# Visa



## Frankg26 (Oct 15, 2014)

Hi

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I am new to the site.

I am planning to retire to the Philippines from the UK in the new year. My plan is to visit in January 2014 initially for one month, but I would like the flexibility to extend my stay for a further period if my plans work out.

When I have looked at the visa requirements, I can get a 30 day visa but need to show a return ticket. I would prefer to get a one way ticket and buy a return ticket if I choose to return after my initial visit.

Two questions -

1. What are the visa requirements if I decide to stay on after my initial visit and how do I go about renewing the visa?
2. Would you advise purchasing a return ticket for my initial visit, or is there a way around this?

Cheers

Frank


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## themissus (Oct 8, 2014)

Frankg26 said:


> Hi
> 
> Apologies if this has been asked before, but I am new to the site.
> 
> ...


Hi Frank! I don't know the requirements for the retirees visa exactly but if you are 35, you need to have 20000$ to put in a bank here. If you have pension, $10,000 I believe. That is going to be put in a bank, a deposit, I guess. Anyway, try to read the bureau of immigration for legit facts. 

My husband first came here with a return ticket which he then cancelled/postponed until after a year. He wanted to do all the paperwork here so that's what he did (we are doing temporary residence for him since we got married). 

Have you ever been to the Philippines before? What made you choose to retire here? Good luck!


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## Frankg26 (Oct 15, 2014)

themissus said:


> Hi Frank! I don't know the requirements for the retirees visa exactly but if you are 35, you need to have 20000$ to put in a bank here. If you have pension, $10,000 I believe. That is going to be put in a bank, a deposit, I guess. Anyway, try to read the bureau of immigration for legit facts.
> 
> My husband first came here with a return ticket which he then cancelled/postponed until after a year. He wanted to do all the paperwork here so that's what he did (we are doing temporary residence for him since we got married).
> 
> Have you ever been to the Philippines before? What made you choose to retire here? Good luck!


Thanks for getting back so quickly - I am coming to the Philippines having met someone on line. I am aware of this being a daft thing to do, but I don't plan to jump in to bed (literally) until have met her and got to know her (and her family) a bit more.

I have a decent pension, but am capital poor really so not able to raise $10000 for any deposit. Is there a way around this?

Cheers

Frank


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

Since it is your first time, I would buy a round trip ticket that you can change if need be. Make the return date as far out as you are comfortable with. This way you have a way home should things not work out. You will not be allowed to board the plane coming here without an onward ticket. The other option is to buy a cheap one way ticket from the Philippines to another country close by (HK, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan) that can cost anywhere from $10-$90 on an airline such as Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, Tiger, etc. Sometimes you can get a cheapo promo ticket.

After you get here you can extend your Tourist Visa (first extension is 29 days, then 2 months at a time after that). The annual cost of a Tourist Visa is around $550.

If you do end up getting married and staying here, the cheapest way is to take your wife abroad (honeymoon) and ask for a Balikbayan privilege stamp upon arrival (your wife has to ask for this). You cannot ask for it nor can you get it without her present. This will give you one year for free in the PI. During that time you can apply for a 13A visa (spouse of a filipina sponsored). Conversion to TRV by Marriage

A lot of what you will be encountering or wondering about has been covered in this forum. Take some time and do some research. It will save you a lot of grief.


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

Frank, just in case you aren’t aware of it yet, the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) website explains in detail the requirements for SRRV’s (Special Resident Retiree’s Visa’s). Sorry, fairly new member so can't post link.

As other members have pointed out, it is easy enough to extend your visa once you get to the Philippines. With regard to your initial stay, my understanding is that one can apply for a 59-day visa at the Philippine Embassy in London. Sorry, fairly new member so can't post link. The relevant document is FA Form 2A and the cost is £22. Bear in mind that if you choose the ‘Single Entry Visa’ option, it is valid for three months from the date of issue (not date of entry). So, don’t apply for it too early. Applying for the 59-day visa in London would appear to save you the hassle of having to go through the first extension process in the Philippines. Having said that, if you have to make a special trip from Nottingham down to London, then you may find it easier and cheaper to apply for an extension in the Philippines. I ought to stress that I never tried to apply for the 59-day visa myself but was advised to do so by an accredited marketer of the PRA who seemed to know what they were talking about.

I note that other members have provided answers regarding your return flight ticket query. Good luck and please let us know if you do apply for your visa in London and whether or not you were successful.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

mabrouk said:


> ...... Applying for the 59-day visa in London would appear to save you the hassle of having to go through the first extension process in the Philippines. .....


You still have to apply for the first extension, it is free to get but still requires a trip to the local Immigration Office. (You may be able to get it on arrival at Manila Airport Immigration but timings and proceedures are not clear.) In Manila can be a whole day event. In Butuan where I am is a 45 minute event.

Only advantage is you get the first extension cheaper. If you leave before 59 days and come back next day you can get another 59 days for free, However if you stay past 59 days you are same as if you came in on a 30 day tourist visa plus a paid 29 day extension.

Coist of extension is about 3000 p or roughly $US65 -$70. Compare this to the cost of the visa and hassle of getting it before departure to see if it suits your needs


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

Manitoba said:


> You still have to apply for the first extension, it is free to get but still requires a trip to the local Immigration Office. (You may be able to get it on arrival at Manila Airport Immigration but timings and proceedures are not clear.) In Manila can be a whole day event. In Butuan where I am is a 45 minute event.
> 
> Manitoba, I’d appreciate it if you could further clarify your previous post as there appears to be some misunderstanding here. I’m working on the premise that Frank, as a British passport holder, can enter and stay in the Philippines for 30 days without a visa, provided he has a valid ticket for his return journey or to another destination out of the Philippines. I think we both agree on that part.
> 
> ...


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

Frankg26 said:


> Thanks for getting back so quickly - I am coming to the Philippines having met someone on line. I am aware of this being a daft thing to do, but I don't plan to jump in to bed (literally) until have met her and got to know her (and her family) a bit more.
> 
> I have a decent pension, but am capital poor really so not able to raise $10000 for any deposit. Is there a way around this?
> 
> ...


Frank, there may be another option but it would depend on your pension being military. Could you please clarify whether your pension is military or other?


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

As far as I know the advance visa is only good for 30 days on arrival and then gets a free 29 day extension but I may be wrong in that.

I never really looked into it as the cost saving was not worth the hassle since I live so far away from anywhere where I could get one.

Also since I am in a province, I do not have to take a whole day at BI to get the extension on my visa on arrival. Two extensions less than 90 minutes in total time in the office.


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

Having perused the various posts on this subject, I’ve decided to post one final article for the purpose of clarification, partly for myself and partly for others intending to arrive on a 59-day visa.

Firstly, I’ve just had a look at another similar thread posted by Kavite Kenny entitled ‘Visa Benefits’ and I note that Gary D seems to infer that a 59-day visa obtained in one’s home country would be valid and that the recipient wouldn’t have to visit an Immigration Office in the Philippines if their stay was for 59-days or less.

Secondly, I’ve had another look at the Visa Application document - FA Form 2A – and it seems to support this interpretation. Under the ‘Validity of Visa’ section, it states: _“The maximum stay in the Philippines for each entry is fifty-nine (59) days, regardless of number of allowable entries. For those visiting the Philippines for more than fifty-nine (59) days, they are advised to secure an extension of stay with the Bureau of Immigration Office, Magallanes Drive, Port Area, Manila and pay the necessary immigration fees.”_

So, unless I hear anything to the contrary from other members, I shall assume that by obtaining the 59-day visa before arrival, one does not have to visit an immigration office in the Philippines during that period, provided you intend to leave at the end of it.

Manitoba and Gary D both make two valid points for consideration. Firstly, if the Philippine Embassy in your home country is far away from where you live, then the benefit of securing the 59-day visa before you arrive may be outweighed by the cost and inconvenience of obtaining it. Secondly, once in the Philippines, if you are travelling to an area such as Butuan (no doubt some others as well), the administrative procedure appears to be much quicker there with the visa extension process only taking 45 mins.

Apologies to any members who may have felt that I ‘dragged this one out a bit’. In mitigation, my wife and I shall be travelling to the Philippines in January on a 59-day visa and we’d prefer to spend our time exploring different locations rather than the inside of an Immigration Office; hence our desire to get it right. I shall let you know in due course whether or not we encountered any obstacles with the visa. Thanks to all those who had an input on this and the other thread referred to above.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

mabrouk said:


> Having perused the various posts on this subject, I’ve decided to post one final article for the purpose of clarification, partly for myself and partly for others intending to arrive on a 59-day visa.
> 
> Firstly, I’ve just had a look at another similar thread posted by Kavite Kenny entitled ‘Visa Benefits’ and I note that Gary D seems to infer that a 59-day visa obtained in one’s home country would be valid and that the recipient wouldn’t have to visit an Immigration Office in the Philippines if their stay was for 59-days or less.
> 
> ...


If your wife is a filipina then you can enter on a free 1year balikbayan visa.


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

Gary D, thanks for that; however, we're both European.


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