3-month stay and visa renewal

Hi everyone. I’m leaving for almost 3 months in the Philippines (11 weeks total) starting in early May. I already have my round-trip ticket. The problem is, I don’t have time to get a 2-month visa because the process takes nearly a month. From what I’ve read here and there, I need a return ticket valid for less than a month when I arrive in the Philippines to prove my good faith. After that, I can apply for a 30-day extension at the immigration office. I’m planning to either buy a fully refundable ticket to the nearest country or a fake ticket. For 3 months, I’ll need to extend my visa two more times before my return date to France. My question is this: Will immigration ask me each time I extend my visa by one month to show proof of an exit ticket matching the new visa extension date? Is it possible to extend directly by 2 months before the initial 30 days expire? Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips! 😊

Hi there, when you arrive in the Philippines, you’ll need an onward ticket, though I’ve never actually been asked for one. You can get a 30-day visa extension at an immigration office, then another 30-day extension after that. The second time, you’ll have to get an ACR card (Alien Certificate Registration), which costs between 8,000 and 10,000 pesos. I don’t know your itinerary, but if you’re going to Cebu, avoid the immigration office in that city—it’s a hotspot for scams and corruption. Head to the Mactan office instead, near Gaisano Mactan. Otherwise, any city with an immigration office will do.

Current rate

Thanks so much for your reply—it’s really helpful to get feedback like this! I’ll still book a 100% refundable return ticket just in case, you never know. And thanks for the photo with the prices too. Awesome!😊

Yes. Because if you don’t have a return ticket, you’ll be denied boarding at check-in in France.

But it’s useless since you already have a round-trip ticket

But it’s useless since you have a round-trip ticket

Yeah, I have one round-trip ticket, but it spans 3 months, so that could be an issue. I’ll still cover my bases by getting a ticket for under 30 days that matches my arrival date in the country

This is my 30th trip, always under 30 days, with a round-trip ticket, and never had any issues