Staying 6 Months, Question about Clearance Checks before you leave

@livinginsea

You are asking all the right questions but not necessarily, to quote the late Eric Morecambe, ' in the right order.'

It's not clear whether you have visited the country yet. Just reading past threads will answer many of your questions but the one that cannot be answered is the climate and your tolerance to it especially as a Brit. Our climate is moderate with a narrow range of temperatures. Not too cold or hot. The Philippines climate will really hit you hard not being used to high humidity levels as several of our American & Australian friends have on this forum. If you cannot adapt to the climate all bets are off.

Worth visiting from Dec - March during the depressing British winter for a 3 month trial period where most of your questions will be answered. Oh and no need for an exit clearance

I thought if you stay under 6 months no need for an ECC but longer periods it's required.

To the OP I did my last ECC 2 days before I flew out at my local immi office while I have also heard it can be done at the airport, others can chime in with first hand knowledge.

As Lotus Eater mentioned it does get hot and humid here even for me coming from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Oz that also gets warm but not like here. My sis and Bil were just here for 2 weeks from Melbourne Oz and hated the heat and spent most of the time in the A/C house unless we went out.

I would visit and spend some time before you commit to retiring here, good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

@Lotus Eater, Thanks for the concern. I have lived in Thailand and Dubai and the heat isnt a problem for me.

To the OP I did my last ECC 2 days before I flew out at my local immi office while I have also heard it can be done at the airport, others can chime in with first hand knowledge.

   

    -@bigpearl

Is that the case for most people on the forum who stay longer than 6 months. 2 days to get the Clearance Check at your local immigration office?

     To the OP I did my last ECC 2 days before I flew out at my local immi office while I have also heard it can be done at the airport, others can chime in with first hand knowledge.         -@bigpearlIs that the case for most people on the forum who stay longer than 6 months. 2 days to get the Clearance Check at your local immigration office?        -@livinginsea

My understanding is that the type of ECC you can avail at the airport is only for 13A Permanent residents. If you are a tourist 9A (the usual type, who keeps getting visa extensions) you.must obtain your ECC at an issuing BI office. Sure, it might take a few days or maybe a week so you have to plan a separate trip but that will give you a few days to get some last minute shopping done. At the airport, ECC is instantaneous as part of the boarding process. SRRV does not require an ECC.

My EECa was a half hour process and issued while in the immi office, one trip, I did this 2 days before we flew out and not a 2 day wait. Worst thing was removing the ink from the fingerprinting, an interesting process for a whole 500 peso express lane fee while my 2 month visa extension takes 5 to 10 minutes and averages P 3K including 2 lots of express lane fees,,,,,, their rules and fees.

Cheers, Steve.

    My EECa was a half hour process and issued while in the immi office, one trip, I did this 2 days before we flew out and not a 2 day wait. Worst thing was removing the ink from the fingerprinting, an interesting process for a whole 500 peso express lane fee while my 2 month visa extension takes 5 to 10 minutes and averages P 3K including 2 lots of express lane fees,,,,,, their rules and fees.
Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

I understand that for people in the provinces where no BI handles EEC, it can be a pain. If someone in Dumaguete wants to fly out of Cebu, they have to get a hotel room for x number of days that they think it will take to complete EEC before flying out of Cebu. But hotel rooms are cheap in Cebu and I would just use the opportunity do last minute shopping. People say you should assume 7 days but then again you got it on the same day. Problem is, if you guess the timing wrong you miss the flight so i would reserve 7 working days or something like that. If I lived in Cebu, no problem applying ahead of time. People in Duma complain about this.

Guys, Thanks for the information.

bigpearl said. . . . Worst thing was removing the ink from the fingerprinting,

***********************

Brings back thoughts of my visit to NBI. You would think the NBI would update to inkless fingerprinting. They directed me over to a trough, no soap, no paper towels.

Also inside the entrance to the NBI there were many street food vendors. Seems like I was in a market, not the NBI upon entering.

   

At least I got paper towel Bob but no cleaners, took a couple of days to clean up  with surgical alcohol and a few JD's.

You are right as immi at the airport have digital finger scanning and face recognition but seems satellite offices don't have the funding.

More fun in the Philippines,,,,,,, apparently.

Cheers, Steve. 

    bigpearl said. . . . Worst thing was removing the ink from the fingerprinting,
***********************
Brings back thoughts of my visit to NBI. You would think the NBI would update to inkless fingerprinting. They directed me over to a trough, no soap, no paper towels.
Also inside the entrance to the NBI there were many street food vendors. Seems like I was in a market, not the NBI upon entering.   
   

    -@Enzyte Bob

I remember the wife and I going through the Manila NBI with our SRRV 'assistant' (paid him 500 pesos per day, well worth it). Lot's of street vendors and there were also lots of PC's there, for people who had no appointments, to make them online right at the NBI. I suppose people who were not computer savvy at all were the very last in line. In our case, I had simply made our appointment online from a few weeks ago per instructions from the PRA advisor. So we walked right in and the SRRV assistant somehow got us right up to the front of the line and we met with the NBI people, very friendly, who advised us not to ever lose the NBI report (for some reason). We did get printed, but I don't recall getting the ink off to be a problem...they did  have some cleaning liquid and paper towels. We were in and out in less than an hour, maybe 45 min or so. I think our 500 php SRRV assistant, who rode with us to all required agencies and got us to the front of the line, was well worth it. He knew his job very well...not a part of the normal SRRV marketer process where no money is paid.

@Enzyte Bob

They directed me over to a trough, no soap, no paper towels.

Bob thats because you were in the ’steerage’ queue 🤣

@livinginsea

I enter Philippines on a Balikbyan Visa, and stay about Six months. (Sometimes a few Days More, sometimes a few Days less) and have neve had to produce an Exit Clearance.

During the Pandemic I had to stay 18 Months, and still wasn't asked for Exit clearance.

The BB Visa makes a big difference in many areas.

@Rammers can you tell more about Balikbyan Visa

    @Rammers can you tell more about Balikbyan Visa
   

    -@Kal0

            If you enter the Philippines with your Filipino citizen spouse your passport gets stamped for a year from that date with a required departure date.  You can leave 364 days later and then reenter with your Filipino spouse and stay another year.  No matter how often you do this you must always enter with your spouse.  My wife carries her duel citizenship paperwork and a copy of our marriage license.

@Lotus Eater. If your looking cooler weather, here  in Mindanao there are places in the hinder lands that are cool, I have to wear a jacket in the evening, fog and rain a lot even snow at one time, not much but a little, you can check out the areas in Google

@Kal0

Hi Kal0.

To get a Balikbyan Visa you have to be Married to a Philippine Citizen, and enter the Country together.

It is good for Twelve Months. One doesn't need a return or onward ticket. Or, I suppose an exit Clearance.

    I thought if you stay under 6 months no need for an ECC but longer periods it's required.
To the OP I did my last ECC 2 days before I flew out at my local immi office while I have also heard it can be done at the airport, others can chime in with first hand knowledge.
As Lotus Eater mentioned it does get hot and humid here even for me coming from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Oz that also gets warm but not like here. My sis and Bil were just here for 2 weeks from Melbourne Oz and hated the heat and spent most of the time in the A/C house unless we went out.

I would visit and spend some time before you commit to retiring here, good luck.

Cheers, Steve.
   

    -@bigpearl

Haha, it is not hot and humid here, Bigpearl is just slow to adjust.  (Kidding, you can trust anything Bigpearl says, I thank him regularly for his experience and advice).

I have been following this topic for many posts and it seems there are many different experiences... If you are in Manila you may be able to get clearance easy at the airport but that is a risk, so I advise to get it a few days before leaving if you are there 6 months or more.  I recently left, just a few days short of 6 months and I did not need the certificate.

Safe travels,

Donald