Not sure if this helps but I have a couple quick links for you to look at, one is the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, Manila:

Home

Here's what one of our exapt's posted, on the costs, it's from last year:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/at...ents/philippines-expat-forum/16194d1391748005-tourist-visa-costs-visa-costs.jpg

Have so much missing information on your marital or age status so it's hard to recommend the best route to take but it makes a difference on applying for a Visa. The Philippine Consulate in Canada, have you tried to email them or call? Make sure to give more information on your marital status, age and how long you plan on staying and if it's permanent.

Hopefully someone else can provide more information on current long stay Visa's.

 

I'm 64,soon 65, single, isn't everyone that? I'm not sure those rates are correct, there is no visa waver fees ?

 

SRRV Visa (single)



Here's the short cut to the Philippine Retirement Authority website it also has an online form fill out.

PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority

Form fill out instructions and information on several types of SRRV options:

http://www.pra.gov.ph/As_in_detailed_SRRV_Explanation_090613_2.pdf


There could be another option, unsure about Canada but there's one for Military retiree's and the balance I think the cost is only $1,500 US dollars so unsure if you qualify for something similar in Canada.

 

For the second fee I found:
VISA EXTENTION- 1000
APPLICATION FEE- 600
HEAD TAX- 250
CERTIFICATION FEE- 700
LEGAL RESEARCH- 50
EXPRESS FEE CERTIFICATION- 500
EXPRESS FEE PROCESS- 1000
TOTAL - 5600

If i had a visa , do I pay the extention?
I couldn't find rates on a PH site.

 

Retirment visa expensive $1400, then $360 each year, plus money in bank, expensive..
I think marriage visa is $60 if paid at begining of year and Balik Bayan stamp is free for one year if you are married and do a visa run.

 

Yes Ted you do seem confused. Where are you at this moment and what are you trying to do.

 

What are you trying to do that would help visit for a year visit for 6 months retire and live here? Just what type of visa do you want? To be honest what is true today is not always true tomorrow. Cost change laws change etc etc. If your outside the country your best bet is to call the Philippine Consulate and find out not search the internet. The BI here does not always update the website, or people who work there or the people who work overseas. You could get it all done at home come here and find out the rules changed.

 

I know you're from Canada, but the US also has various term tourist visa's. The 6 month and the 12 month visa are "Multiple Entry" visas.......BUT....you STILL have to get the extensions, 2 month or 6 month through the Bureau of Immigration here in the Philippines.

If you don't get a tourist visa prior to coming here........you will get 30 days free, and a stamp in your passport. When you go to the BI to get an extension, you will get 29 day stamp, but will pay approx. P3000.............which is almost exactly the same as a 2 month extension.
The 6 month extension costs approx. P9000, and saves you the time going to BI 3 times.

If you're married to a Filipina AND traveling with her, you will get the Balikbayan visa stamp good for 1 year FREE.

As a tourist, you MUST have an onward ticket out of the Philippines........you will NOT be allowed to board a plane going to the Philippines without one.

As stated above, most of this info is on the BI website. Good luck.

 

If you are single the easiest option is just show up and get a 30 day tourist stamp in your passport. It is not really a visa because for a 30 day visit you do not need a visa - it is a visa waiver. Then you just go to immigration and extend it. The first extension will only be for one month because you only get 2 months on initial entry (remember the one month you got on entry + plus this one month gives you 59 days). After that you can extend either 2 months at a time or 6 months, depending on which office you go to. Here, in Iloilo, we cannot yet get the 6 month visa waiver extension. You can continue to extend your tourist visa waiver for 36 months. Then you have to leave the country and come back (visa run). And start your whole 3 year process again.

Here is a small writeup I did and included a picture of my spreadsheet with a breakdown of all the fees for the first 12 months.

https://expatinphilippines.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/visa-extensions-iloilo/

 

I understand now, the actual visa does not affect visa extension stay prices. Unless I am in and out or doing visa runs, the visa is not necessary. A 3 month visa gives 59 day stay and is cheaper than applying. Beyond 59 day stay,a visa is not needed. The BI sites are clear as mud, often no info.
I want to stay 5 or 6 months soon. I've been in Ph 3 times and its never enough time for me to find where I want to live. Cebu- no, Davao- no, Manila-no, Subic FP, I liked area, rent seemed expensive for old buildings. Or find a deal, the 1 yr leases I saw in Cebu were insane. I'm not ready to do a one shot 25 yr lease yet.
I live rural in Canada, 3 acres on lake, I built the house, I hate winter, I wouldn't mind living province except that scares me. I don't like the scooter noise and dust in cities. I want to find a place that I like, so many islands, so little time

 

As a tourist you have two options. You get a 59 day visa from your local Philippine embassy in Canada. You then arrive in the Philippines and just before you 59 days expires you extend your visa for another 2 months and every 2 months up to a maximum of 36 months. Second you arrive in the Philippines with no visa where you receive a 30 day free visa. Just before the 30 days expires you extend another 29 days (30+29 + 59) then yo again extend 2 months at a time up to 36 months. Simples.

 

i thought living in province can be dangerous

 

It can, but not as dangerous as the cities can be.

 

and I'm terrified of snakes. At least in China all the cobras were in wine bottles

 

Snakes



I live next to Laguna de Bay and occasionally they do show up but it's been 5 years and it averages two snakes a year at the most and these snakes are usually tiny and don't bother anyone, I did have a cobra dangle down on me and the grandson, from the roof, and he wasn't small, it was a wake up call and after I'd cut the back yard grass one time, a very huge cobra came out the in-laws side, I guess the brush cutter spooked him out, I also burned an overgrown grass area. As long as your in a fairly clean yard, you should be okay.

So many nice markets to get your vegetables, seafoods, meats and food items along with serveral large grocery stores and smaller malls, hey..... it's easier to shop, could you imagine trying to get around and find all the cheap spots in Manila, the traffic the hassles.....ughh. Mall of Asia is one example of a spot to shop that's way overpriced and so large I don't even want to go there ever again.

A local built house in our municipality(not nice) the rent will run you about 1,200 peso's a month, right next to the water and nicer house will end up costing you 3-5,000 peso's and when you add in the costs of electricity, water ? it'll run 7-8,000 peso's it all depends on your Air Conditioning needs, that's the real wallet burner, soon as the AC comes on, it just adds up.

You'll need to buy yourself some sort of transportation, motorcycle, if you find someone your serious about, possible a used vehicle would be better, if you get around allot or don't spend much time at the house, to rely on local trikes and jeepeny's can add up quickly, especially for a foreigner the price is alway's higher.

You have within 90 days of entering the country to get a Philippine Drivers License.

 

Yes I've heard there are snakes in the Philippines, yet to see one. Generally snakes are timid and will only attack if threatened.

 

The visa is cheaper than extension at airport.
It's difficult to know Philippines, I've heard of Laguna de Bay area, thought the houses can be expensive. I want to see Baguo, here it's getting too crowded, looks like it can get too cool there. Someone suggested Tagaytay. There are just too many places and islands for me to know about. I'm open for suggestions on where to look.
I have known a woman in Ph for over a year, known several but this one seems good. She says she'd like to live in Bulacan, her family lives there, yeah I know move 2 islands from family, met family, and I know they are dirt poor, don't work except, have small store in house. I think I'm going to be in over my head. And Bulacan might be where I end up...:confused2:

 

In-laws



In-laws will expect your girl friend and you to help them and it looks like the girlfriend wants to be with her family.... so without a doubt you'll be paying for many things, they'll drain you, that's just the way it is when you live with the In-laws.

The two spots you mentioned are known tourist locations, does your girlfriend have distant cousins that live in a different provincial area, not two islands away but possibly two hours away? It's worth the move if your serious about her, you could get some piece of mind many years down the road.

Watch out these girl friends say they want to live here or there but it's more like they want something they can't have or if they get it could care less how much it costs you. Take here for a trip away from the in-laws, otherwise your cash will be burned up feeding in-laws and their friends (Philippino way is there response) but it sure is a one way practice, heck it's supposed to be a vacation not a feeding frenzy, seriously...... good luck.

 

I met a real gold digger there, met one that robbed me but she was fun, this is a nice girl and everyone says that, she watches what I spend.
I'll have to see what Bulacan is like, i'd like cleaner, quieter, some where that I can shoot scooter riders, and cooler.
Girl says she doesn't want me to support family, if I get asked for money, it will be a one shot amount and no more. I'd rather give a loan that doesn't get repaid, then if someone asks I can say when he pays me back, then I loan to you, takes the pressure off me.

 

There'll be an emergency every month and an idea for a business it never ends and the emergencies are baloney the business turns bankrupt, been there done that, no one here is shy to ask for cash over and over again, when you say no get ready for the hate. Good luck Ted

 

I hope you are right and I wish you the best of luck in the whole experience. Only you know what's what for you and to trust your own instincts. Heck, I wish Myself luck in the whole upcoming experience!....I simply worry about the (My) Extended family and in laws. If she's got your back and can say No time and again, then yep, you have found a jewel. The family pressures put on these wonderful ladies is very unfair and I don't envy them, but that's why we'll at least insulate ourselves with some distance, as I simply know in Our case, it's an absolute necessity when later all the one day grown up nieces and nephews, and even needy immediate family come calling/asking; so, that my asawa can somehow have a break from that. It' just a matter of time and repeats itself across this forum for what appears 90% of the members. Good luck on everything!

 

i thought it over, have to appear for visa,, too much gas money, For 29 day stay, can they take pictures at airport and I read that I must have 2 refernce persons living in Philippines,,Is this really neccessary?

 

?, excuse me for saying this, but where are you getting this information. You are making something very difficult out of something that is very simple. 2 references from persons living in the Philippines, where did that come from.

 

Hi all,

I live in CDO, in January my wife and I applied for a 13A VISA at the local Immigration Office. It's been almost four months and I still have not been contacted for my initial Immigration interview. I visited the Immigration office twice since filing the documents, asking about the delay. Both times I was told they will text me for the interview.

Have any of you had similar experiences filing for your 13A Visa with the Immigration Department.

Would I be better off going to Manila and refiling my 13A there,

Thanks,

Mike

 

Hi Mike,

Unless a law has changed within the last few weeks or so; it is my understanding that for that visa we must apply at the main BI office in Manila "only."
So if you paid $$$ there, it probably went in the wrong direction.

After you have your first (temporary) visa and have gone back to Manila one year later and have been granted permanent residency, then and only then can you renew at a local BI office.


Jet Lag

 

I applied in Manila when the initial paperwork was done when submitted they gave me a date for the interview and who the interview was with. As Jet said I think it can only be applied for in the Main Branch did you apply yourself of have someone do it for you. If someone did it for you just count that money gone.

 

Let me give more details

The 13A application was accepted by the Immigration Department office in CDO. The women who accepted the application examined my documentation. Once she was satisfied she told me she would text me to have my interview with an Immigration officer in CDO. After the Officer gave his approval, I would pay the fees, then the file would be sent to Manila for final approval. Like I said I began this process in early January and still waiting for the text to interview with the CDO Immigration officer.

Thanks again,

Mike

 

The 13A application was accepted by the Immigration Department office in CDO. The women who accepted the application examined my documentation. Once she was satisfied she told me she would text me to have my interview with an Immigration officer in CDO. After the Officer gave his approval, I would pay the fees, then the file would be sent to Manila for final approval. Like I said I began this process in early January and still waiting for the text to interview with the CDO Immigration officer.

Thanks again,

Mike

What is happening to you with your visa app is something I've never heard of before and even looking at the BI website, I can not see anywhere in print where your visa can be applied for and approved except in Manila. THIS PAGE of the BI site shows what is needed and where. There may be other "published" exceptions but I'm not seeing them.
Sounds like it's time for you to have a *friendly* visit with the head of the BI office where you are. I have a feeling all is not right..

 

For you guys that have not filled out the Visa extension application for a while, there is a requirement for 2 people to be named to vouch for you. This requirement is on the new form dated 2014. As has been stated many times things do change in the Philippines. Tourist visa holders staying from 6 months to less than 1 year can now get the ECC at NAIA starting 4 May 2015, this was posted on the BI facebook page 20 Apr 2015. Things keep changing.

 

For you guys that have not filled out the Visa extension application for a while, there is a requirement for 2 people to be named to vouch for you. This requirement is on the new form dated 2014.

Considering a lot of things happen here that make little or no sense, this makes less than no sense at all.

While some people that visit and vacation here have friends who can vouch for them; what about the many more that come here for perhaps the first time to simply enjoy the country and do not know people:confused2:? So now they need to extend but can not for the lack of knowing people to vouch for them:noidea:? Makes no sense whatsoever; but then again, there is very little here that does..

 

I'm sure there will be a way around it. When we were sorting out my wifes paperwork for her either visa application or wedding, it was a long time ago, it transpired that what my wife thought was here birth certificate was in fact the form that should have being submitted to the NSO when she was born. So no birth certificate. To sort this out we needed to go to where she was born. Although she had lived on ****** from a small child she was born in Cavite so off we went travelling from Bataan by coach etc down to the manicipal hall in General Trias where she had to sign an affidavit and have it witnessed by someone from the area who could attest that she had known her all her life. You wouldn't believe the luck we had, the office assistant who was 10 years her junior remembered vividly my wife being born. How lucky was that.