New passport and need entry stamped transferred

I recently had to get a new passport and after getting it , I used it to get my visa extension. While processing my new visa extension I was told to have my entry stamp transferred to my new passport. I was instructed to go across the hall and have it transferred and then come back to get my visa extended. I went across the hall to what was a travel agency and asked them to transfer it, I was told yes we can and the fee is 5000p. I did not bring enough money with me to do this so I went back to immigration and explained that to them They said as a one time curtesy they would do this time but will not do it again until I have it transferred  Ok I got it extended and after that many expats said they never had to do that and the ones that did said it was only 400p at immigration in Cebu . I live in Dumaguete and am using there office here to do my extensions.  Has anyone had renewed there passport and if so what did you pay to transfer this stamp or did

@Mepp7777

I was instructed to go across the hall and have it transferred and then come back to get my visa extended.

TThe government agent actually told you to go across the hall to a private company to pay for a restamp and then come back for your extension,  to remain legal here? WTF? Is this true?

@danfinn

Yes it's true and that's what seems odd to me,  I feel like 5000p was to much and also seems little shady to have to go to a travel agency to have it done.   Stranger things happen I guess but this  smells .   Anyways looking for other expats experiences with this situation     Thanks

@Mepp7777

It was quite now since I renewed my passport but back then all the wanted me to do was bring my old passport with the stamp in it whenever I extended my visa.

I recently had to get a new passport and after getting it , I used it to get my visa extension. While processing my new visa extension I was told to have my entry stamp transferred to my new passport. I was instructed to go across the hall and have it transferred and then come back to get my visa extended. I went across the hall to what was a travel agency and asked them to transfer it, I was told yes we can and the fee is 5000p. I did not bring enough money with me to do this so I went back to immigration and explained that to them They said as a one time curtesy they would do this time but will not do it again until I have it transferred  Ok I got it extended and after that many expats said they never had to do that and the ones that did said it was only 400p at immigration in Cebu . I live in Dumaguete and am using there office here to do my extensions.
Has anyone had renewed there passport and if so what did you pay to transfer this stamp or did you have to ?  I have a new passport and also my old passport with the stamp - @Mepp7777

Hello Mepp, I had the same situation happen to me this year. The BI office in CDO told me i had to go to the main BI office in Manila to transfer my entry stamp from my old passport to my new  one. The main BI office is the only place it can be done. So i flew to Manila and had it done. Main office also gave me a visa  extension  and fined me 500 php's for being late on my renewal. Dont be scammed by some travel agency. Expensive trip for me but the only way to transfer the stamp.

Hi, there are several BI offices around which can do it. It depends on the authorization given to the BI office.

For example the BI office in Cebu or IloIlo can do that. Smaller offices like my office here in Boracay is not authorized to do it. Just send an email with your concern and they will tell you where to go.

Hi, there are several BI offices around which can do it. It depends on the authorization given to the BI office.
For example the BI office in Cebu or IloIlo can do that. Smaller offices like my office here in Boracay is not authorized to do it. Just send an email with your concern and they will tell you where to go. - @Andy_1963

Hello Andy, Good to know. My BI office told me the only office that can transfer the stamp to a new passport was the main office in Manila. I would rather have gone to Cebu. I never had luck sending an email and getting a response from BI.

@scott1953

Hello Mepp, I had the same situation happen to me this year. The BI office in CDO told me i had to go to the main BI office in Manila to transfer my entry stamp from my old passport to my new  one.

That is a long way to go for a tourist visa stamp. Something seems wrong. I am quite sure the Cebu office could do it.

The main BI office is the only place it can be done.

Don't be so sure.  Just because some clerk said so does not make it true.

So i flew to Manila and had it done.

Wow.

Main office also gave me a visa  extension  and fined me 500 php's for being late on my renewal.

Lol, after flying all the way to Manila they can't give a poor guy a break. So much for welcoming tourists to the Philippines.

Dont be scammed by some travel agency. Expensive trip for me but the only way to transfer the stamp.

We had to renew my wife's passport and she has a different visa stamp, an SRRV. All we did was go to a well known visa agent in Dumaguete, JRC to let them handle the restamp. They charged 17K to handle it for us abd we paid. Not cheap but considering the travel costs, hotel, manila traffic,  time and inconvenience of waiting in sweaty lines it was well worth it. We did not consider it a scam but instead a valuable service. Next year I must renew my pp and re-stamp out of Dumaguete and I definitely will use JRC Agency for the re-stamp. Of I had a 9A tourist visa like you I would use JRC as well.

@Mepp7777

I renewed my passport last year and a worker from the local immigration office took it to Manila to get it stamped for me she was going down there anyway and offered to do it for free I gave her 2000 pesos for her trouble it was well worth it for me.

Welcome to the forum Joe.

Well done getting one of the staff to help you out, yes P2k was a bargain.

I went through the same thing last year and had to go to Manila, 6 hours drive each way and a hotel overnight. It was a pain in the derriere and got me beat why the local immi offices can't accomplish that.

Glad we don't live in the back blocks of Mindanao.

Enjoy the forum.

Cheers, Steve.

I received a new PP Dec 2024 and have not had my Entry or Visa re-stamped.

I just always take the old with new PP when it’s needed.

Since then, I have accomplished two annual reports, traveled to Thailand and the US with no problems.

So are the Entry Stamp/Visa transfers really

a requirement ?

And for what purpose as long as you can Travel and complete the annual report with out those transfers ?

Or is this only a requirement for those who are only applying for tourist Visa Extensions ?

I received a new PP Dec 2024 and have not had my Entry or Visa re-stamped.
I just always take the old with new PP when it’s needed.
Since then, I have accomplished two annual reports, traveled to Thailand and the US with no problems.
So are the Entry Stamp/Visa transfers really
a requirement ?
And for what purpose as long as you can Travel and complete the annual report with out those transfers ?
Or is this only a requirement for those who are only applying for tourist Visa Extensions ? - @vehicross100

Supposedly the re-stamp onto the new passport is needed for technical reasons. When passing in and out of immigration your old passport is no longer a valid document so agents can decide to not even look at it. As you say, you haven't had a problem but my agency JRC tells me that to be perfectly legal, the new passport must be re-stamped. It all depends on the mood of the immigration agent I suppose, so I had my new PP re-stamped for entry.

Agree Dan as I was told the same thing from my satellite immi office and had to visit Manila main office to get it done, Not sure if Cebu or Davao do it but a definite pain in the proverbial.

Cheers, Steve.

It seems immigration office(r)s make up their own rules.

LOL Trevor, yes as we all know welcome to the Philippines. I think its to legitimise the new passport, I presented the newly stamped passport as well as my old one that had the previous extension sticker in it and was instantly queried why the page edges weren't cut off (which is normal if you submit your old passport for a renewal) and I told the clerk that I renewed through the Australian embassy in Manila by post and my old passport wasn't required. Go figure.

I just smile and worry about bigger things.

Cheers, Steve.

Steve, the problem is all this b****y graft laden money making officious nonsense gets in the way of  the bigger things. I've recently bought a used car from a good friend. More about that experience when I have the time between visa extensions.

Cheers , Trevor.

Trevor, I've never paid a graft to a fixer or anyone else and simply follow the laws here, as muddled as they are they do work, yep frustrating at times but hey? Who's in a hurry.

I'm afraid to say that we would never buy second hand cars or bikes here, only new.

Hope you sort out your visa extension.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Steve, I wasn't alleging  either you or I paid out graft. I was suggesting some of the fees paid for often unnecessary, and sometimes blatantly unlawful, government services do not always end up in the government coffers. After living here for 20 years, I agree the laws are muddied (as distinct from muddled), but for that reason I don't believe they work as intended.

I used the term "bought a used car" in the legal sense. It was actually in settlement of an unpaid debt. By the way I have a 19 tear old Toyota Innova, bought new, owes me nothing, if you're interested. Silly me, it's gas not electric.

Visa extensions only began to annoy me when when the 6 month extension was summarily discontinued.

Cheers, Trevor. 

I wasn't having a go at you Trevor simply my observations of living here and the changes and fees that seem to come with a spin of a bottle. The only time I secured a 6 month visa extension was in Manilla like 14/15 years ago and what a hole of a place it was back then, seems they have upped their game a lot when I was there last year for a new passport transfer and was very different and efficient.

Swings and merry go rounds here and I simply roll with the punches as we used to do in our home countries that were probably just as corrupt.

As for gas/electric both out cars run on ICE as do the bikes but one is PHEV and only needs gas for a long trip.

More fun in the Philippines is debatable, as a tourist maybe.

I do hope you sort your visa problems out.

Cheers, Steve.

If you left the Philippines and re-entered on your new passport assumedly you wouldn't have to do anything because your new passport would have an entry stamp. Is that correct?

On a similar issue, I exited the Philippines last week and the immigration officer got huffy and puffy over my visa waiver which I had applied for online. Because I did it online there is nothing in my passport but when I login to my BI account I can see the waiver there and assumedly the immigration officer could see it on his computer because he asked me about it. Then when I couldn't remember what date I processed it he wanted physical evidence which had me searching my Gmail for 5 minutes until I found the approval email, but that wasn't enough for him he wanted to see the receipt. Another Gmail search and I found it. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't kept those emails. Anyway my point is all the information he wanted was in my BI account but that wasn't enough for him. When transacting online keep all your paperwork 👍

Interesting point Bro and maybe that could work but for me I wasn't going O/S so had to go through the motions and interestingly there were no fees,,,,,,,,,,, only a stupid 6 hour drive each way and a nice hotel overnight. (FEES)

I did think along your lines with exiting and reentry but I still had 5/6 months I could stay on my old passport. Went and did the ECC the other day with the thumb prints etc. Like Trevor says the system can be frustrating and it seems no one here trusts computers and prefer old school thinking.

Yeah I've looked at renewing my visa online and simply print out the receipt but the better half prefers we make a day out of it with shopping and lunch out as I'm a bit of a hermit.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Swings and merry go rounds here and I simply roll with the punches as we used to do in our home countries that were probably just as corrupt.

I can't let this comment go Steve. The Berlin based Transparency International (corruption perceptions index) chart for 2025 has Australia at number 12 and the Philippines at 120. In fact you Aussies beat us Brits - we're at 20

I care little Lotus as I am an honest dude and note the scams and sharks and very aware of the palm greasing and corruption in all countries especially here in PH. Live here you can't get away from it but try to avoid I/we do.

More fun.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Whether computers or old school, they might at least try all singing from the same hymn book!

We wish Trevor, banks are the best when it comes to rules, depends on the franchisee it seems.

Point is I live here as you do and play the game we do,,,,,, smile along the way.

Cheers, Steve.