiting an immigration office near you (for example the Angeles City office in the Clark Freeport Zone).
"Persons who overstay their visas are subject to
fines and detention by Philippine immigration
authorities. Please remain aware of your visa status
while in the Philippines and strictly follow
immigration laws and regulations. Travelers
departing the country from international airports
must pay a Passenger Service Charge in Philippine
Pesos." (From the US State Dept. web site.)
See the possible penalties for overstaying your visa and find out about the ACR card and more by visiting the Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines web site.
If you are on another island in the Philippines, be sure to go to the nearest immigration office and inquire about your situation and get their advice about what to do when and where. I suggest you do this soon after arriving at your destination.
Do not overstay your visa! It is recommended that one should get one's visa extensions 7 to 10 days before they are about to expire.
 |
Bureau of Immigration office,
Clark Freeport Zone,
Angeles City, Philippines. |
If you are in Angeles City, you may get visa extensions at the Bureau of Immigration office in the Clark Freeport Zone. Don't arrive late in the day or you may need to return the next day to pick up your passport. The process here is streamlined, it takes a lot less time to get an extension here than at the main office in Manila. It is a small office and there are a seldom many people waiting. The staff are all very pleasant. It is not necessary to pay a taxi 300 pesos to get there from SM City Clark Mall.
Just go to the jeepney terminal across the street from the mall. The one near the public park.
Ask any driver which jeepney goes to the immigration office. I think I recall that it is at the number two jeepney stop. They leave about every 15 minutes. The cost will be about 20 pesos each way. Just ask the driver to stop at the immigration office or ask any passenger "will you let me know where to 'go down' for immigration?" Everyone in the jeepney speaks English. Most of them work in call centers. The office is a very short walk across a parking lot from the jeepney stop.
If you want to wait for your extension to be processed, you may wait at one of the several restaurants near the immigration office or at the Mini Stop convenience store nearby.
When you are finished at immigration go back across the street to the little bus stop shelter on the sidewalk and wait for a returning jeepney.
Another word of advice which may save you a lot of time and trouble; before going to the immigration office find a photocopy machine and make a copy of the photo ID page of your passport and a copy of the page showing your latest visa expiry date. You will need those copies and there is no copy machine at the immigration office. You may find a copy machine at one of the restaurants near the office, but then again it may be out of service. So, to avoid having to go back to get copies, like I have had to do on a couple of occasions, get copies before going there.
Your hotel may have a copy machine. If not, there is a computer service store on a N.W. corner of Fields Ave. (not far from the jeepney station.)
You might think you could get copies made in SM City Clark Mall but good luck! The copy store on the second floor usually has a long waiting line. Whenever I tried to get copies there it seemed all the customers ahead of me were printing books!
At the main immigration office in Manila there should be a copy machine service in the main lobby. If there is not, then ask directions to a nearby copy center. There should be one across the street from Greenwich Pizza (about 2 blocks from immigration.)
Regarding your passport. I asked an immigration employee at the office in the Clark Freeport Zone if I could carry a copy of my passport. She replied, "You must have your original passport with you at all times."
Be sure to report to an immigration office after New Years Day.
"...all foreigners holding immigrant or non-immigrant visas are required to report to the bureau within the first 60 days of every calendar year, to avoid administrative fines or possible deportation."
Update July 23, 2013: Long stay 6-month visitor visa extension for tourists.
Please share your personal experiences at the Bureau of Immigration offices with other readers by making comments below.
Read about immigration at the airport, DMIA, in the Clark Freeport Zone.
Read tips for traveling abroad.
Buying or Selling real estate in the Philippines or USA.
Meet Filipinas
Was this article helpful?
If you have found this article helpful, have suggestions, advice or insights please "comment" below.
This article will be expanded upon. Please check back to read more about passports, tourist visas, Bureau of Immigration and flying to the Philippines. This article last updated June 4, 2022.
