Many visitors to this website ask me about the possibilities to get an extended visa aside from the ordinary tourist visa.
I’ll explain the most common visas here.
Upon arrival in the Philippines (almost) every tourist gets a 21 day visa to stay at no cost. Once in the Philippines this tourist visa can be extended to 59 days in total.
After the 59 days it is possible to extend again with another 2 months, and again, and again. The maximum stay as a tourist is 16 months. Every extension of the visa has a different price. Check the website of the Department of Tourism visa fees.
(links to government sites in the Philippines are often broken, why? They have more traffic than the hosting company allows !!)
When extending a tourist visa you also need to get an ACR-I card. Check how to get to get an ACR-I card. This can be done on every Immigration Office in the country. Check for Immigration offices in the Philippines
If you are married to a (former) Filipino Citizen, and you travel together to the Philippines, you can ask (when arriving at the airport) for a so called ‘balikbayan‘ status. This gives you the right to stay in the country for 12 months. After this time you can go for an extension, but your status will be changed to a tourist (that means every two months extension), or apply for a 13a visa or SRRV.
If you are married to a (former) Filipino citizen, your spouse can request a 13a visa (permanent resident visa) for you. If your spouse applies for this visa while still outside the Philippines it will be permanent immediately. If you apply while in the Philippines then it will be probationary for the first year and you will need to return to immigration after one year to file more forms and pay more fees. For more info click the following link and when you reach the site click on the (13A) tab near the top 13A visa in the Philippines.
For info about the US Embassy and the Consulates in the US click this link.
For a complete list of all Philippine embassies and consulates check world wide Embassies of the Philippines. On the page you have to click on the menu at “about the DFA” and select “RP embassies, consulates and RCO’s “.
What do you have to pay for your specific visa , just click this link.
Whether single or not you may apply for the SRRV, Special Resident Retiree’s Visa. This visa requires a deposit of anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on age and/or verifiable pension income. You must be at least 35 years old to avail of this program. Click here for more info.
If you like to work in the Philippines you need to have a working permit. This can be done by a special visa or is included in a 13a and SRRV.
The above website links of the Philippine Immigration will change from time to time, because they are updating their website. You can also check the home page of Philippine Immigration and search on their website.
Jul 06, 2010 @ 21:45:37
You know I have not stayed in the Philippines for such an extended time however I know the time is approaching that I will.
This post is the most easy to understand expanation that I have ever heard. In fact a friend and I were discussing this exact subject just this past Sunday. I am glad I ran across this article.
Once again Jan, you provided clear concise information! Thanks for your site!
Jul 07, 2010 @ 17:31:34
Thanks Randall, for the compliment.
Jul 08, 2010 @ 08:47:35
Jan, your article is one of the best I’ve seen on the subject of visas. I recently received my ACR-I but unfortunately could not apply for it at the nearby Iloilo City office, but I know of others that were able to. The Iloilo office told me I had to go to Manila. While in Manila to get my ACR, my wife did apply for the 13a permanent visa. It is probationary as you state, and yep, next year we return to Manila so I can the permament one. Good info.
Jul 08, 2010 @ 13:50:34
Thanks Dave,
I know there are a lot of websites writing about it, but all in long stories with too much details and those details are changing all the time. That’s the reason I did it this way. Let people find their own way, just give them a few tools ….
Jul 16, 2010 @ 03:30:51
Now that the Philippines allows dual citizenship, would 13A PR Visa for my foreign spouse still apply? I am a former Filipino citizen now living in the US but I intend to re-acquire Filipino citizenship within the next 2 months.
How soon after my foreign spouse is granted a PR Visa do we have to travel/ move to the Philippines and how many months each year (eg, 6-9 months) do we have to be physically in the Philippines to retain PR status?
Jul 16, 2010 @ 10:07:31
Catalina,
It is impossible for me to know all the answers because every situation is unique. In my article I have given a number of links for further information. I would like to ask you to check them out.
Thanks for visiting my website.
Jul 26, 2010 @ 10:31:03
Thanks anyway. I did finally manage to get a real, live person at the Philippine Consulate to give me some answers and, cross-verified that with the email reply I got after a week or so of waiting. For anyone interested in the answers to my questions, the answers are:
(1) The visa is valid for one year, which means that your spouse must arrive in the Philippines before the expiry of the visa.
(2) The duration of stay will be determined by the Bureau of Immigration in Manila, but as long as the alien card is renewed regularly by the permanent resident, he can stay in the Philippines legally.
Nice website, by the way. Easy to navigate, good content, and of course, admirable objectives. I’d be happy to contribute in future. Just have to decide on a topic of interest for your readers… Best regards!
Jul 27, 2010 @ 16:18:20
Thanks Catalina,
I hope to hear from you more in the future.
Aug 02, 2010 @ 22:09:37
Jan, I’m planning to rid myself of the last few anchors to my freedom and head your way. Thanks for all the great information!
Sep 20, 2010 @ 23:04:47
I am planning to marry my philipina fiancee in Phili. and stay there. Is there another option in my case ?
Sep 21, 2010 @ 17:37:02
Greg,
You should read the website of the government for all options.
Sep 24, 2010 @ 01:03:57
I was just wondering whether you can arrive on a one way ticket or must you have a ticket stating that you will leave the country within the 21 days? Thanks alot…
Nov 15, 2010 @ 19:15:58
Jan,
Wednesday Ana meets with the Immigration Officials, to have my “Permanent Resident Visa” .
Sep 19, 2011 @ 15:20:23
Thanks for your nice information.
Sep 27, 2011 @ 21:19:01
Excellent info, here is a little more: I travelled to .ph a couple of times now, each time I got a visa in .nl and could stay upto 59 days without having to extend in .ph and without the need for an I-card.
Do you need a valid return ticket or onward ticket which is valid within the period you are allowed to stay? Not according to the .ph embassy and not according to immigration. This trip (I am still here) I extended my 59 days visa and got the I-card and so on. I planned this before leaving to .ph and thus my return ticket was for way past the 59 day marker. No problem. As long as you have a valid ticket out of .ph, going anywhere, any day, it’s fine.
Sep 28, 2011 @ 15:26:11
Hi Chris,
My wife and I travelled to the Philippines three years ago on a one way ticket. There were no problems. We get tourist visa extensions and a 13a visa without being asked for a return ticket.