I understand you need a return ticket and get a 21 day visa. How difficult is it to extend this if I plan on staying beyond 1 year? Do I need to extend this in person? Cost? Is it really necessary and do the police check your immigration status if youre stopped? My wife is from the Philippines she said its no big deal but I don't want to end up in a Philippine jail...
If your wife is a Filippina (or former Filippina)you do not need a visa nor do you need a returnticket. Find more information on the net about Balikbayan privileges, and visa requirements on the website of Philippine immigration: The Bureau of Immigration, Philippines Official Website - MAIN
quite some threads about that here, but in a nutshell for tourists: Yes you need outbound ticket, NO returnticket (air asia clark - Kota Kinabalu for 20$ does it) Yes you need visa extension, ACR I card after 2 month Yes it is no problem to extend up to 16 month. Yes you can stay without any extension, if you want to be illegal, or pay triple, the day you decide to leave the country for a vacation and have no valid visa. As it is your first time here, don't even move close to the families lost stray-dog. not even talking about cousins and sisters. I would say 2 Islands in between is the minimum distance. Give your girl the pesos to visit them but keep them as far away as you can. You already experienced they were begging for money. If they are too close they can make your life pretty fast to a nightmare if you don't "share" your wealth. Some stuff here can be quite disturbing after the "everything-is-fine" holipay-period is over.
Once you get here..You have a few days to relax and then go to immigration ... it's close to Lee's Plaza.. Then you fill out a simple form to extend your Visa for 2 months..it will cost you 6500P including a ID Card... then every 2 months later .. you extend again up to 16 months the 2nd extension is about 2800P...and so forth....
That's almost correct but the wrong way round. Your first visa extension takes you up to a stay of 59 days from the date of entry into the Philippines. You will not be required to get an ACR-I card until you apply for your second extension.
I not long came in and what rhoody said i the way it happened to me , it used to be the other way around cheers
not really Sir... the first stamp up to 59 days is not an extension, it is a visa-waiver, check the stamp you get after 21 days, it says VISA-WAIVED (underlined and capital) So you need to apply for an ACR I - Card with your first extension. there the stamp says :Stay extended up to.
Ok, my wrist has been firmly slapped. What I meant to point out was that you don't pay to get the ACR-I card for the first 59 days here. That only comes in to play when the stay goes beyond 2 months. Is that better ? O-|
