Visa to the Philippines

[waytogo297]

Hi there,
I'm considering, spending 6 months in the Philippines and 6 months of the year in the uk. I am a uk citizen by birth.
I am recently married to a Pinay (very recently, she's still awaiting her spouse visa)

Do I need a visa to visit the Phils for 6 months ?

What kind of visa ?

How easy is it to get ?

I have no intention of working or running a business or anything, not strictly a tourist more a temporary resident.

I may at some point in the future look to applying for a similar visa to the spouse one my wife is applying for but in the meantime you advice regarding this would be appreciated.

Ta !!!!

[imagine]

you can extend your 21 day free visa once you are there

just something to to be aware of, you lose your right to nhs if you are out of uk more than 3 months i believe it is,

the other thing is ,, will this not affect your visa application for your wife to come to uk?

maybe someone here can advise better than myself

[irishman12]

Stewart -there isnt a 21 day visa thats free -yes you can stay in phils for 21 days without visa but as you are planning to stay longer then best to get 59 day visa in advance before you go , if you have a return ticket that is outside that 59 days -then maybe some problems but you could also get an onward ticket one way to one of other asian countries that would make you stay in phils more legit

[irishman12]

if your wife was in uk - then when ye went together to phils - you would get a balikbayan visa allowing one year stay , I may at some point in the future look to applying for a similar visa to the spouse one my wife is applying for ?? why

[imagine]

Stewart -there isnt a 21 day visa thats free

i will rephrase that ----------- 21 day visa-free :biggrin:

[grahamw48]

6 months is no problem...I've done it (and much longer) many times, both before I was married to a Filipina and after. Just keep extending your visa once you're there. Very easy. Travel agents there will also do it for you for a small fee.

Don't worry about the dates on your ticket, as long as you have a ticket OUT, that is all they're looking for, and they know that you'll be able to get visa extensions to cover it. Just don't OVERstay.

It will not affect your wife's spouse visa at all, rather it will help, because you will have demonstrated that you have a genuine relationship.

[tanga]

If your wife has her passport then consider a short trip with her to Hong Kong or somewhere in SEA then when you travel back to Philippines just request a Balikbayan visa which will entitle you to stay for up to one year. Your wife must be with you on entry and it may help if you have a copy of your marriage certificate with you.
Or arrange your outward flight via Bangkok,KL or HK and have your wife meet you there then travel to Philippines together
Extending your visa is relatively easy,its P3030 for 59 day extension and I believe you will be required to secure an alien certificate of registration (ACR) after the second extension

[grahamw48]

(Officially) You won't get a Balikbayan if you and the wife are entering from a 'third' country I'm afraid. Has to be from your home country, but no harm in trying.

[Terpe]

if your wife was in uk - then when ye went together to phils - you would get a balikbayan visa allowing one year stay , I may at some point in the future look to applying for a similar visa to the spouse one my wife is applying for ?? why

irishman12, there isn't a Balikbayan Visa, that's a Balikbayan one-year visa-free stay.


The balikbayan visa-free stay privilege is extended to the balikbayan’s non-Filipino spouse and children, provided they enter the Philippines with the balikbayan.

[tanga]

(Officially) You won't get a Balikbayan if you and the wife are entering from a 'third' country I'm afraid. Has to be from your home country, but no harm in trying.

Graham
I cannot find any info on that policy and I have never heard of anybody being refused. An expat colleague here returned home to sort out some affairs,leaving his wife here,returned after a month got his 21 day visa waiver then booked a short break in HK for himself and his wife and received a Balikbayan stamp on return.

[fred]

All the info you need is here.. After 59 days you will also need an I card in order to keep extending.
http://www.immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=118&Itemid=43

[grahamw48]

Graham
I cannot find any info on that policy and I have never heard of anybody being refused. An expat colleague here returned home to sort out some affairs,leaving his wife here,returned after a month got his 21 day visa waiver then booked a short break in HK for himself and his wife and received a Balikbayan stamp on return.

Yes, I'm happy to confirm that the rules were changed in 2001 (now that I've had chance to do some more research), and you're quite right. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

It had escaped my attention that they'd done this because the last time I entered the Phils with the (ex) wife and got a Balikbayan stamp was in 2000, so I haven't had to 'test' the system since then.

Here are the current basic rules:

http://philembassy-uk.org/consular-matters/balikbayan-privilege

[imagine]

wording taken from here http://philembassy-uk.org/consular-matters/balikbayan-privilege

No visa shall be required, as a privilege, for maximum stay of one (1) year for the following, everytime they enter the country to visit, regardless of the frequency of their travel:

does this mean you can get Balikbayan more than the one time, ie if a couple leaves once a year then returns to renew Balikbayan,?

[grahamw48]

It looks that way. :smile:

[Terpe]

.....does this mean you can get Balikbayan more than the one time, ie if a couple leaves once a year then returns to renew Balikbayan,?

Yes, we get 1 year BB everytime.

Many couples living in Philippines with make a short visit to say Hong Kong then return to Philippines and get another 1 year BB.

As long as you enter together you'll get the BB stamp

Although, having said that, I do of someone who's done that now for 6 years and has been told by Philippine Immigration that his activity is not correct and he might no be able to secure a BB stamp next time. He says he'll try and if it doesn't work he'll just work through the regular tourist visa route.

[imagine]

i guess its worth it for how ever many years you get away with it,:xxgrinning--00xx3:

who knows ,next time he goes through imigration the subject might not be raised again, after all they did say might not be able to:biggrin:

[grahamw48]

Perhaps he just needs to get a new passport.

I doubt the BI records are up to much.

[tanga]

Yes, we get 1 year BB everytime.

Many couples living in Philippines with make a short visit to say Hong Kong then return to Philippines and get another 1 year BB.

As long as you enter together you'll get the BB stamp

Although, having said that, I do of someone who's done that now for 6 years and has been told by Philippine Immigration that his activity is not correct and he might no be able to secure a BB stamp next time. He says he'll try and if it doesn't work he'll just work through the regular tourist visa route.

I know an expat who was living here on a BB visa for 7 years. Each year he and his wife took a trip out for a week or so then returned,and he got stamped in for another year. Two years ago the immigration asked him where his main residence was. It was obviously Philippines and they stamped him in for another year with the proviso that he should apply for a permanent resident visa as he was abusing the BB privilege. His passport was endorsed with this requirement and he was told this would be the last BB of which he could avail.
I doubt there would be any problem in getting regular BB stamps but anybody using the privilege for the full 12 months,year after year may find that they will be asked to secure the correct visa

[waytogo297]

As I suspected, the answer is complicated, as anything seems to be in relation to the Philippines.
I have also learned, there rarely is there any definitive answer or even a place you can get that answer, rather it seems you have to listen to what others experience themselves and say and try to find more information yourself and finally push through the paperwork and bureaucracy as a learn as you go experience.

It's also made more complicated in that often, people can achieve the same thing by different methods.

Thanks for all the answers though.

[Terpe]

As I suspected, the answer is complicated, as anything seems to be in relation to the Philippines.
I have also learned, there rarely is there any definitive answer or even a place you can get that answer, rather it seems you have to listen to what others experience themselves and say and try to find more information yourself and finally push through the paperwork and bureaucracy as a learn as you go experience.

It's also made more complicated in that often, people can achieve the same thing by different methods.

Thanks for all the answers though.

I don't see any complication in either securing tourists visa's for Philippines or in securing a BB stamp.
The rules are very cleary stated.
The complications are usually only seen when folk do not follow the rules.

It seems to me that the complication for you is in the plan you have for 6 months UK then 6months Philippines.
It's not a stable situation that easily sits with the immigration rules of either country.

Just my opinion on what I read

[fred]

If your wife has not been out of the Philippines for at least a year then technically they can and sometimes refuse BB stamps as it is in the rules.
If you are thinking of living here for 6 months of the year for more than a couple of years then consider a 13a visa which can be applied for in the UK..
If its just a one off,then I cant see a problem with extending tourist visas.

Edit.. Seems they have changed the rules which should make things a little more consistant..

The Commissioner of Immigration Andrea D. Domingo informed the Department of Foreign Affairs on 4 June 2001 that, “All Immigration Officers at authorized ports of entry shall grant the benefits and privileges to all Balikbayan and former Filipinos included every time they enter the country to visit, regardless of their frequent travel”. This means that the above categories of persons could now avail of the Balikbayan benefits and privileges regardless of the number of times they enter the country within a year.

http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/balikbayan.htm