Tourist Visa in the Philippines

[Rhoody]

As a tourist in the Philippine Islands, your entry stamp is valid for 21 days. You can apply for a visa-waiver in each immigration office around the archipelago.

This waiver allows you to stay up to 59 days. 10 -14 days you before that expires you should go to the immigration and can extend your visa for 2 month if you wish to stay longer.

The 2 month Visa Extension is possible up to 2 years. After 6 month you need a ECC - Clearance when leaving the country. this relatively painless paper can only be proceeded in immigration offices of cities with a International Airport (Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao). You pay this ECC - Clearance already with your second Visa Extension and it is written in your passport.

Keep all your receipts in the unlikely event you need to show them at the customs.

Have a pleasant stay in the Philippines.

cheers

Rhoody

Rhoody,

Would you be able to answer a very simple question that I am unable to find anywhere in the vague information and responses online?

I understand that you can enter the Philippines with a 21 day entry stamp, which is extendable to 59 days total. Now, if you further extend this (2-month period), does it become a tourist visa or stay as an entry stamp?

I can never find out if it is a tourist visa or just an entry stamp in the extension past 59 days.

I am looking to apply for a work permit and work visa in the future, but the company I am interested in wants to interview me in person, rather than issue a pre-employment visa.

So, instead of leaving the PI, I would like to apply for the permit and visa within the country. Do you have any knowledge of this as well? I'm not sure if obtaining the work visa would require me to leave the country if I am already located in the PI or whether I would need to fly to my home country or potentially acquire it in a neighboring country if possible.


Thanks so much,
Jeff

[The Dane]

Hi Jeff,

You get a 21 day tourist visa upon entry...

No matter how many times you extend (up to the 2 year limit) it stays as a tourist visa.

Once you finish your interview you can get the company to sponsor your work visa here.

Another way to go is to aquire a quota visa which allows you to stay permanently and you are allowed to work as well with this visa. The easiest way to aquire this is through an attorney/fixer and I believe the cost right now is around 180K Pesos for American and 150K for European...

The Dane,

Thank you so much for this information. I was confused when reading "visa waiver" and "entry stamp". I thought a "visa waiver" meant an allowance to stay with a time stamp, but not a visa.

Do you know if there are specific personal documents needed when entering with the 21-day visa or filing an extension? (such as bank statement)

In terms of the work visa, is it just converted over within the country by the proper authorities or must you exit the country and obtain it outside? (we have to exit to do this in Thailand)


Thanks,
Jeff

[Rhoody]

visa-waiver is the title written on the stamp I got in my passport for the 59 days after entering.

you need for that and the visa extensions after 59 days only some copies of some passport-pages that's all.

your company in the philippines can apply for it at the locals immigration offices spread all over the philippines. I was working here for years with a temporary working-permit (issued always for 12 month in my case).

Here in Duma the 12 month were 18.000 peso.

Thanks The Dune and Rhoody for clarifying these things. Sometimes information isn't posted clearly online and can be a bit misleading, but atleast now I know.

In terms of an employment visa, do you know if you have to exit the Philippines to obtain?

The reason I ask this is because I plan to also study at a local university in Cebu City and I am exempt from getting a student visa along with the tedious paperwork needed from my home country if I can obtain an employment visa. Having a work permit alone will not suffice in this case.


Thanks!
Jeff

As far as I have been able to read up on, I will be getting a 21 day visa for free in the airport when I arrive automatically

I am not sure how long I will stay, but 21 days seems like a nice long stay for me, I need to get out of the rat race here for a little while around Christmas, and it would be nice to hit the Philippines or some other tropical country while the rest of Europe suffer through the coldest time of the year.

Odie

I'm curious ...

I see posts other places online about providing proof of financial support while in the Philippines. Could you tell me from your experience, will they ask for this even if I already have a roundtrip ticket to Cebu City when entering the Philippines and obtaining a 21-day visa at the airport?


J

[Rhoody]

definitely no. you need a ticket to leave the PI and a Passport.

They will not even ask in Cebu, they ask when you check in at your departure airport in your country.

"They will not even ask in Cebu, they ask when you check in at your departure airport in your country."

I'm a little confused by this statement. I plan to enter the PI and settle in Cebu City. I am not planning on leaving as I am looking to obtain a work permit and visa.

So, am I to assume I don't need any financial documentation with CebuPacific Air to leave Thailand and enter the PI during any duration of travel there?

Any suggestions whether I should just buy a one-way and that will be fine?


J