Extending Philippines tourist visa for 1 month vs longer?

scott1953 wrote:

Hi Styoung, If i recall they give you 30 day automatic tourist  visa upon arrival to Phil. Next time you can do another 30 day extension only. After the 2nd extension, you need to pay 50.00 dollars  for the ACR card plus your extension fees. After that you can extend for 2 , or 4 or 6 months extensions .  I just renewed mine for 6 months for P 7,000.  This site may help you. ..................................................................Extension of Authorized Stay Beyond 59 days - Bureau of Immigration
www.immigration.gov.ph/visa-requirement … /extension

An updated link to the above

http://www.immigration.gov.ph/visa-requ … nd-59-days

styoung wrote:

The nearest immigration extension office to me (Makati) does "receiving but not processing" of the ACR card initial application. Does that mean it'll take a lot longer than if I went to the main office in Intramuros? Should I expect to go back the following week to pick the results up?

......................Living in CDO when i filled out the ap for my original  ACR card  at the immigration office here, it took like 2 months to get it back. But you have a paid receipt to show if asked. They called me when it finally came in for me to come and pick up. On my ACR renewal this year, they just took my 50.00 dollars and i did not have to fill out any form this time. It was ready and they texed me to let me know i could pick it up after only like 2 weeks.

nosredna wrote:

I am also planning a 6 month stay in the Philippines and after checking out the updated link provided by pej1111  I'm a bit confused.  It was my understanding I would come in on my passport which is good for the first 30 days.  Then I need to apply for a 29-day extension (which they call a waiver).  After that I thought you could extend for any additional months (in my case I'd want 4 more months) in one shot.  When I looked at the link provided it appears that you have to extend only two months at a time.  The first 2-mth extension is Php 5700. plus ACR costs of Php 550.  Then they show a chart for "After regular extension of two months" with a cost of Php 2930.  Am I reading that correctly?  Can you not extend for 4 months in one shot?

Also, I noticed on the old form that it says you need 2 color photos 2"x2" but there is nothing on the new form or checklist mentioning photos.  Does anyone know if photos are still required for a visa extension?

Last question.  What's the purpose of the ACR card?

Thanks in advance for any clarification.

.............................   
I understand your confusion and i go through the same thing every time i go to immigration for an extension. I have learned to bring extra money, photos and copy's of my passport. Like an immigration officer told me when i questioned her about what it said on there web site, she said "all that matters is what i tell you i need for you to receive your extension". Like i stated earlier, i just did a 6 month extension but was given the option for a 2, 4 or 6 month extension. Yes, you still need to supply them a  2x2 photo on the new 1 page extension form plus a copy of the entrance date to the Phil. and cover photo page of your passport. And a 2x2 photo when you apply for an ACR card. By the way, the ACR card cost   is $ 50.00 US dollars, not Php550,  and  you have to pay in PHP'S which is around P 5,000. I figure the purpose of the ACR card is an easy way for them to make 50.00 dollars off foreigners  and a way to find us if they are looking for us in country. Also if you dont already know, they extended the time foreigners can reside here on extended tourist  visas from 12 months to 36 months now before we have to leave the country and start the confusing process all over again. Good luck!