# Phils enter + exit rule



## Johnny B (May 27, 2013)

Hello again! Looking for some advice... This coming February I plan on going to the Philippines and staying there, how's best to handle the exit flight? I don't want a return ticket because I have no idea when I'd be returning. I take it best way might be to enter with single ticket but have at hand a cheap exit ticket to somewhere else outside the Phils? Then again this ticket would need to be a return ticket back into the Phils meaning I'd still need another exit ticket... Hope this is clear, and I hope there's a less complicated solution

Thanks in advance!
PS: Oneway ticket + cheap exit ticket that maybe I don't use?


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## Nickleback99 (Aug 6, 2011)

Johnny B said:


> Hello again! Looking for some advice... This coming February I plan on going to the Philippines and staying there, how's best to handle the exit flight? I don't want a return ticket because I have no idea when I'd be returning. I take it best way might be to enter with single ticket but have at hand a cheap exit ticket to somewhere else outside the Phils? Then again this ticket would need to be a return ticket back into the Phils meaning I'd still need another exit ticket... Hope this is clear, and I hope there's a less complicated solution
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> PS: Oneway ticket + cheap exit ticket that maybe I don't use?


You pretty much nailed it. One Way tix inbound and Cheap one way "throw away" tix to Hong Kong, etc in your pocket so to speak.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

Yep. A one way ticket and a one way throw away ticket. 

I just went back to the US for a visit and I found a cheap flight from Manila to somewhere in China (never heard of the city). I came in 21OCT14 and the ticket is for 30JAN15, so I can use it again - going on vacation to Singapore in January and will need a throw away ticket to come back in from Singapore. Same ticket works.


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## Johnny B (May 27, 2013)

Nickleback99 said:


> You pretty much nailed it. One Way tix inbound and Cheap one way "throw away" tix to Hong Kong, etc in your pocket so to speak.


Thank you! Head's spinning


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## Johnny B (May 27, 2013)

Tukaram said:


> Yep. A one way ticket and a one way throw away ticket.
> 
> I just went back to the US for a visit and I found a cheap flight from Manila to somewhere in China (never heard of the city). I came in 21OCT14 and the ticket is for 30JAN15, so I can use it again - going on vacation to Singapore in January and will need a throw away ticket to come back in from Singapore. Same ticket works.


Thank you! 
I'd be going there as a tourist with intention of staying, extending my stays for as long as I can, can the throw away exit ticket on original entry be for 1 year later, perhaps 2 or for the end of the max amount of extentions? This way maybe I could use it for the time I gotta leave which I think is for minimum one day outside Phils territory...


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

Johnny B said:


> Thank you!
> I'd be going there as a tourist with intention of staying, extending my stays for as long as I can, can the throw away exit ticket on original entry be for 1 year later, perhaps 2 or for the end of the max amount of extentions? This way maybe I could use it for the time I gotta leave which I think is for minimum one day outside Phils territory...


If you are from the US you can stay on tourist visa extensions for 36 months. I don't think the airlines sell tickets more than a year out... so you will eventually throw the ticket away. Or, you could buy a fully refundable ticket and just get your money back. The throw away tickets are cheap enough I have never bothered with a refundable ticket.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Tukaram said:


> If you are from the US you can stay on tourist visa extensions for 36 months. I don't think the airlines sell tickets more than a year out... so you will eventually throw the ticket away. Or, you could buy a fully refundable ticket and just get your money back. The throw away tickets are cheap enough I have never bothered with a refundable ticket.


Refundable tickets are good except one needs to get or do the refund at the point of purchase. Not sure about refunding an E-ticket..


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

Sometimes the on line travel agencies have fully refundable e-tickets issued.

They may have a 24 hour window so book the flight just before you depart and cancel as soon as you clear customs and immigration to be within the period


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## Johnny B (May 27, 2013)

Tukaram said:


> If you are from the US you can stay on tourist visa extensions for 36 months. I don't think the airlines sell tickets more than a year out... so you will eventually throw the ticket away. Or, you could buy a fully refundable ticket and just get your money back. The throw away tickets are cheap enough I have never bothered with a refundable ticket.


Looks like cheapest single entry ticket and cheapest exit ticket! Thank you!


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

I have found good tickets on Air Asia. I also have heard that Tiger Air sometimes has good deals as well.

I just check for Manila departures and look at a couple destinations. Macau, Honk Kong or Singapore. Use flexible dates so you can see a few days in either direction from original picked date.

Usually can find one less than 2 000 p all in. Don’t book baggage, meals or seat.

Once I find something less than about 2 500 p I just stop looking is not worth it to spend an hour looking and burning bandwidth to save 200 p.


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## overmyer (Aug 15, 2013)

Manitoba said:


> I have found good tickets on Air Asia. I also have heard that Tiger Air sometimes has good deals as well.
> 
> I just check for Manila departures and look at a couple destinations. Macau, Honk Kong or Singapore. Use flexible dates so you can see a few days in either direction from original picked date.
> 
> ...


Better/lower fares on flights departing Clark.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

overmyer said:


> Better/lower fares on flights departing Clark.


I checked there both times and fares were slightly higher those days.

Last one I got was AirAsa Manila to Macau for 1 999 p

Of course with anything involving airlines and airfare rules YMMV.



Also from now on I'll always book one year out if possable. I was out of the country in Nov and booked a throw away flight out mid Dec. I then decided to leave over Xmas for a couple days and had to buy another throw away when had the first one still been valid could have been reused.


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## Jim151 (Jan 4, 2015)

Tukaram said:


> If you are from the US you can stay on tourist visa extensions for 36 months. I don't think the airlines sell tickets more than a year out... so you will eventually throw the ticket away. Or, you could buy a fully refundable ticket and just get your money back. The throw away tickets are cheap enough I have never bothered with a refundable ticket.


I keep reading tourist visa from US is good for a) 30 days b) 59 days then need to extend and now c) 36 months.

I am sure the confusion is on my part. But am interested in knowing the correct information as I plan to move to possibly Davao in July from US (well actually Guatemala but am a US born citizen)


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Jim151 said:


> I keep reading tourist visa from US is good for a) 30 days b) 59 days then need to extend and now c) 36 months.
> 
> I am sure the confusion is on my part. But am interested in knowing the correct information as I plan to move to possibly Davao in July from US (well actually Guatemala but am a US born citizen)


Yes you are correct. You get a free 30 days on entry, you will then need to extend to 59 days after which you can extend every 2 months up to a maximum of 36 months.


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## Jim151 (Jan 4, 2015)

Gary D said:


> Yes you are correct. You get a free 30 days on entry, you will then need to extend to 59 days after which you can extend every 2 months up to a maximum of 36 months.


Thanks Gary...I was certainly correct that I was confused too... I appreciate it


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## pakawala (Sep 10, 2014)

Johnny B said:


> Hello again! Looking for some advice... This coming February I plan on going to the Philippines and staying there, how's best to handle the exit flight? I don't want a return ticket because I have no idea when I'd be returning. I take it best way might be to enter with single ticket but have at hand a cheap exit ticket to somewhere else outside the Phils? Then again this ticket would need to be a return ticket back into the Phils meaning I'd still need another exit ticket... Hope this is clear, and I hope there's a less complicated solution
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> PS: Oneway ticket + cheap exit ticket that maybe I don't use?


I occasionally read the articles on The Philippine Flight Network's website and remembered this one. It explains the onward ticket and recommends Kota Kinabalu.

Philippine Travel: Understanding the Onward Ticket Rule ~ Philippine Flight Network 

I just looked at Cebu Pacific flights and tickets are p999 plus fees total p1794.06


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

pakawala said:


> I occasionally read the articles on The Philippine Flight Network's website and remembered this one. It explains the onward ticket and recommends Kota Kinabalu.
> 
> Philippine Travel: Understanding the Onward Ticket Rule ~ Philippine Flight Network
> 
> I just looked at Cebu Pacific flights and tickets are p999 plus fees total p1794.06


Roundtrip?


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## Jim151 (Jan 4, 2015)

pakawala said:


> I occasionally read the articles on The Philippine Flight Network's website and remembered this one. It explains the onward ticket and recommends Kota Kinabalu.
> 
> I just looked at Cebu Pacific flights and tickets are p999 plus fees total p1794.06


Thanks, that is an excellent article


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## John1850 (Oct 31, 2014)

I have just flown from the UK to Manila and landed on January 1 at terminal 3. When going through Immigration I asked for my free 30 day visa to be extended to 59 days. Her colleague took my passport and ushered me to a waiting area while the visa was extended. This took about 20 minutes (it is the first time I have been to the Philippines). The staff were very professional and apart from me handing over the fee in pesos I had no input; they filled in all forms. The only thing I was asked was where I was staying that night and for the rest of my stay which is 3 months. They were satisfied with the address of a hotel in Makati which was booked/ paid for the first 6 days and that because I may tour various parts of the country for the remainder, I had no other addresses.
During this time my two suitcases had been on the carousel and security came looking for me. They kindly stood guard over my luggage until I could collect it even putting it on a trolley; by now it was after 20:30 hours.
I simply walked through the green lane (nothing to declare) and had not even bothered to fill in a customs declaration form on landing.
Altogether a pleasant introduction to the Philippines.


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## siamjeff (Dec 14, 2014)

Hello:

I've found the cheapest tickets at Cebu Pacific.
Manila - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia for as low as 700 Pesos.

Airport check in has asked me for the onward ticket everytime I've come back to Phils so take it seriously, they definitely want to see the ticket to let you get on the plane back to Phils.

Good luck!


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

John1850 said:


> I have just flown from the UK to Manila and landed on January 1 at terminal 3. When going through Immigration I asked for my free 30 day visa to be extended to 59 days. Her colleague took my passport and ushered me to a waiting area while the visa was extended. This took about 20 minutes (it is the first time I have been to the Philippines). The staff were very professional and apart from me handing over the fee in pesos I had no input; they filled in all forms. The only thing I was asked was where I was staying that night and for the rest of my stay which is 3 months. They were satisfied with the address of a hotel in Makati which was booked/ paid for the first 6 days and that because I may tour various parts of the country for the remainder, I had no other addresses.
> During this time my two suitcases had been on the carousel and security came looking for me. They kindly stood guard over my luggage until I could collect it even putting it on a trolley; by now it was after 20:30 hours.
> I simply walked through the green lane (nothing to declare) and had not even bothered to fill in a customs declaration form on landing.
> Altogether a pleasant introduction to the Philippines.


That is some awesome time management. Probably saved yourself anywhere from 1 - 3 hours for that extension depending on where you apply plus travel time to and from the Bureau of Immigrations.


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