Visa run Hello everyone. The more I look into visa runs,…

I've been doing it in one form or another for 23 years and never had a problem

Just follow the rules. I'd suggest staying somewhere for one night. Any other country works, but remember to get the 'cheapest possible' onward ticket when you come back to the Philippines. The procedure is all over Google and the like.

Before I was able to buy permanent residency, I was on the tourist visa merry-go-round too. I did two visa runs, one to Taiwan and one to Bali. Each time I spent more than three days playing tourist. The first time I came back, I had to talk my way in. The officer asked if I was living here since I hadn't left in three years. I'd had a skin cancer removed three months earlier, so I said I needed to see my cancer doctor. He said okay, but if I'm going to live here I need to sort out my status, and there's no guarantee this will work again. On my second run I was a little worried he might have put a note in my record. The line was long. Luckily it was shift change, and the lady was busy gossiping with the person next to her, so she just stamped my passport. Didn't say a word. On my most recent trip I walked up to the crew line and was done in exactly two minutes. No onward ticket. No questions. Just "Welcome home." That's the perk of buying permanent residency.

I went to Hong Kong for a day and came back the next morning, all very smooth. Now I'm a permanent resident, so no visa run needed.

Leaving and re-entering (a "visa run") • Departure: Fly out of the Philippines to a nearby international destination (e.g. Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur). • Time abroad: There's no official minimum stay outside the country. A 24–48 hour turnaround is common, but staying a few days draws less scrutiny at immigration. • Re-entry and reset: When you fly back into the Philippines, the whole 36-month clock resets to day 1. You get a brand-new 30-day visa-free stamp at immigration, and you need a new onward ticket and eTravel submission again. (I was able to show my ACR I-Card and skip the onward ticket requirement. Your experience may vary.)