Best Posts in Thread: LTO- local driver's license conversion

But I like @Show Pony and he can have as many LOLs as he wants. I like VERY MANY, probably 99.99%, of people here - just get perplexed by those who write nonsense about a subject they know nothing about (I had dogs for 40+ years but it does not make me a vet, I rode a motorbike but does not make me anything like the bike experts on this Forum). And in regards to the use of LOL - CONTEXT is everything.

 

The reason I ask, is because I was told the same. BUT....If you read the government website, you will... probably understand it says something else.

Basically a fixer offered me to get it for 7000, I declined.

I was refused licence..

I still managed to get it without fixer, because I read the regulation carefully and proceeded to insist.

I have my licence now, I don't have 12 months visa..nor been 12 months.

Read the government website and don't give up.

I am able to write this because I did not use a fixer, if I was to use one...I would be pretty stupid exposing myself here.

Just a heads up to everyone

 

If you change your address for your ACR-I (Immigration) be aware that you are supposed to inform the BI of an address change within a week or something like that (?). My neighbour was fined thousands of pesos for waiting several months before reporting the change to BI.

I know I'm off topic so throw a rotten mango at me. LOL

 

yes its called pass the buck, he doesn't want to make you mad by te4lling you no, so he sends youn to someone else to tell you no.

 

Yes I agree, but in most cases laughter seems to be the best medicine.

 

It depends on which LTO office you go to first. I got my drivers license in Tacloban with no problem the 1st year I was here in the Philippines. However, they only issued a paper license and told me they had to send my application to Manila to get it laminated there, because they did not have a laminating machine. That was in 2015. I lived there in Tacloban for 3 more years, checking back annually with the Tacloban LTO and each time they informed me that my laminated driver's license had not yet arrived from Manila. After the third year I asked them for an explanation and they told me that Manila informed them they were out of stock of plastic for the laminating machine. So in 2018 I moved to Dumaguete and presented my paper drivers license to the LTO here in hopes they were not out of stock of plastic and was told they could not issue me a local drivers license because I already had one from Tacloban and the only way to get a new license here locally is if I lost the first one from Tacloban. I told the clerk okay... I will lose that drivers license and he said if I lost it I would have to hire an attorney and file a form for a lost drivers license, pay a fine, and then after several months file another form and I would then eligible for a new local license and in total it would perhaps take about a year to receive my laminated drivers license due it being lost. The clerk understanding the look on my face and how truly absurd their policy is, decided to call the Tacloban LTO office and they told him they now had a laminating machine and if I returned to their office in Tacloban they could issue me a drivers license after 5 long years. I thanked him for his kindness and time and left. So my wife and I began planning an enjoyable trip to Tacloban to see the island of Leyte, because my wife has never been there, but then Covid-19 struck, so we have never gone. Bottom line: if you submit paperwork to get a drivers license and get a paper license, be joyous they accomplished that and do not move, because you can only get the laminated version of your paper license at the same exact office that processed your documents.

 

They refused to issue me with a licence (not because I am an ape) as they said my 'Visa' was not a Balikbayan because it did not have a 'BB' on it - it was issued as a Balikbayan, it was for a whole year and I have never had a problem on exit.

Like many employees here, they don't have a clue about their own job - they just pretend they do and enjoy what glorification it gives them.

Now I have a private chauffeur - also acts as a wife.

 

As with any endeavour try and try again.
My experience is you need 12months of visa to satisfy LTO rule. Of course you can't get that at the moment and immigration while sympathetic can only issue 6month tourist visa just before the previous one expires and not in advance. I spoke to immigration about my impending 90 day expiry and the helpful lady suggested to ask LTO to call them.
In the end I successfully converted in a different LTO office with my existing licence and ACR and no issues with visas. As always YMMV

 

when i first came here i listed my residence as hotel essentia which is where i was staying at the time. on my renewal i was required to continue to list my residence as hotel essentia even tho i had long moved away from there. i was told it was not possible to change my address. will try again on my next renewal next year. (it took a year to get the actual license renewal in plastic in my possession and had to use a paper receipt during the intervening year)