Exit Clearance – Manila
So here's my question: for those who've stayed in the Philippines for 2 to 3 years, what did you pay in total, not counting the 2x2 photos and copies? And how was your experience?
I haven't actually done an exit clearance yet, so I have no firsthand experience. But my 3-year mark is coming up soon.
What they expect and require may differ from office to office. The paperwork in the photos is from the immigration office on the 5th floor of Ayala Circuit Mall. I did my last eligible 2-month extension before I have to do a visa run.
Overall it was a decent experience.
I arrived in the Philippines in December 2023 and have to leave before the end of December, my 3-year mark.
I'd rather just show up early before my flight and do it at the 24-hour Manila airport immigration office, but I hear that's only available to foreigners who've been here 6 months to a year.
I did 2-month extensions my whole time here. Most were just receipt printouts, and some were receipt printouts plus stickers inside the passport. Four stickers fill one passport page. I went through 3 tourist visa ACR cards, each issued after the 6-month point every year and valid for a year.
I always pay the express fee for convenience. I don't want to make several trips to the immigration office to pick my passport back up.
Such a stupid 🙄 pointless BS thing. Nothing but a money grab, and one more step that just eats up time
I've done mine at BI offices, and the fee was already paid with the first proper extension. Besides the photocopies on the list, they may ask to see all your previous extensions. If I remember right, you should do it at least a week before departure. There are two kinds of ECC. ECC-A is for people on tourist visas. Even if you plan to come back soon, it's treated as the end of your stay in the Philippines and normally has to be done in advance. When you re-enter, you start from scratch. ECC-B is for people on other visa types who are leaving temporarily and coming back on their existing visa, and it should be a quick step at the airport. Some people say they did it cheap and easy at the airport. Some of them may be on non-tourist visas, and some may have just gotten lucky. Especially if your trip is close to your 3-year deadline, I personally wouldn't risk it and would just go to the BI office ahead of time.
I did mine at the airport when I left. I don't remember the cost, but ₱3000 sounds familiar
I see a lot of misinformation about the exit clearance. Here's what I know for sure, because it happened to me: - You need it once you've stayed over 6 months - You can do it at any immigration office at least 3 working days before your flight, but it's only valid for one week, and it costs 500 php plus all the photos and photocopies - You can do it same day at Terminal 3 for 1000 php without any photos or photocopies With this info, anyone should be able to get it done in any situation without a problem.
Here's what I learned from the form in the photo: Immigration means entering and settling in a new country, while emigration means leaving your own country to live somewhere else. (Info from the internet).
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