21 days?

[aug06_2006]

Hi everyone,

Can someone help me please as i'm getting no joy with the phil embassy!!
I'm a British guy going to Cebu in June, I'm not sure if I need a visa or not? I arrive on the 17th of June and depart on the 8th of July. What i'm not sure of is whether this is 21 days or 22? ie do they count the 17th as one day or 18th as one day?

I would appreciate any help u can offer:)

[mavid]

they do include the day you arrived in the airport and it is 21 days from the day you arrived in the airport.

so if u leave on the 8th of July, u are overstaying for 1 day isnt it?

but my fiance back in 2003, he overstayed one week and we had no idea about the visa then hehehe.... immigration people just asked him to pay a fine, which is more or less the same amount when u get a visa extension.

but then again...if you're married to a filipina, don't you get a free one year visa?

[alicat]

count the 17th as one day,so you need to pay
but if you married to a filipina and your both going
to phil.,you can ask for balikbayan visa,just show ur
and ur wife passfort at the same time to immigration officer.

[aug06_2006]

Thanks Mavid and alicat for your advice, can u tell me a bit more about the balikbayan visa? Do u think i will be ok without visa? Just to confirm yes i'm married to filipina and she is going also!
Thanks again!

[alicat]

you need a visa,you can get it easy in the plane.
when you arrived to phil..just let your wife talk
to immigration officer,and you come to her show your
both passfort and ask for balikbayan visa..whats your
wife passfort?still phil?anyway im not expert
just an experience.

[aug06_2006]

Thanks alicat!

I had no idea about the balikbayan visa, I have just been reading some posts about it!! Yes my wife's passport still phils. It should be straight forward when i arrive there i guess! Thanks again for the help!!

[ginapeterb]

Actually in practice the immigration officer will ask your wife how long you will stay, if its over 21 days, you will receive a 1 year entry visa, its a formality, a rubber stamping exercise, don't worry about it.

You will tread the path, that many of us how trod, good luck...wish I was going with you.

[aug06_2006]

Thankyou Pete,

Typical me worrying about nothing!!

Its a lifesaver this forum!

[vbkelly]

Hi everyone,

Can someone help me please as i'm getting no joy with the phil embassy!!
I'm a British guy going to Cebu in June, I'm not sure if I need a visa or not? I arrive on the 17th of June and depart on the 8th of July. What i'm not sure of is whether this is 21 days or 22? ie do they count the 17th as one day or 18th as one day?

I would appreciate any help u can offer:)

it is 21days the day you arrive in manila is not counted so you start counting at 18 of june

[vbkelly]

Hi everyone,

Can someone help me please as i'm getting no joy with the phil embassy!!
I'm a British guy going to Cebu in June, I'm not sure if I need a visa or not? I arrive on the 17th of June and depart on the 8th of July. What i'm not sure of is whether this is 21 days or 22? ie do they count the 17th as one day or 18th as one day?

I would appreciate any help u can offer:)

also if you are concerned you can always go to the immigration field office in mandaue cebu where you can pay an extension

[A_flyer]

I had no idea about the balikbayan visa, I have just been reading some posts about it!! Yes my wife's passport still phils. It should be straight forward when i arrive there i guess! Thanks again for the help!!
To use the Balikbayan privilege and get a visa free one year stay within the Philippines, you need to arrive both at immigration, have your both passports presented and a Philippines NSO sepca copy of your Marriage certificate (have to be presented if they ask for), and request politely the immigration officer the Balikbayan privilege.

[fred]

BI stops visa extension applications at airport
Philippine Star, March 12, 2008
http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080311158&type=2

Foreigners leaving the country must now renew or extend their visas
and pay the necessary fees at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) office in
Manila.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan has issued a memorandum
stopping applications for extension of visas at airports "to prevent
corruption."

"Any request for extension of tourist visa filed at any international
airport of entry and exit shall immediately be referred and forwarded
to the visa extension section of the BI main office or concerned
sub-port or field office for appropriate action," read the order.

Libanan said some immigration personnel at the airports pocket the
visa extension fees collected from departing foreigners instead of
remitting them to the government.

"We should ensure that these visa extension fees are remitted to our
treasury, thus we should not give anyone the temptation or opportunity
to deprive our government of much needed revenues," he said.

BI spokesman Floro Balato Jr. said under the immigration law, a
foreign tourist who leaves the country must update his stay and pay
the necessary extension fees prior to his departure.

"However, we have been getting reports that some of our immigration
officers have been taking advantage of the passengers by charging them
lower fees and diverting the money for themselves," he revealed.

In the past, immigration officers at airports allowed the departure of a
tourist who has not updated his stay so long as the latter pays the
corresponding visa extension fees, he added. — Edu Punay

[scott&ligaya]

My wife was OFW but no longer and we were married in Hong Kong, as we visit regularly we have some experience of Balikbayan visa, it seems it is down to the individual officer, sometimes they say "rules changed and I get 21 days" sometimes they just stamp it one year and no questions and sometimes they say "how long do want to stay for" so it seems like pot luck, pick an older immigaration officer they seem more sympathetic, make sure your wife does the talking and whatever the result do not get involved just be respectful and polite. The visa extension is 2055 pesos.