I do not believe as a 13a holder any trips to Cebu are necessary as your annual and 5 year renewals can be done in Duma. The ECC 'fun' with BI is replaced by paying exit tax at the airport. Another possible option for expats with filipina spouse may be to enter as Balikbayan, after one year convert to Tourist Visa and exit before 12 months as tourist. This would mean 2 years stay without BI ECC requirement? For me, for now, I want to take a trip somewhere once a year anyway so avoiding the 'big ECC' is somewhat automatic. Especially since my wife has her new passport in her married name so returning Balikbayan instead of tourist should not be a problem.
I hope that is now the case because last February the BOI Officer in Cebu told me if I needed a ECC I needed to go back to see her and finished with "I'll see you back here in 5 years when you renew your 13a Visa". The Annual I was told to go to the Dumaguete Office to renew, IF I can renew it (13a) in Dumaguete without going back that would be fantastic!
I just renewed my 13A 6 months ago and I "had" to go to Cebu. Dumaguete does not do the 5 year renewal on 13A's. Unless someone knows something I don't know and it has just recently changed.
OK, so to summarize, The Duma BI extension office does 1, 2, and 6 month Tourist Visa Extensions, NON-Resident ACR cards (which includes enabling ECC at departure airport if in country 6-12 month), and annual 13a reporting. Tourist Visa holders needing an ECC for being in country over 12 months, 13a applications, and 13a 5 year Resident ACR card renewals must be done at a main BI office such as Cebu or Manila. Does that sound correct and cover most of what forum members will be doing (I know there are other Visas available but I think Tourist and 13a covers most of us)?
Though it is no longer important since rules have changed, up till 2012 it was still possible to obtain an ECC via IM bureau of Dumaguete. Overall procedure time a couple of weeks, so not an option when you were in an hurry of course.
I had a parallel experience---2nd person in the door, out in less than 10 minutes, returned at 3:30 for passport and visa extension. Our local office has become a model of efficiency in the past year, it appears!
Now i'm a bit confused. A) I thought that the 13a is a permanent visa costing only in the first two years and then it is permanent. Only thing that have to be renewed every 5 years is the ACR-I card. Now there is mentioned that the 13a visa have to be renewed also. Is that true and what is its cost? B) The ECC have to be renewed even when not leaving the country?
No! the Visa is permanent ( as long as you are married still) the ACR card is renewed every 5 years, the cost I am not sure of maybe another member can answer that
Arrgh! Sorry yes I believe I need to renew my ACR Card in 5 years time, was just thinking when she told me she would see me in 5 years time the old brain was thinking 13a... You need to renew it 2 or 3 months before it expires I believe...
