Tourist Visa Best Posts in Thread: New Price Tourist Visa

I went to immigration office in Dumaguete to get a 2 month extension on my tourist visa and was very happy to find out the price dropped from PHP 2930 to PHP 1930. The express lane fee was dropped. I was in and out of the office in 10 minutes, pick up passport tomorrow. They have streamlined the paperwork, reduced the lines and lowered the price, things have really improved lately at our BI office. Take note LTO

 

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.

 

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)?

 

Quite true but you can use an accredited Agency if you have time, there are some in Dumaguete, One upstairs from the BI and would save you from sitting and waiting

 

Since you bring it up, I put it to you to do a cost comparison between the cost of staying in cebu for 3 days once every 3 years (for the purpose of ECC) with the cost of flying out of the country and back plus buying an exit ticket plus paying for any vacation expenses while out of the country once a year for the additional 2 trips to do it annually. Hmm. I think I know the answer but show me and I may rethink my budget.

As for the member who mentioned the 13a, that is a personal choice that has its pros and cons, beginning with a marriage. Many or us are perpetual tourists.

 

Dumaguete has been unable or unwilling to give ECCs to tourists for as long as I can remember. They have insisted I go to Cebu at least 3 days before my flight to be sure of getting the ECC in time. So now it means I do the same thing but go to BI twice. Once to drop off passport and once to pick it up. I shall continue to follow the rules, no matter how inane, until I no longer wish to be a perpetual tourist in this country

 

In the past the BI used the express lane fee to pay staff overtime and other things.
Duterte decided the express lane fee would go to the general government account and the BI could not keep the money. News paper story a couple of months ago said BI salaries droped from around 60K per month to 12-15K. A lot of campers were not happy and quit.
I'm guessing there is a bit off passive/aggressive resistance going on here.
In any event good for us

 

Nope, not what I meant. Problem was pain distracted reading of your post, my fault. I thought (incorrectly I see now) you were saying if BI in Cebu was going to take 3 days you would go to Cebu twice, once to drop off and again to pick up.

I see now you meant go to Cebu early, drop off at BI, stay a couple days, pick up at BI, then fly out of Mactan. All one trip. Which is why my question sounded, I am sure, pretty dumb.