This article is to help you, especially with useful links to the right websites. We believe that you don't need an Agent or a Visa Agency. Sure it is not easy but also not impossible. And if you are here on Holiday (Tourist Visa) you should have time to do that process. So don't waste money and do it yourself, this article can help you apply by yourself for a visa. Further it is important to learn how things work in the country anyway. Procedures and Prices can always change. But the following gives you a general idea of what we have done and is very much possible for you too. The big advantage of doing it yourself you get used to how things are done here in the Philippines, which helps your immigration process. Further, all things are in English so that it is possible for every foreigner to do. And please don’t get ripped off by agents taking 5-10 times the amount of the visa.
Here we talk about our personal experience of going through the application:
Our Process: What we did coming to the Philippines
Entered the Country with 1 Year Balikbayan Privilege Visa
Possible when you enter with your Filipino spouse (might need to show that you are married, especially if you do not have the same surname)
It is a form of a tourist visa
no work allowed
not allowed to open a bank account (usually)
but Banks handle it very differently and everything can be possible or nothing (basically you can always try)
You can, but you don’t have to, to get an Allien Certificate of Registration (ACR Card), which is basically an ID card.
You need that if you want to get your Bank account (mostly)
It is extendable like any other Tourist visa, see: https://immigration.gov.ph/visa-requirements/non-immigrant-visa/temporary-visitor-visa/extension-of-authorized-stay-beyond-59-days
There is another possible long stay Visa. For example, a visa for pensioners called SSRV (https://pra.gov.ph/srrv/)
You can get most foreign driver’s licenses transferred to Filipino ones. Visit your nearest LTO (Land Transportation Office). It helps when you have an ACR Card, but usually, any ID and your driver’s license can be enough. Other requirements here: https://lto.gov.ph/license-permit-issuance/525-new-driver-s-license.html#conversion-of-foreign-driver-s-license-to-philippine-driver-s-license-including-renewal-of-expired-philippine-driver-s-license-with-a-valid-foreign-driver-s-license
The embassy of your country can give you a translation of your DL, for Germany: https://manila.diplo.de/ph-de/service/fuehrerschein-verkehr/1691022
Then you can apply within that one 1 year for your 13a Visa see below, which should be done at least 3 Months before your Tourist visa expires. If you don’t receive it in time, you need to extend your tourist visa again.
Although if there are no lockdowns and stuff and can go through the process easier already in your home country. As some of the offices you need to visit in the Philippines are maybe far away from you and with the embassy most things are postal (in your home country). That was for us not possible because of that “C” thing going on (was just too time-consuming) so we had to do it here in the Philippines.
Who gets the 13a Visa:
The Philippines may issue a permanent residence visa (specifically the 13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa) to the qualified non-Filipino spouse of a Filipino citizen. The 13(a) visa is issued only to nationals of these countries:
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt (visa applicant must be a male and married to a female Philippine citizen), El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea South, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya (visa applicant must be a male and married to a female Philippine citizen), Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Malta (provided that the marriage took place before 24 April 2001 or the couple has been married for at least 5 years), Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Island, Norway, Oman (visa applicant must be a male and married to a female Philippine citizen), Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia (visa applicant must be a male and married to a female Philippine citizen), Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela. (https://www.philembassy.no/consular-services/visa/non-quota-immigrant-visa-for-spouses-of-filipino-citizens )
Requirements for 13a Visa
1. Joint letter request addressed to the Commissioner (Template)
It needs to be notarized
Many Letters and samples can be found, just google it.
Some BI offices help you with that, but that’s only hearsay what we gathered
2. Duly accomplished CGAF (BI Form CGAF-001-Rev …)
It is the application form from the BI Website
Straight forward fill it out
2 copies (1 for 13a visa and 1 for ACR Card)
Important: make sure you really have the right version. In the two weeks we have been working on the papers they changed the form and updated it. Especially after elections with the new government, there will be slight changes in the requirements and forms.
3. Marriage Certificate or Marriage Contract
If you don’t have it, you can get it from PSA like under: https://psahelpline.ph/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6_CYBhDjARIsABnuSzpn-SxJSKYeYMn4uIIWbQk6uRgb4T0oUT1c8b9QTVwtY1Ti0fDUtwEaAlrOEALw_wcB or https://www.psaserbilis.com.ph/#!
Recommended services to use on the official PSA website: https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/requesting-civil-registry-document/marriage-certificate
4. Birth Certificate or certified true copy of BI-issued Identification Certificate as Filipino citizen of the Filipino spouse
Birth certificate of the Filipino spouse
We misread that and I extra got mine (German) with the apostille in Germany, but that was not needed (If you can read is clearly an advantage, hahaha)
5. Photocopy of passport bio-page and latest admission with valid authorized stay
Bio-page (page with all your Data on it)
And a page with your current visa
But they ask us to make a copy of every page of the passport, also the empty ones!!!!
6. Valid National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance, if the application is filed six (6) months or more from the date of the first arrival in the Philippines
NBI Clearance (Police Clearance) when you apply for the 13a visa after 6 Month after you came to the Philippines
Register online and set an appointment
Can take up to 1 week to be ready for foreigners if done the first time (for us it took 4 working days)
Ask your local NBI office if they do it for foreigners (Ours in Calapan doesn’t do it, so we did it in Manila), it depends on the office apparently but be careful sometimes they just send it for an extra charge to Manila anyway and often it takes very long (As other ex-pats told me)
Main Office in Manila: NBI Clearance Center – U.N Avenue, Ermita. Manila
7. BI Clearance Certificate
https://immigration.gov.ph/services/certification/bi-clearance-certification
Clearance Certificate Requirements:
Application Form: BI FORM 2014-13-002 Rev 0
Copy of Passport bio-page or any valid government-issued ID card
They recommend for foreigners use the Passport
It’s a check that you are not in any Database of bad people and other things. We guess that it is the international check on the passport while the NBI checks the database inside the Philippines.
Cost: 1010Peso as listed on the BI Website (don’t pay more than what they require
Important was that they do that in one go, with the application for the 13a Visa. And also you pay for it at the same time. No extra appointment is needed (as the BI Website suggested)
8. Original or certified true copy of Bureau of Quarantine Medical Clearance, if applicant is a national of any of the countries listed under Annex “A” of Immigration Operations Order No. SBM-14-059-A who arrived in the Philippines on or after June 2014.
Can be found here: https://immigration.gov.ph/images/OPERATIONSORDER/2014_Issue/SBM-2014-059-A.pdf
All countries who need that:
It is all countries that had Ebola and have every now and then outbreaks of it
9. Documents which been not listed on the checklist but have been asked for:
Interviews from both spouses (not in person anymore)
The interview was not in-person but on paper form. The form was given to us by the information in the BI
need to be notarized
here are the 2 Pages:
2. Sworn Statement (Affidavit of Guarantee with authenticity
notarized as well
For Children follow the rest of the instructions on the Checklist
- They also need NBI and BI Clearance Certificate
How to Prepare the Documents
The procedure and Prices are all listed on the Website (don’t pay more than stated on the Website)
2 folders of legal size (Presentation folders in legal size are extended to 9 1/2″ by 14 1/2″ to fit legal documents that are sized at 8 1/2″ by 14″) to hand in all information. One for Visa 13a and one for ACR Card. As a European, you might be confused about what legal size is, well welcome to imperial measurement or as the British and Americans want you to believe that it is the “freedom measurements”. It's a bit bigger than A4.
Bring original Passports and IDs for inspection
They don’t keep them in, but want to see them
Cost of 13a Visa
Can be found on the BI Website
Never pay more than stated there (8620 Peso) as a spouse and a little less for Children’s
ACR Card is extra charged, around 50USD ($)
Plus BI Clearance and little thing, so in the end, you are by like 11k Peso all together
You get receipts for everything they are important to keep. Don’t pay more than written on the recipe
Overall I paid exactly: 11559 Peso
ACR Card
First ACR Card than is 1 year valid in accordance with the probationary 13a Visa.
After that year you need to extend for small charge for 5 years
How do you know is ready?
You get a number on your receipt which you can check online and when your number shows it is ready, go and collect
Minimum of 3 Month processing time, we got told
Where do I apply
Appointment system for Main office BI in Manila, with the “C” stuff we needed to make an appointment
It was not clear at all that that was needed, so look a bit around if this kind of thing is still required and where it might be needed to have an appointment. That’s Bureaucracy at its finest, and of course, often appointment page is a different website and not be able to find on the BI website itself. But they really ask for it when we were there, but they had many open slots you can also just fill it out in front of the door)
On BI website it says the Visa 13 can only be done in the Manila main office, but we heard some other offices in bigger cities do it too for foreigners (Just ask no harm done)
Address of BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION MAIN OFFICE in Manila:
Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines 1002
Picking up the visa in Manila
The visa was ready on time after 3 months, but we only picked it up after 7 months. So we went back to Intramuros with all the papers. The most important thing is the receipt and, of course, the passport.
Hand in your passport so that it can be stamped. The Chinese in front of me all had to show a second ID, but not me. I don't know why, but to be on the safe side I had my identity card and driving licence with me.
You get a pick-up slip and are allowed to leave. The collection slip tells you when you can pick up your passport. This can take 1-3 days.
When you pick up your passport, first get your passport and then your ACR card. Everything goes smoothly, but it takes time. In 2023, you no longer have to make an appointment.
And in a few months, it starts all over again, but for the last time, then it will be permanent.
Useful links and Information
Important to know: I can work with 13a Visa in the Philippines
You don’t need an AEP work permit, but for employment, you need an exemption letter (that means you need to show that you are exempted from showing a working permit) you can get that in your local DOLE. ( https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/department-order-186-17-revised-rules-for-the-issuance-of-employment-permits-to-foreign-nationals/ )
First Probationary and after 1 year and no incidence with Police or immigration and extension for life
Will almost never be expired (can of course be downgraded if you don’t abide by anthe law or your Filipino Spouse dies)
When we were doing the process, they literally changed the checklist for 13a a little bit, so please always follow the up-to-date ones. Maybe because of the new administration, as we did it just after the election of Marcos jr.
Non-quota immigration visa is an immigration visa, and you become a legal resident in the country when you have it. There are people insisting on the internet that is not an immigration visa because it says “non-quota” but non-quota means that there is no limit on how many people can get the visa in order to immigrate to the Philippines (so don’t listen to the trolls on Facebook and co.)
With 13a Visa you need a ECC (Exit clearance) when you leave the Philippines
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