visa help.

[primdale]

hope this is the right section to post this.

I normally visit the Philippines for 1 month but next January I am going for 47days.
do I need to apply for a visa in London before leaving or can I get one in nia on arrival.
any help would be much appreciated.

[Harry T]

Hiya this is a simple choice for you Option 1, do nothing and when you arrive in Phills you will get a 30 day visa free stay, which you will have to extend for a further 30 days i think it is, at the nearest BI to wherever you are staying, ie Manila, Cebu, Davao etc etc. Option 2; you can apply to the Philippine embassy in London either in person or by post, simply download the forms from the website, http://www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph/ and follow the instructions, this will give you a 59 day stay for the princely sum of £24, thats where my Passport is right now i just missed out on a minor detail and have posted said omission off only today. so theres really not a choice its Option 2 that i reccomend.. no hassle.. enjoy your stay.

[jonnijon]

When you arrive in the Philippines and you go to immigration desk at the airport, tell the officer you wish to extend your stay, they will direct you. Think you will need pesos to pay for visa. Very easy way to extend visa.

[grahamw48]

Just over p3000 at NAIA.

That's what I'll be doing next month.

Sorry... wouldn't trust my passport with an embassy in London... and don't they ask a load of personal financial questions for the London-issued visa ?
They don't need any of that in the Phils.

[primdale]

don't they ask a load of personal financial questions for the London-issued visa ?
.

yes and you have to send a bank statement to prove you have enough funds.
anyway I just found there having an consular outreach in Liverpool in October so I may just go and get my visa there.

thanks everybody for the help.

[Michael Parnham]

When I used London, posted my application on a Monday and my Passport with Visa arrived back on the Wednesday, I was very pleasantly surprised. I didn't have a computer to apply in 2011 so I called the Embassy the Thursday previous and the application forms arrived the following morning (Friday).

[Harry T]

Personal choice, and personal experience i guess, but i paid 5000+ and 7000+ in Davao to extend.and not a great experience to wait around..

[grahamw48]

Any decent hotel or travel agent in the Phils will charge you around 500 pesos on top of the (3,100pesos approx) first extension fee.

Just give them your passport and the pesos, at least a week before your 30 day waiver is up.

All done for you in a few days.

[Steve.r]

Done on arrival, its so easy, just tell them when you reach the immigration desk that you want to extend and they will direct you to the office.

[Terpe]

Done on arrival, its so easy, just tell them when you reach the immigration desk that you want to extend and they will direct you to the office.

I agree Steve, in my personal this is by far the easiest and cheapest (well used to be).

Not a major issue to go thought the PH Embassy, but as Graham rightly states, the Embassy does often demand too much personal information.

[grahamw48]

Anyone ever been questioned about the return date on their plane ticket being more than 30 days ?

Still a fly in my worry ointment, I must admit.

[Steve.r]

When I have stayed for extended periods I have been able to buy a disposable ticket, it can be to anywhere for the absolute cheapest flight out. Can be to Hong Kong Singapore. But when you enter with your spouse, I didn't need one or was asked for one.

[primdale]

just phoned emirates to ask when I check in and they see I am going for 47 days and have no visa would there be a problem. they advised me to
get the visa in the uk just to be safe because some check in staff insist you
have one to travel.

[Steve.r]

Ok, look, we gave you the right info. Either do it here, or do it there, my personal experience says do it on arrival. The airline has no say or influence over who has a visa or not, why should they?? Why go out of your way when we have given the exact advice necessary. We have all done it many times and still you don't believe us.
Some people!!!