Hello! I entered the country as a tourist and received a 30-day stamp. Can I extend my stay by 29 days online, or do I have to go to the nearby BI office in person? Thank you!
I always go to the office. Nothing beats doing it face to face.
You can try doing it online, but you need to select 'visa waiver extension'.
The first and second extensions have to be done in person. The first extension is 29 days. When you apply for the second extension, you receive your ACR (Alien Certificate of Registration). After that, you can extend online until 36 months after your first entry, and then you have to do a visa run.
If you go to the office, you can save on the rush fee. You pick it up after 3 days. A 2-month extension is cheaper and means fewer visits. It's $19 a month. After 2 months, apply for the ACR card and sign up for PhilHealth, the Philippine government health insurance. It's 17,000 pesos a year, which is $22 a month, paid quarterly at $66. Visa plus health insurance comes to $39 a month total. Not bad!
You'd better go in person. I heard the website has a lot of problems, where money was taken out but no refund was given and the application wasn't processed.
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