Balikbayan visa

[mhic-mhic]

hi guys,can anyone have an idea about what is balikbayan visa?And how it works?thanks

[darren-b]

The balikbayan visa lets former filipinos and spouses of filipino (or former filipino) citizens stay in the Philippines for up to a year. It's free and is granted by immigration on the way in.

(I'm currently in the Philippines and was ganted one a week or so ago.)

[mhic-mhic]

oh i see,,so its for former filipinos,,thanks

[darren-b]

oh i see,,so its for former filipinos,,thanks

Or their non-filipino spouses (like me) - means I don't have to apply for a visa if I want to stay in the Philippines for a holiday longer than 3 weeks.

If you are filipino you don't need a visa to stay in the Philippines.

[rob legend]

Can you arrive together in Philippines with just a one way ticket and apply for Balikbayan visa or are you supposed to have outward ticket as with the tourist visa ??

[jta]

The balikbayan visa lets former filipinos and spouses of filipino (or former filipino) citizens stay in the Philippines for up to a year. It's free and is granted by immigration on the way in.

(I'm currently in the Philippines and was ganted one a week or so ago.)

hi darren,

Just want to have clarifications, Hows this work? Let say my husband traveling with me to the Philippines, is it automatic stamp on his passport or we need to ask for a stamp? Where? Thanks....

[darren-b]

hi darren,

Just want to have clarifications, Hows this work? Let say my husband traveling with me to the Philippines, is it automatic stamp on his passport or we need to ask for a stamp? Where? Thanks....

It seems to happen fairly automatically at immigration, though if concerned you could always highlight the fact that your husband wants a 1 year 'stamp'.

[jta]

Thank u for the reply. cheers!

[mhic-mhic]

guys,thank you so much for the greetings...

[xebec]

Just as a point of clarification (and happy to be corrected if someone knows better) the Filipino has to have been out of the country for a year for it to take effect.

I hope that is the case (I read it on the Philippines UK Embassy website) because our trip in June has been calculated on the basis of leaving on the 21st day so as to avoid visa cost. With free visa entry we may have extended by a couple of days.

[darren-b]

Just as a point of clarification (and happy to be corrected if someone knows better) the Filipino has to have been out of the country for a year for it to take effect.

I hope that is the case (I read it on the Philippines UK Embassy website) because our trip in June has been calculated on the basis of leaving on the 21st day so as to avoid visa cost. With free visa entry we may have extended by a couple of days.

"No visa shall be required for a maximum stay of one (1) year for the following Balikbayans, every time they enter the Philippines to visit, regardless of the frequency of their travel to the Philippines."

But you may be correct, or it may just depend on what the immigration officer thinks at the time.