6 month visa

[Leo]

just would like to ask if I was in the Philippines on holiday and wanted to stay longer could I apply for a 6 month visa or
would I need to get it from London before I went thanks

[Terpe]

Hi Leo,

I stand to be corrected from our more experienced members who have followed this same path, but I believe that you'd apply for the 6 month stay after you have a 59 day extension.
On arrival now you'll be given a 30 day visa free period provided you have a return ticket. You may secure a 59 day extension upon arrival at the airport if you wish.

[irishman12]

there isnt any 6 month visa -probably best to get 59 day visa before u go and then just extend 2 more times ,depends where you are planning to stay for the 6 months as currently the 6 month extension can only be done in manila ,doesnt make much sense to get a 6 month ext if only staying 6 months , if you go without visa -you get 30 days on arrival and can get extension for 29 days .

[Leo]

hello thanks for the information the philippinne embassy have said can get a 6 month visa cost £43 have to go to london in person to get it i was trying to avoid the trip to london

[jake]

hello thanks for the information the philippinne embassy have said can get a 6 month visa cost £43 have to go to london in person to get it i was trying to avoid the trip to london

Leo, you cannot get a 6 month visa for 43 pounds.

The longest visa you will get from the embassy is 59 days. If you wish to stay longer you can go to the Bureau of Immigration and apply for an extension.

[Terpe]

hello thanks for the information the philippinne embassy have said can get a 6 month visa cost £43 have to go to london in person to get it i was trying to avoid the trip to london

Hi Leo, Jake is correct.

I believe you may have misunderstood the information from Philippine Embassy.
That 6 month visa you mention is actually a multiple entry visa which is valid for 6 months from date of issue.
The maximum stay in the Philippines for each entry is 59 days, regardless of number of allowable or actual entries.
If you have the intention of staying in Philippines for 59 days or longer without leaving Philippines during that time then there's no real reason for multiple entry visa.

If you do intend staying longer than 59 days then you must secure an extension of stay with the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines and pay the needed fees.

If you wish to secure a 59 day visa (either single entry or multiple entry) you can do this via the Philippine Embassy in London.
There is no need to apply in person, it can all be done by post.

Just click on this link for the application form:-

APPLICATION FOR NON-IMMIGRATION VISA (http://philembassy-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/visaform2a_new.pdf)

It's fairly self-explanatory, but do take care to read all the notes etc

[fred]

The Philippines has raised the tourist visa extension period from two to six months as part of a plan to boost tourist arrivals, immigration officials said Tuesday.
Antonette Mangrobang, spokeswoman of the Bureau of Immigration, told Kyodo News the new policy took effect on Thursday last week.
It is aimed at attracting foreign visitors and also clearing the backlog of applications by tourists at the agency's offices seeking extensions.
She said the Long-Stay Visitors Visa Extension, which costs around 13,000 pesos (around $300), will specifically benefit foreign tourists who come to the Philippines to escape the winter season in their respective countries.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/130618/philippines-raises-tourist-visa-extension-period-6-mon

[Leo]

I wish I was better with a computer I could show you what the embassy sent me I am confused now I understand the 59 day extension but the way Freds link reads this is a new Visa

[jake]

I wish I was better with a computer I could show you what the embassy sent me I am confused now I understand the 59 day extension but the way Freds link reads this is a new Visa

There is a new 6 month tourist visa available which was introduced in June of this year.

You can only apply for this extension once you are already in the Philippines and not in another country. It is also only available at the main Bureau of Immigration offices in Manila. In time it may be available at district offices throughout the Philippines.

The cost is around 13,000php pesos. Roughly the same price as extending every 59 days over the same period of time. The advantages are it would save you having to go there every 2 months.

The official BI website here in the Philippines is not always updated!

The Philippine embassies website in Thailand seems more up to date.

http://www.bangkokpe.com/long-stay-visitor-visa-extension-lsvve/