If you are planning to spend more time in beautiful Philippines after the expiry of your visa it is important to know how to extend Philippines Visa. This country boasts of beautiful beaches, a vibrant culture and welcoming inhabitants – this is why many people throng the country in their numbers every year. If for instance, you want to visit other islands of Philippines or you want to get an understanding of Filipino culture, it is always easier to get a visa extension and make your stay on this island country as productive as possible.
Extending a tourist visa in the Philippines is not very complicated but it requires some effort to pull it off. From the documents that have to be prepared to the actual visit to the Bureau of Immigration, you will know what to expect to avoid several issues. In this article I will explain how you can go about applying for an extension of your tourist visa to allow you continuous fun in the Philippines.
Here are the Step Guide to Extending Your Philippines Tourist Visa
1. Determine Your Eligibility for Extension
As much as it is important to start the visa extension process, you must first establish whether you qualify for an extension. In general, all tourists qualify for an extension of stay so long as they are still within the permitted length of the initial visa. This means that you should go for the extension before the validity of the current visa has come to an end. Also, you must have passport which is valid for at least six months from the date of travel and you should not have violated any laws of immigration. The following checks will assist you confirm that you can extend the tourist visa without any hitch.
2. Prepare Required Documents
Once you find out that you qualify for an extension of your visa, the next thing is to prepare for the documents you need to present when applying for the extension. Generally, you need to fill application form for Visa extension and attach your original passport along with photocopy of bio page and your valid visa. Other items that should be submitted are also some recent passport sized photos, proof of onward journey and the cash for the extension fee. Having all these documents will help in a smooth flow of the documents when submitting them at the Bureau of Immigration.
Read more: Philippines Tourist Visa Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
3. Wait for Your Visa Extension
Once your documents are ready, you have to personally bring and file your application at the nearest Bureau of Immigration (BI) office. One should try to find a BI branch that deals with visa renewals because this will be convenient for the visit. When you get to the immigration station, hand over your application form, along with the needed documents to an immigration officer for consideration. You can expect to be charged the extension fee and this should be retained since it acts as evidence of your application as you wait for your new visa.
4. Submit visa Application:
After submitting your application for the immigration, you will then have to wait for the processing of your visa extension. This may take some time and it may take anything from a few days. In this duration, make sure you secure your passport and receipt well as these are some of the documents that will be used when going to get your visa. In case you have any query or complaint regarding the status of your application, you may get in touch with the Bureau of Immigration.
5. Collect Your Extended Visa
The last stage is to go back to the Bureau of Immigration to pick your passport where the extension visa will have been stamped. This is important because, authenticity of the visa and any other detail that may be contained in the visa has to be established. It also guarantees that you continue enjoying the Philippines and having your fun out without the fear of the law coming for you or arresting you. After this, it is even possible to go an extra mile to discover other of the other beautiful places and things to do in the country.
Conclusion:
Finally, I would like to stress out that the process of visa extension in Philippines is rather easy and therefore, you can easily stay here for a longer time enjoying beautiful tropical climate of this country. Having determined your chances of getting your extension, the papers to produce and having followed the outlined procedures in this guide, your extension will be as smooth as possible. The Philippines is one of the beautiful countries in the world with different sceneries and cheerful people along with vibrant colour and having a valid Philippines Visa while touring will make the tour very enjoyable.
This should be done early enough so as not to be enclosed by some of the problems at the last hour and also to review any change in the immigration laws. If one has enough information on the Philippines or Philippines tourism then one could make the most of the time that they would be spending in the country and get the most out of the extra days that one would be having in the country. Whether you want to swim in sandy beaches or walk on green mountains or even try out new foods of Philippines, then Philippines vacation is for you!
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