"Philippines to re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists"

Don't forget your COVID health insurance or you will either be turned around or ripped off buying overpriced insurance at the airport.

Cherryann01 wrote:

<SNIP> once when I was married I drove the ex wife and daughter to Manchester Airport early in the morning for them to catch a flight to Kiev, she is originally from Ukraine.

Ukraine is another one of those countries like the Philippines or Thailand that women find men through the internet. You might say those women  are like OFW's, when their work is completed they always return home with the money leaving broken hearts and broke men behind.

A word to the wise, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Well I do agree that there are many women in Ukraine looking for a relationship with a foreign man with the intention of moving abroad to make money however in my case I met my ex wife in Latvia face to face and not through any dating site and we were married for seventeen years so she was not just after a rich husband to provide for her.

In fact she was a very hard working woman who after the first six months when she was not allowed by law to work or study, went about bettering herself firstly by attending night school to gain formal English qualifications and also studying computers.

After this she had several jobs including working as a waitress at a restaurant, being a Membership Administrator at a Health Club and then a Teaching Assistant before studying and getting a Teaching Degree. She has been a Primary School Teacher for about 14 years now and is an excellent teacher who is valued by her school.

So if you were implying that she just came to England for an easy life, you are totally wrong and she still lives in England and is still a School Teacher.

You seem to be quick to judge others and their motives. Might I suggest you take some time to reflect before judging.

safe flight Wellsfry, hope to hear good news from you soon! 

Just booked our flight, but it is not until November. American Airlines from Peoria to Chicago, then Japan airlines the rest of the way. Round trip per seat for premium economy roughly $1475. Then another $225 round trip on Cebu Pacific from Manila to Dumaguete. Total of about $1700 each for my wife and myself. Best thing about flying out of Peoria-the free parking!

Now let's pray they don't shut down again before then...

All good... Finally back to Philippines 🇵🇭  👍🏻 Landed in Dipolog yesterday at 9:40a.m... So... To fly from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C... needed 1) Passport, 2) negative rt-pcr test... thats all... as long as connection to another country...

In Vancouver, B.C. to fly to Manilla I needed... 1) Passport, 2) covid insurance (35k), 3) Philippines one health (qr code), Negative Rt-PCR within 48 hours of ORIGINAL flight.

In Manila to fly to Dipolog... 1) Passport, 2) Covid insurance (35k minimum) 3) Negative rt-pcr test (within 5 days), 4) SPass  5) certificate of acceptance (for dipolog for me to enter city.)

P.s.. You CAN extend for additional 30 days if desired... need to go to embassy... lay down your 1000 pesos fee, and enjoy 🍻

Glad you got there safely Wellsfry and I hope you have a great time in the Philippines and a problem free visit.

Could you just clarify a couple of things for me though?  Firstly how exactly does one go about getting this Spass, how long does it take to get it and do you apply for it before travelling to the Philippines?
Secondly, same questions for the Certificate of acceptance?

My dates and itinerary are not finalised yet but I plan to stop off a few nights maybe in Bangkok or Kuala Lumpa, then fly into either Cebu or Manila, hopefully Cebu. I have asked my girlfriend if she would be willing to meet me in Cebu then we can stay at a resort for 3 or 4 days before we travel on to Cagayan De Oro, where my plan is to rent a condo for 2 or 3 weeks.

Google spass Philippines.... apply... Approval is instant.

The certificate of acceptance, ect..etc... I would have your girlfriend check the requirements for you to enter at her local iatf (interagency task force (department of health)) office. 

All cities when traveling through Philippines right now have different requirements for you to enter... some for example require a negative test... some don't.... some require proof of residency... some don't... its really insane right now.

Wellsfry,

You listed the docs you needed at each point in your trip.  I note you didn't mention the 30-day onward/outbound ticket.  Did anyone ask for proof of you leaving the Philippines after 30 days? 

You also mention in your P.S. that you can extend beyond 30 days and to go to the Embassy.  I have seen nothing on the internet indicating that the Philippines will allow 9A tourist visa extensions.  Can you indicate where you got this information.  And usually extensions are gotten at the BI office, not any Embassy.  Can you clarify this?

Thanks for your very informative posts.

Cheers,

Wes

Yes..
When going through customs, you must show your return ticket within 30 days of arrival. 

As for the extension... The only verification o have is from another American that was traveling through Vancouver, and we started a conversation.  He has an apartment in Makati, and indicated that he had already checked it out, and said yes... may extend... he said embassy... to apply, pay fee... but you may be correct as this was second hand information.  He seamed very knowledgeable and reliable though.
I met another guy from Chicago, who had my same flights all the way here to Dipolog... and he is actually flying back to Manila on the 17th to extend for additional 30 days... I will post what happens with it.

Ok so I’m booked March 10 to Manila then to Davao from Dubai with my Filipino girlfriend. I’m flying Philippines Airlines and am wondering if I get COVID insurance here in Dubai if it will be acceptable or do I just need to pay PAL airlines?
I’m also confused about if my Filipino girlfriend needs the COVID insurance?
Thanks
Terry

You need covid insurance to board the plane to Manila.  Your girlfriend doesn't need anything.

I know I am being dense here, but what is covid insurance? Haven't traveled out of the country in a while...

Just a note on your travel to Davao, although any insurance that covers covid to at least $35,000 will be acceptable with regards to meeting the entry requirements, your insurance policy will not be valid if travelling to Mindanao if your Foreign Office, like mine, advises against travel to that region.

In other words if you just take out a standard policy with covid cover and you do need to make a claim, your insurance company will probably refuse.

That was my question as well to the insurance company that carried my policy, and they said that they would honor a claim... they sent me a letter as well...

Regarding the ability to extend your stay, I went to the Philippine Embassy here in Ottawa (Canada) and was told that they were definitely not issuing any tourist (9A) visas.  Was told I can only go on my passport for 30 days.  I asked if it was possible to extend the stay once I was in the Philippines and the person did not know if that was possible.  She said I would have to check with the BI (Bureau of Immigration) office once I got to the Philippines.  Going only for 30 days makes no financial sense for me and certainly too big a risk to go on a "hope and a prayer" that I can extend. 

I am hoping someone else here on the forum who recently travelled or will travel to the Philippines  can investigate a tourist visa extension further with the BI there and post on the forum what they discover.

Safe travels to all!

Look at Filipina Pea and Gio in the PI, both are saying you can extend once you get there but it has been US there most talk about, Good luck

If you overstayed and say you showed up 2 years later at the airport upon leaving the country, I wonder what they would do to you.
I am guessing they would say come back soon sir.

lcdrski,

Thanks for the lead on Filipina Pea and Gio.  I checked them out.  Based on a video posted by Gio, and some follow-up comments by other viewers of the video, it looks like "some" BI offices are giving extensions (definitely in Manila), while others are not.  So the situation is still fluid.  I think the BI officers are learning as they are going, just like the foreigners, hahaha.  I'm sure in a couple of weeks the situation will stabilize and extensions will be granted at all BI offices.  I'm planning on going back late March/early April so hoping things are much more stable and clear by then. 

Thanks again for the information.  Much appreciated.

Cherryann01 wrote:

You are a very lucky man being able to sleep on board. This is something I have never managed to do no matter how tired I am.

Any Tips Bob for sleeping on board would be much appreciated.

Fly business 
I have a frequent flyer programme with Etihad who also fly from your nearest international airport Manchester. Depending on the frequency of your proposed trips to Asia by sticking to the same airline and becoming a member of their relevant frequent flyer programme you will be amazed at the number of airmiles you accrue which can be used to offset the costs of a future ticket or for an upgrade. I believe 2 of the other Middle East 'Super' carriers Emirates & Qatar also fly from that city.

The Etihad connection out of Abu Dhabi to Manila is always packed with Filipinos in economy (Coach to our American friends). If I'm in economy I get upgraded 50% of the time as business is empty and they need to 'push' passengers forward. Being a frequent flyer member will put you at the front of the queue. I normally catch the 2pm flight out of Heathrow (caveat - flight times are all over the place at the moment) which gets me in to Abu Dhabi at midnight. You don't feel like sleeping on this leg anyway because of your body clock. Its the second leg when the jetlag is starting to hit & the benefits of a flat bed really kick in . Often on the Manila leg you will have a gorgeous Filipina stewardess on hand to tuck you up for the night    You then wake up over the South China sea to be served a delicious breakfast on a linen napkin. Its one of the few airlines that serve my favourite cereal ; Rice Krispies

Etihad now have a plus grade option where by you can 'bid' for an upgrade. Because the business class cabin is nearly empty you can usually get a guaranteed seat for a bid of say £250 ($340)

Indonesia is opening up to tourists in April (hot off the press - yes you heard it first on Expat.Com) Cebu Pacific normally have a daily flight between Jakarta and Manila for about £150 one way. Etihad allow you to have an 'open jaw' flight returning from a different city to the one you flew into at no extra cost. Currently Cebu Pacific have suspended flights to Jakarta but I'm sure that these will soon be reinstated because of relaxation of entry rules in Indonesia. By the way you can currently get a return ticket UK - Jakarta for £550.
My advice would be to hold off for a few weeks until things settle down and more airline seats become available. After all its supply and demand which will ultimately affect seat prices.

It is funny you mentioned the bidding for an upgrade because I saw a programme recently saying the same thing and I have to admit I did not know this was possible. The programme also covered most of the points you mentioned regarding frequent flyer programmes and the benefits of them.

I must admit I have never been upgraded apart from for about 30 minutes on one flight with Cathay Pacific and this was only because the plane was late taking off and my connection time to get my other flight from Jong Kong was short. It turned out that I was not the only one so about 12 of us were moved into Business Class for the last 30 minutes of the flight so we could be first to disembark the plane. I did notice a lot of empty seats in Business Class on that day so I will carefully consider your advise before my next trip.

Thank you very much for the information.

One reason I like PAL's Premium Economy is it so much nicer than being crammed in the back, for only a few hundred dollars more, round trip. It is not Business class, with flat beds, but more like the old First Class - huge seats, more room in front and to the sides, upgraded meals, and the entire section is never more than half full. Plus they allow date changes without penalty. Not offered on all routes, but it is on HNL to MNL, so I use my Hawaiian or Delta miles to get to Honolulu, enjoy a nice stopover using hotel miles, then take the PAL flight leaving at 11am.

Hi all, is it safe to say that a large majority of the people traveling to PI now are those with wives, girlfriends etc that have not been able to travel last 2 years?? I would thing the partiers are hanging back?  JMO. Thanks

Jackson4 wrote:

If you overstayed and say you showed up 2 years later at the airport upon leaving the country, I wonder what they would do to you.
I am guessing they would say come back soon sir.

Guess again.

I would have guessed you were right also... but the playboys from what I understand are also. My fiancee has a couple cousins in Angels... And it sounds like it is already very busy again.

Wellsfry wrote:

My fiancee has a couple cousins in Angels... And it sounds like it is already very busy again.

Just yesterday I You Tubed walking street Angeles City.  It seemed the girls have returned, but a real shortage of Expats for them.

I saw the same videos in angeles and subic.

So... can anyone confirm if the visa-free status can be extended to a tourist visa now? or even eligible for different types of visa conversion ( 9G, SRRV, etc) ?

Thanks in advance!

Hi All

I want to ask some info please and if I repeat the same topics, I do apologize. We are planning to move to PH end of may for good and retirement, I am married to a Filipino. Now to apply for the SRRV, besides the police clearance, medical, photos etc, can I apply remotely or can it only be done once you are in the Philippines?

Secondly do I need a return ticket for the permanent settlement in PH or is a one way acceptable?

I see some people talk about a ACR, do I need that also?

Appreciate if you can advise me on this please.

Thanks a lot.

Yes... You can.  I flew with a guy from Chicago(met on plane(s))... to Dipolog... He flew back to Manila last week, went to the immigration, and extended his stay until October...  He paid just over 14k to extend.  He was given an immigration card. 
We both flew in on February 10 with our passports on 30 tourist stay.