can I stay in the Philippines for more than a year?
my Father is a US Citizen. he is retired now and bought a house in the Philippines. What are the consequences if he decides to stay in the Phlippines for more than a year?
Public Comments
- On entering the Philippines foreigners from most countries automatically get a free 3-week tourist visa. If intending on staying longer you should apply for a visa extension. Each visa extension is valid for 59 days, except the first which is 38 days (i.e 59-21). You can pay on departure a fine of PhP1000 per month of overstay plus the PhP2020 fee. To avoid all the hassle, before traveling get the longer visa from the embassy (or a consulate), as this saves you a couple of days hassle during your holiday. Contact the Philippine embassy of your country about the exact requirements for a visa application and opening hours of the consular section. When you arrive with a visa, show it to the immigration official, so that he will actually give you the 59 days, instead of the normal 21 days, on your arrival stamp. Bureau of Immigration offices are as follows: -Bureau of Immigration Main Office. Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila. Tel (011-63-2)527-5657. -Bureau of Immigration Regional Office. P Burgos Street, Tribunal, Mandaue City, Cebu. Tel (011-63-32)345-6442/6443/6444. -Bureau of Immigration Regional Office - Davao. BI Building, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City, Tel (011-63-82)300-7258.
- Consequences? One consequence is he will probably have a nicer lifestyle than in the USA. Or do you mean, what does he need to do to legally stay? Many possibilities. He can get an investor's visa or a retiree's visa or a quota visa .....
- There is little enough data to process, and you confound it all by a twist in the identity of who needs to stay more than a year, you or your Dad. Of course, I agree with what the first answerer says, and that is to be certain, to contact the Philippine Immigration. Permit me to be Sherlock Holmes. Your father is a US citizen, and he did not really retire his US citizenship, did he? You are simply saying he retired from an active life, right? And he bought a house in the islands. I say either he has Filipino roots, or he was a world war two veteran, fought over there, and simply loved the weather. If he has the bloodline, I don't think staying there for more than a year would be any problem. And how could he buy real estate if he did not have Philippine citizenship? (The plot gets thicker....) If he simply loves the weather, he really needs to see the immigration authorities.
- Why would you want to torture yourself?! No better place than USA!
- A USA citizen is allowed to stay 21 days without visa, after that you can extend your stay with getting a visum for 59 days, you can do that until you are there for max. 16 months of stay,then you have to leave but can come back the next day and the 16months will start over again to count.(just visit hongkong for a day) However when you say that he has a house in the Phil's it means he must be married (or it's just a condo apartment) I say this because a foreigner is not allowed to own land,so there must be a Filipino involved to have a house. Maybe he is married and when so he will be able to get a balikbayanstamp which allow him to stay for 1 year in the country. For this he has to travel together with his wife,who has to ask on arrival the stamp for him. When married he also can request for a 13a visum(which rules lately become more easy).
