# Step-by-step: Move from the US to The Phillipines



## zdr (Feb 10, 2014)

Nuts to bolts how-to for a full-blown wet-behind-the-ears newbie... 

Phillipine Expats please provide information for the following headings:


-Best Place To Live (<Snip> why did you choose it?)

-Air-fare strategy (any tricks to saving $$$)

-Immigration How-To

-Banking <Snip>

-How To Find The Most Cost-Effective Rental

-How To Stay Safe/Safety Concerns

-Misc.


Thank you for any and all info that you can provide


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Hi and welcome to the Philippines page, Give it a bit of time and I think you'll get plenty of information and ideas from members.
Whatever advice and information you may get here, if you decide to move to the islands, be sure to make a trip or two first to be very sure this is where you want to be. Otherwise it could be a costly learning experience...


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

Before I moved to the Philippines I made about 6 trips to different locations. Cost and quality of live varies greatly in the Philippines at different location just as it does in the USA. Not all seek the same things. All these questions have been asked and answered already so do an advance search. In the search in forum select “Philippine Expat forum” .


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Phil_expat said:


> Before I moved to the Philippines I made about 6 trips to different locations. Cost and quality of live varies greatly in the Philippines at different location just as it does in the USA. Not all seek the same things. All these questions have been asked and answered already so do an advance search. In the search in forum select “Philippine Expat forum” .


Good thought. Most all information is here in the Philippines page/threads. One thing to add though on airfares. Buy airline tickets from a travel agent and not directly from an airline to get the lowest fares. Also for low fares, avoid travel in and around major holidays---especially the Easter season. 
Safety issues, remember your "street smarts" from any larger cities you have live in. Don't be in a hurry to trust and or accept offers of help...


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Jet Lag said:


> Good thought. Most all information is here in the Philippines page/threads. One thing to add though on airfares. Buy airline tickets from a travel agent and not directly from an airline to get the lowest fares. Also for low fares, avoid travel in and around major holidays---especially the Easter season.
> Safety issues, remember your "street smarts" from any larger cities you have live in. Don't be in a hurry to trust and or accept offers of help...


Regarding air fares, check all options. We always use the internet as high street travel agents are usually more expensive due to their comission. Check the airlines direct as they have offers. We flew Lufthansa this Christmas as there website was the cheapest, unless you wanted to spend 18 hours in Borneo. Look at the route options. We flew London to Hong Kong + Cebu Pacific (£625+£210) London-Manila direct £1057. A single fare is not aways cheaper than a return. You would need a throwaway on top of a single anyway.


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## shaneb3 (Dec 18, 2013)

A good reminder to always buy a round trip ticket. 99% of the time they wont let you in without a return ticket.I had to learn that. I bought a round trip flight to the US from here in the Philippines and when I tried to return here I was denied entry. Even though I am married I had to show my marriage certificate. Luckily he let me in.


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## zdr (Feb 10, 2014)

Thank you for the responses so far


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

shaneb3 said:


> A good reminder to always buy a round trip ticket. 99% of the time they wont let you in without a return ticket.I had to learn that. I bought a round trip flight to the US from here in the Philippines and when I tried to return here I was denied entry. Even though I am married I had to show my marriage certificate. Luckily he let me in.


That's exactly right. Pain in the tail but that's the law. Another way to hold the cost down when coming to the Philippines is to buy a one way to Manila and ALSO a one way ticket to a low cost destination such as Hong Kong or Malaysia. That satisfies the law on the need for a ticket to an onward destination.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

shaneb3 said:


> A good reminder to always buy a round trip ticket. 99% of the time they wont let you in without a return ticket.I had to learn that. I bought a round trip flight to the US from here in the Philippines and when I tried to return here I was denied entry. Even though I am married I had to show my marriage certificate. Luckily he let me in.


Since the topic came up, I am curious if any SRRV holders have tried to purchase a one way ticket to Manila from abroad. When I asked the local Mango Tours travel agency, they told me that I could not do it because i am not a citizen. I informed the lady that I have a SRRV and she said "Oh". Se had never heard of it. I think that I could convince them to sell me a one way ticket, but could possibly get caught in a quagmire. Any input??


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

bbazor said:


> Since the topic came up, I am curious if any SRRV holders have tried to purchase a one way ticket to Manila from abroad. When I asked the local Mango Tours travel agency, they told me that I could not do it because i am not a citizen. I informed the lady that I have a SRRV and she said "Oh". Se had never heard of it. I think that I could convince them to sell me a one way ticket, but could possibly get caught in a quagmire. Any input??


Your biggest hurdle could be convincing the flight attendant at the check in desk that you should be catching that flight. I had a friend who had a near thing at Singapore because his stay was over 21 day and girl at the gate didn't want to let him on as she was familiar with the BB process.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

bbazor said:


> Since the topic came up, I am curious if any SRRV holders have tried to purchase a one way ticket to Manila from abroad. When I asked the local Mango Tours travel agency, they told me that I could not do it because i am not a citizen. I informed the lady that I have a SRRV and she said "Oh". Se had never heard of it. I think that I could convince them to sell me a one way ticket, but could possibly get caught in a quagmire. Any input??


Most any agency will sell a ticket. The sticky part is when you check in for the flight at the airport. Legally, the airline, any airline can not board you going to the Philippines unless (as a foreign citizen) you have a round trip OR are ticketed to an onward destination-period. The airlines are very careful in this as if they let someone board without meeting those requirements, they can be fined by the Philippine government visa type not withstanding.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*Air Travel*



Gary D said:


> Regarding air fares, check all options. We always use the internet as high street travel agents are usually more expensive due to their comission. Check the airlines direct as they have offers. We flew Lufthansa this Christmas as there website was the cheapest, unless you wanted to spend 18 hours in Borneo. Look at the route options. We flew London to Hong Kong + Cebu Pacific (£625+£210) London-Manila direct £1057. A single fare is not aways cheaper than a return. You would need a throwaway on top of a single anyway.


I agree with Gary D on this point, when traveling overseas, it is better to buy your ticket before 1 June because ticket prices rise up substantially on 1 June because of rising traveler numbers. I did this on my last and final trip to the Philippines and saved $500US on ticket prices. I had purchased a round trip ticket with a 6 month return for about $1,900US and when I cancelled my flight back home, with my wife, I only had to pay a $100US fee and got back $850US. We went to the airline company office in Manila to take care of the ticket cancellation.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

Jet Lag said:


> Most any agency will sell a ticket. The sticky part is when you check in for the flight at the airport. Legally, the airline, any airline can not board you going to the Philippines unless (as a foreign citizen) you have a round trip OR are ticketed to an onward destination-period. The airlines are very careful in this as if they let someone board without meeting those requirements, they can be fined by the Philippine government visa type not withstanding.


I understand what you are saying. I have been told by the PRA that it is OK to just purchase a one way ticket. Supposedly, that is one of the perks of the program. I still don't know if any SRRV holders have tried it. I wonder if I should try to get a letter from a PRA official. Or, do most of you think I should just bite the extra ticket cost to be safe (maybe to Hong Kong)? I wouls sure hate to be stuck SFO airport with no where to go.


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## billygoat993 (Jan 18, 2014)

bbazor said:


> I understand what you are saying. I have been told by the PRA that it is OK to just purchase a one way ticket. Supposedly, that is one of the perks of the program. I still don't know if any SRRV holders have tried it. I wonder if I should try to get a letter from a PRA official. Or, do most of you think I should just bite the extra ticket cost to be safe (maybe to Hong Kong)? I wouls sure hate to be stuck SFO airport with no where to go.


If you have SRV visa, id and other documents that you were granted residence here and you can present that at the counter if and when they question you for having one way ticket. Happens to our friend. But will email and ask BI about it to be sure.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

billygoat993 said:


> If you have SRV visa, id and other documents that you were granted residence here and you can present that at the counter if and when they question you for having one way ticket. Happens to our friend. But will email and ask BI about it to be sure.


I don't usually travel with the other documents, but I think that is a good idea and will do so if possible. Most of that stuff is in my condo in Baguio. I have the SRRV ID card and the SRRV stamp on my passport. The PRA agent told me that it is a perk that you can indeed purchase a one way ticket. I saw the statement on their website about this particular perk a few years ago. I just checked and I did not find it there. They have done a terrible job of keeping up their site.

You stated that you have a friend with an SRRV that had the same issue. Has it happened to him multiple times? How does he deal with it?

Any other experiences on this subject out there?


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

If not a Philippine residence (have card) an exit ticket is required to enter the country. The airlines and immigration at the airport are supposed to check but not all do. It can be expensive and time consuming if one does not have one. Tickets can be purchased for less than $40.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

I understand that an exit ticket is required for most visas. However, the PRA told me that it is not required for SRRV holders. I saw the exemption statement their website a couple of years ago. I tried to check recently but could not find it anymore. Maybe because, the website is so screwed up now that you can't even get to all the links. I will continue to ask more people from the PRA to see if they all give the same answer. I know an expat that has a SRRV that only purchases one way tickets. He has been hassled before but managed to get through after the agent contacted a supervisor. Still, I am not sure if it is worth the hassle since you can buy an exit ticket for around $40. It would only take one time to get screwed if they did not accept it. I am still wondering what experiences that other SRRV holders have had.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

*Ticketing*



Phil_expat said:


> If not a Philippine residence (have card) an exit ticket is required to enter the country. The airlines and immigration at the airport are supposed to check but not all do. It can be expensive and time consuming if one does not have one. Tickets can be purchased for less than $40.





bbazor said:


> I understand that an exit ticket is required for most visas. However, the PRA told me that it is not required for SRRV holders. I saw the exemption statement their website a couple of years ago. I tried to check recently but could not find it anymore. Maybe because, the website is so screwed up now that you can't even get to all the links. I will continue to ask more people from the PRA to see if they all give the same answer. I know an expat that has a SRRV that only purchases one way tickets. He has been hassled before but managed to get through after the agent contacted a supervisor. Still, I am not sure if it is worth the hassle since you can buy an exit ticket for around $40. It would only take one time to get screwed if they did not accept it. I am still wondering what experiences that other SRRV holders have had.


*Take note, your problem is not so much here in the Philippines. It is boarding your flight TO the Philippines in any other country. Those airlines check to be sure you have that round trip or onward ticket. Without it they can and will be fined. So if they are watching like they should be, they will not board you without the correct ticketing.*


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Jet Lag said:


> *Take note, your problem is not so much here in the Philippines. It is boarding your flight TO the Philippines in any other country. Those airlines check to be sure you have that round trip or onward ticket. Without it they can and will be fined. So if they are watching like they should be, they will not board you without the correct ticketing.*


Jet Lag what you say is true and the problem is that the check in people often do not know the regulations. As a SRRV holder you should be treated no different to a Filipino traveling to the Philippines who I'm sure wouldn't need an onward ticket. Proving your residence status should be all that is necessary.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

Gary D said:


> Jet Lag what you say is true and the problem is that the check in people often do not know the regulations. As a SRRV holder you should be treated no different to a Filipino traveling to the Philippines who I'm sure wouldn't need an onward ticket. Proving your residence status should be all that is necessary.


Gary D: This is basically what I have been told by the PRA. As Jetlag states, my concern is that the PAL people at SFO will not know about the PRA SRRV exemption and therefore not let me on the plane. I am wondering if there are any SRRV members on the forum that have had any experience with this issue *one way ticket", and if so, how did they handle it? I have done a lot of internet searching and found sites that state the exemption. However, the PRA is not one of those sites. But their website is full of bad links that take you nowhere. I am still trying to get more information from the PRA.

Ben


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

bbazor said:


> Gary D: This is basically what I have been told by the PRA. As Jetlag states, my concern is that the PAL people at SFO will not know about the PRA SRRV exemption and therefore not let me on the plane. I am wondering if there are any SRRV members on the forum that have had any experience with this issue *one way ticket", and if so, how did they handle it? I have done a lot of internet searching and found sites that state the exemption. However, the PRA is not one of those sites. But their website is full of bad links that take you nowhere. I am still trying to get more information from the PRA.
> 
> Ben


I visit the USA once or twice a year and always fly PAL in/out of SFO. I have done this for the past 8 years and always found the Philippines air lines staff there to know the rules. They require a residence card or onward ticket. You will not have any troubles with your SRRV, just show them your card. 
Tony


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

Thanks Tony, this is exactly the type of feedback/information that I was looking for. Anyone else out there with *SRRV* visa have the same experience as tony.


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## billygoat993 (Jan 18, 2014)

bbazor said:


> I don't usually travel with the other documents, but I think that is a good idea and will do so if possible. Most of that stuff is in my condo in Baguio. I have the SRRV ID card and the SRRV stamp on my passport. The PRA agent told me that it is a perk that you can indeed purchase a one way ticket. I saw the statement on their website about this particular perk a few years ago. I just checked and I did not find it there. They have done a terrible job of keeping up their site.
> 
> You stated that you have a friend with an SRRV that had the same issue. Has it happened to him multiple times? How does he deal with it?
> 
> Any other experiences on this subject out there?


Sorry for the late reply. He travels with his documents always he was questioned by Cathay for not having a return tcket and after showing his resident Id it was ok. Every now and then he gets asked can't blame others cause every now and then rules change.
Just travel with your documents it will help.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

billygoat993 said:


> Sorry for the late reply. He travels with his documents always he was questioned by Cathay for not having a return tcket and after showing his resident Id it was ok. Every now and then he gets asked can't blame others cause every now and then rules change.
> Just travel with your documents it will help.


Thanks for asking some of your friends. I just want to verify what documents that you are referring to. I always travel with my SRRV PRA ID card. My passport is stamped with the information for my SRRV. Is there anything else that I need to carry ? That is pretty much all you get from the PRA other than a receipt for the application fee. Maybe I am worrying over nothing and will be just fine as long as I have my resident ID with me.

I am still working on getting some sort of a document from the PRA that states their policy. As you can imagine, it is not so easy. My PRA contact did tell me that all the SRRV holders that he deals with usually purchase one way tickets.

Thanks to all that gave input on this subject!!


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## billygoat993 (Jan 18, 2014)

bbazor said:


> Thanks for asking some of your friends. I just want to verify what documents that you are referring to. I always travel with my SRRV PRA ID card. My passport is stamped with the information for my SRRV. Is there anything else that I need to carry ? That is pretty much all you get from the PRA other than a receipt for the application fee. Maybe I am worrying over nothing and will be just fine as long as I have my resident ID with me.
> 
> I am still working on getting some sort of a document from the PRA that states their policy. As you can imagine, it is not so easy. My PRA contact did tell me that all the SRRV holders that he deals with usually purchase one way tickets.
> 
> Thanks to all that gave input on this subject!!


That is all you need. They usually ask if you have an id to prove your residency Cathay to be specific. I have posted an email address in here of BI you can write to them if you want or thru FB phili Bureau if Immigration and they do reply. I posted the email add as a reply to the guy asking about his 13g.


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