9a Extension Costs as of February 14

[Gator]

3 hours ago, Mike J said:

I think a lot of the confusion happens when people use the term BB Visa, 30 day Visa on arrival, etc.  Arrival as a tourist and there is no "visa", just an arrival stamp in the passport with a "leave by" date.   Balikbayan privilege is also not a "visa", again just an arrival stamp and leave by date.   As Dave stated, arrive as a tourist then apply for a visa if required.

But if I’m not mistaken, within the one year it’s valid, you can leave and re-enter as often as you like with a Balikbayan stamp in your passport? The current 30 day scheme is a stamp valid for single entry only. I guess you could leave and fly to Thailand, then come back the next day and start the 30 days over again. Not practical, but I presume legal. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

21 minutes ago, Gator said:

But if I’m not mistaken, within the one year it’s valid, you can leave and re-enter as often as you like with a Balikbayan stamp in your passport?

Judging by past experience of friends on a BB stamp, every time they leave Philippines and come back they start a new year.  One fellow I know uses the BB exclusively. He just takes his wife to Thailand once a year.  I wonder how he got on for the last 2 years.

[GeoffH]

22 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

He just takes his wife to Thailand once a year.  I wonder how he got on for the last 2 years.

If he was in the Philippines then he should have been able to extend on a 9a near the end of his balikbayan privilege?

[Mike J]

2 hours ago, Gator said:

But if I’m not mistaken, within the one year it’s valid, you can leave and re-enter as often as you like with a Balikbayan stamp in your passport? The current 30 day scheme is a stamp valid for single entry only. I guess you could leave and fly to Thailand, then come back the next day and start the 30 days over again. Not practical, but I presume legal. 

As Dave mentioned above, the one year BB privilege renews each time you enter the Philippines as long as you enter with your Philippine spouse.  Without your spouse you would have to return as a tourist and be limited to 30 days.  If not married you could, In theory, exit/return every thirty days as a tourist but it appears that you can apply for a tourist visa within the 30 days just as is in the past.  

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, GeoffH said:

If he was in the Philippines then he should have been able to extend on a 9a near the end of his balikbayan privilege?

Thanks.  I forgot about that option.  I bet that's what he did.  I'll have to remember to ask him.  In the past he and his wife really liked their annual vacation but . . well you know.

[Jollygoodfellow]

17 hours ago, Mike J said:

Arrival as a tourist and there is no "visa", just an arrival stamp in the passport with a "leave by" date. 

Well the call it visa on arrival and says the same on their website so it must be a visa. Never used to have a leave by date. Does anyone know if it says that for new Visa on arrival. Normally just says date entered. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Well the call it visa on arrival and says the same on their website so it must be a visa.

Perhaps you read too much into Philippine English phrases.  Remember a Brownout?  Just sayin'

On point though, its just semantics.  You show up as a tourist, they stamp your visa, no application needed, nothing to sign, nothing to pay, and they call it a visa.  Do the same with a BB stamp and they say it is not a visa.

[Mike J]

11 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Well the call it visa on arrival and says the same on their website so it must be a visa. Never used to have a leave by date. Does anyone know if it says that for new Visa on arrival. Normally just says date entered. 

Here is a picture, actual wording is "Stay until".   When coming in as a BB mine says 1 year instead of a date.   Been many years ago for me so they may have changed it by now?

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Mike J

[Jollygoodfellow]

On 2/19/2022 at 11:46 AM, Mike J said:

Here is a picture, actual wording is "Stay until".   When coming in as a BB mine says 1 year instead of a date.   Been many years ago for me so they may have changed it by now?

 

 

Well that was 2012. Anyway if its still done that way it makes no difference. Anyone got a pic of the entry stamp from pre covid? 

[Viking]

54 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Well that was 2012. Anyway if its still done that way it makes no difference. Anyone got a pic of the entry stamp from pre covid? 

This is from 2016, 17 and 18