The Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines is the government agency that decides who may enter, stay in, and leave the country. It issues and extends visas, registers foreign nationals, runs deportation proceedings, and staffs the immigration counters at every airport and seaport. If you are visiting, working, marrying in, or retiring in the Philippines, almost every step of your legal stay runs through this agency or one of its partners.
Where the Bureau Gets Its Authority
The BI operates under Commonwealth Act No. 613, the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, which gives it jurisdiction over the admission, exclusion, and deportation of foreign nationals. The Commissioner of Immigration leads the bureau and issues the rules, circulars, and memorandum orders that fill in the day-to-day detail of enforcement. Immigration officers at ports of entry examine documents, verify identity, and can refuse entry on the spot when requirements are not met. The BI also maintains a blacklist of people barred from entering the country.
Entering the Philippines
Nationals from more than 150 countries can enter visa-free for an initial stay of 30 days, provided their passport is valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay and they hold a confirmed return or onward ticket.1Department of Foreign Affairs – Dubai Consulate General. No-Visa Entry Countries for 30-Day Stay Under E.O. 408 A handful of nationalities get different initial periods under bilateral arrangements: Brazilian and Israeli nationals receive 59 days, Indian nationals who hold a valid visa or permanent residence from the U.S., Japan, Australia, Canada, the Schengen area, Singapore, or the UK may enter visa-free for up to 14 days, and Chinese tourists may enter for up to 7 days.2Department of Foreign Affairs – Philippine Embassy in Lisbon. 30-Day Visa-Free Entry
If your nationality is not on the visa-free list, you need to obtain a visa from a Philippine embassy or consulate before you travel. The standard short-stay visa for tourism or short business trips is the Section 9(a) Temporary Visitor Visa.
eTravel Registration
Every arriving passenger, Filipino or foreign, must register in the eTravel system before boarding a flight to the Philippines. Registration opens 72 hours before your scheduled arrival and produces a QR code that immigration officers scan on entry. Departing Filipinos must also register; departing foreign nationals currently do not. Foreign diplomats and holders of diplomatic or official passports are exempt.3Philippine Travel Information System. Frequently Asked Questions Skipping it can hold you at the boarding gate or the immigration counter, so treat it as a fixed pre-travel step.
Extending a Tourist Stay
If you came in visa-free or on a 9(a) tourist visa, you can extend at a BI office before your authorized stay expires. Extensions are usually granted in one- or two-month increments, with each visit producing a new stamp in your passport.
For a longer visit, the Long-Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) lets you extend for a full six months in one transaction. The lump sum is PHP 11,500 for non-visa-required nationals and PHP 13,900 for visa-required nationals, covering the extension fee, application fee, ACR I-Card, head tax, emigration clearance certificate, certification fee, and express lane charges.4Department of Foreign Affairs – Bangkok. Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) An additional PHP 100 sticker visa fee applies on top of those totals.
There is a ceiling on cumulative tourist stay. Non-visa-required nationals can stay a maximum of 36 months, and visa-required nationals are capped at 24 months.4Department of Foreign Affairs – Bangkok. Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) Once you hit it, you have to leave. You can come back and start a new tourist stay, but immigration officers have discretion to question travelers who appear to be living in the Philippines on back-to-back tourist entries instead of getting a long-term visa.
Overstaying and What It Costs
Staying past your authorized period is a serious immigration violation. The base fine is PHP 500 for each month or fraction of a month you overstay, so a single day past your deadline counts as a full month. On top of that you owe any unpaid extension fees retroactively, plus express lane charges and a legal research fee. A one-month overstay can easily exceed PHP 1,200 in total once the charges are layered in.
Overstays beyond six months can trigger deportation proceedings, with the cost of the deportation flight charged to the overstayer. Prolonged or repeat overstayers risk being placed on the BI blacklist, which bars future entry. Going to the BI voluntarily to regularize your status is always cheaper than being caught.
The ACR I-Card
The Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card is a microchip-based photo ID that the BI requires of any foreign national staying beyond 59 days. It carries your biometric data and visa details and serves as proof of your legal registration in the country.5Bureau of Immigration Philippines. FAQs Because the card’s validity tracks your visa, you may need to update or renew it whenever you extend or convert.
If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, apply for a replacement at the BI Main Office. Re-issuance costs USD 20 for the card plus a PHP 1,000 express fee, and the BI will check for any derogatory records before printing a new one.6Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Re-Issuance of ACR I-Card
Annual Report
Every foreign national holding an ACR I-Card, except tourists, must file an Annual Report with the BI during the first 60 days of each calendar year. The hard deadline is March 1. The base fee is PHP 300 plus a PHP 10 legal research fee, and filing online through the BI e-Services portal adds a PHP 1,000 express lane fee.
Miss the deadline and the penalty is PHP 200 for each month you are late, capped at PHP 2,000 per year.7Department of Foreign Affairs – Bangkok. Philippine Bureau of Immigration Clarifies Procedure for Payment of Annual Report Fees of Foreign Nationals If you are outside the Philippines during the filing window you are not subject to the late penalty, but you must settle the fees within one month of returning. SRRV holders under the Philippine Retirement Authority are exempt.
Emigration Clearance Certificate Before You Leave
The Emigration Clearance Certificate confirms you have no unfinished business with the Philippine government before you fly out. There are two types.
The ECC-A is for foreign nationals who stayed six months or more on a tourist visa, those with expired or downgraded visas, and departing immigrants or permanent residents. Apply at a BI office; normal processing runs four to five business days, with an expedite option for an additional PHP 500.8U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. Exit Clearances The ECC-B is for ACR I-Card holders with valid long-term visas who are only leaving temporarily, and it can be processed online through BI e-Services.
Tourists who stayed more than 59 days but less than six months pay a separate exit clearance fee, payable at a BI regional office before departure or at the airport immigration counter.8U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. Exit Clearances Fees change, so check the current schedule before your departure date.
Common Long-Term Visa Routes
9(g) Pre-Arranged Employee Visa
The 9(g) is the standard work visa for a foreign national employed by a Philippine-based company. The employer petitions for it, and the worker must first obtain an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment. The BI will not issue the 9(g) until the AEP is in hand, and getting an AEP requires showing that no qualified Filipino worker is available for the role. For assignments under six months, a Special Work Permit from the BI may be enough on its own.9Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Immigrant Visa by Marriage 13A
13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa
Foreign nationals married to Filipino citizens can apply for the 13(a) visa, which grants permanent resident status. You file at the BI Main Office with a checklist that typically includes the marriage certificate, your spouse’s birth certificate proving Filipino citizenship, and supporting documents. Approval carries a one-year probationary period before permanent status is confirmed. Once permanent, you can live and work in the Philippines indefinitely.9Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Immigrant Visa by Marriage 13A
Special Resident Retiree’s Visa
The SRRV is administered by the Philippine Retirement Authority rather than the BI directly, and it grants indefinite residency to qualifying retirees. It requires a mandatory bank deposit in a Philippine bank, with the amount depending on age and pension status: under the SRRV Classic option, applicants aged 50 and above with a qualifying pension deposit USD 15,000, while those without a pension deposit USD 30,000; applicants aged 40 to 49 deposit USD 25,000 with a pension or USD 50,000 without. The pension threshold is USD 800 per month for single applicants or USD 1,000 with dependents. An SRRV Courtesy option is available at lower deposit levels to certain foreign nationals and former Filipino citizens. SRRV holders are exempt from the Annual Report, the ACR I-Card requirement, exit and re-entry permits, and travel tax, and can bring in household goods and personal effects worth up to USD 7,000 duty-free on a one-time basis. Classic visa holders pay an annual PRA fee of USD 360.10Philippine Retirement Authority. Special Resident Retirees Visa (SRRV)
Downgrading a Visa
If you hold a long-term visa like a 9(g) but the underlying situation ends (your job, for example) and you want to remain in the country as a tourist, you apply for a visa downgrade. This reverts you to 9(a) temporary visitor status so you can stay legally while sorting out next steps. Only the BI Main Office handles the process. You submit a letter requesting the downgrade with the required documents, pay the fees, and surrender your passport for a new stamp.11Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Downgrading of Visa Once downgraded, the tourist extension rules and cumulative-stay caps apply to you the same way they apply to any visitor. Skipping the downgrade after your long-term visa’s conditions no longer apply leaves your status irregular.
Where to Transact
The BI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila handles the full range of services, including visa conversions, 13(a) applications, and deportation matters. Satellite and field offices around the country process routine work like tourist extensions and Annual Report filing, but not every office handles every service. Confirm your specific transaction is available at a satellite office before making the trip.
The BI e-Services portal at e-services.immigration.gov.ph lets foreign nationals process several transactions online: tourist visa extensions, the ECC-B, Annual Report filing, visa waivers, and applications to retain or reacquire Philippine citizenship.12Bureau of Immigration PH. eServices – Bureau of Immigration PH The portal accepts electronic payments and emails an official receipt. Online transactions carry an express lane fee on top of base costs. For in-person visits, cash payments at BI cashiers and payments through accredited banks are also accepted.