Exit Clearance Certificate Query?

[Dave Hounddriver]

I was not aware of the need for any exit clearance

 

When you do your extensions during the first 6 months you will notice the prices are slightly higher.  When you examine the receipt you will see a charge for ECC on one or more of the extensions.  I suspect they charge you for exiting the country when you do your extension.  Then, after 6 months your bimonthly fee goes down but you have to pay to leave.

 

They gonna getcha!  Its all about the money.  Or so I suspect.

[i am bob]

 

 

If staying more than 59 days but less than 6 months, you have the option of paying at either one of the BI Regional offices or you can pay at the airport.

 

I just left after about 74 days and I did not have nor was I asked about any exit clearance. I simply got in line and presented by passport with the 2 extention stamps in it. I offered my ACR card but the BI officer was not interested in it. No big deal.  

 

I was not aware of the need for any exit clearance. No one has asked before so I never had a problem.

 

 

The ECC is needed if you stay more than 6 months. You can get it at Cebu, Davao, Manila, or Manila Airport. The info is in another thread. I got mine at Cebu.

 

 

I guess I should have been more clear...  There is an exit fee (or tax if you prefer) you pay after 59 days in the Philippines before you can leave.  This is payable at either the BI Regional Offices or at the Airport.  Once you hit the 6 month mark, then you have to go to BI and obtain the official ECC certificate.  You cannot do this at the Airport!

[earthdome]

I guess I should have been more clear...  There is an exit fee (or tax if you prefer) you pay after 59 days in the Philippines before you can leave.  This is payable at either the BI Regional Offices or at the Airport.  Once you hit the 6 month mark, then you have to go to BI and obtain the official ECC certificate.  You cannot do this at the Airport!

 

I have never had to pay ECC and I have left the Philippines 4 times with stays less than 6 months.

 

Perhaps you are thinking of the airport terminal fee everyone has to pay when flying out.

[earthdome]

 

I guess I should have been more clear...  There is an exit fee (or tax if you prefer) you pay after 59 days in the Philippines before you can leave.  This is payable at either the BI Regional Offices or at the Airport.  Once you hit the 6 month mark, then you have to go to BI and obtain the official ECC certificate.  You cannot do this at the Airport!

 

I have never had to pay ECC and I have left the Philippines 4 times with stays less than 6 months.

 

Perhaps you are thinking of the airport terminal fee everyone has to pay when flying out.

 

 

In addition, when I flew out of Clark to Singapore with my gf, she was able to obtain the ECC right at the airport. No fuss no muss. Just pay the fee and get the stamp in her passport. This was her first international travel.

[i am bob]

 

 

I guess I should have been more clear...  There is an exit fee (or tax if you prefer) you pay after 59 days in the Philippines before you can leave.  This is payable at either the BI Regional Offices or at the Airport.  Once you hit the 6 month mark, then you have to go to BI and obtain the official ECC certificate.  You cannot do this at the Airport!

 

I have never had to pay ECC and I have left the Philippines 4 times with stays less than 6 months.

 

Perhaps you are thinking of the airport terminal fee everyone has to pay when flying out.

 

 

In addition, when I flew out of Clark to Singapore with my gf, she was able to obtain the ECC right at the airport. No fuss no muss. Just pay the fee and get the stamp in her passport. This was her first international travel.

 

 

I have a newer reference besides the one below that shows the time as 1 year rather than 6 months but I have misfiled it somewhere.  

 

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha006.html#ExitClear

 

 

Exit Clearances

If you meet the following classifications below, you will need to follow the instructions and apply for the proper exit clearance at one of the five BIregional offices. Sub-ports cannot process exit clearance permits. All fees and conditions are subject to change. Normal processing time of 4-5 business days (expedite option available in most cases for +Php500).

1. Tourist: 59 days - 6 months

   Tourists staying more than 59 days but less than 6 months must pay an exit clearance fee. If your date of departure is certain, this can be paid through one of the five BI regional offices; otherwise, the exit fee can be paid at the airport upon your departure.

2. Tourist 6 months+

   Tourists staying more than 6 months must obtain an Emigration Clearance Certificate(ECC) from BI. You must submit the proper form along with 3 passport-sized photographs and the visa fees.

[GregZ]

Never mind... I don't know what I am talking about on this onr.

Edited June 20, 2013 by GregZ

[i am bob]

Never mind... I don't know what I am talking about on this onr.

 

From what I can gather, lately this has been done in different ways and given different names - and that is by the people who are doing it - ie:  BI...  I guess as long as they let us come and go (without overcharging us), it doesn't matter what they call it or how they do it.  Even their websites don't agree - what I posted was off the Philippine American website.  Go to a few other sites in different countries and, not only are some worded differently but the time frames are different too!  Who knows?  Maybe the whole thing I posted is obsolete now?  Or maybe that is the current way?  I guess we can all just shake our heads and go with the flow...

 

Like they say - It's more FUN in the Philippines!     :mocking:

[jpbago]

 

I was not aware of the need for any exit clearance

 

When you do your extensions during the first 6 months you will notice the prices are slightly higher.  When you examine the receipt you will see a charge for ECC on one or more of the extensions.  I suspect they charge you for exiting the country when you do your extension.  Then, after 6 months your bimonthly fee goes down but you have to pay to leave.

 

They gonna getcha!  Its all about the money.  Or so I suspect.

 

 

Posted 28 February 2013 - 06:58 AM

I got my ECC at the BI in Cebu two days ago. It took about 90 minutes as the small place was very busy. From the doors, go to the left where it says take a number. The guy there at the desk gives you a form to fill out (no number) and tells you to bring it back to him with 3 pics and your passport. He stamps and checks it out then tells you to bring it to Recieving 1 window. She tells you to sit down and wait for them to call you. They call and tell you to go to Cashier 1 where you pay 500p and sit down (or try to. It was like musical chairs. When you get up, 3 people rush for your chair. Everyone is moving so you do get a chair if you are close to the guy that fidgets when they call a name. If you want to have some fun, start to stand up whenever a name is called out.) Then a guy comes out with your papers and takes you to a corner to get your thumbprints. Then you wait again until he comes back with your papers and says "bye". The staff was very busy yet in good humor and manners. There was many nationalities there with language problems but it was dealt with in a good way. The small room was full, all the chairs plus 30 people standing inside and another 30 standing outside. A 90 day or 180 day visa would solve that problem.

[Dave Hounddriver]

 

I was not aware of the need for any exit clearance

 

When you do your extensions during the first 6 months you will notice the prices are slightly higher.  When you examine the receipt you will see a charge for ECC on one or more of the extensions.  I suspect they charge you for exiting the country when you do your extension.  Then, after 6 months your bimonthly fee goes down but you have to pay to leave.

 

They gonna getcha!  Its all about the money.  Or so I suspect.

 

On further examination it is an "Immigration" Clearance Certificate you pay for with your renewal after 59 days.  It shows up in the same link that Bob linked to.  However Bob also mentions an ECC after 59 days but nowhere on the page does it say that.  I assumed the ICC and the ECC where the same so maybe Bob did too.  Bottom line, there is no ADDITIONAL fee to pay until you have stayed as a tourist longer than 179 days (59 + 60 +60)

 

The link Bob posted that I refer to is http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=118&Itemid=43

[i am bob]

Close but not quite what I said...

 

I said an "Exit Clearance FEE" was paid AFTER 59 DAYS.  The "Exit Clearance Certificate" - also known as the ECC - is required after 6 months!  They are 2 different completely different things!  The first is just a quick tax they charge at the airport to leave - or you can go to BI and pay in advance if you prefer.  When paying at the airport, it is often "hidden" inside what many people commonly referred to as the "Airport Tax" - depending on what airport you are flying from.  The second requires going to BI for an administrative process to be carbried out.

 

The Immigration fee mentioned on the renewals?  That is another different administrative fee charged for doing the paperwork...  The easiest way to describe this one is that this is where you are paying for someone at BI to ensure that you are good person and are allowed to stay on a Visa extension in the Philippines past the 21 days.  After being in the Philippines for 6 months, you technically are suppose to get an ACR-I card which will cover these fees after this point.  The ACR-I card is an amalgamation of the many different Immigration cards and certificates - which includes your ECC.  So, if you are staying just over the 6 month period and did not apply for an ACR-I card, you still end up going to BI to pay for your ECC and anything else that they believe you will need to pay for.

 

I was seriously thinking of writing a Blog on this forum about Immigration fees and processes but they keep changing things.  Some BI offices do things differently than the others.  Sometimes people in the same office do things differently.  Some Exit Points (such as airports) do things differently too.  Even just going to the Philippine Embassy pages for different countries will give you different information when it should be the same.  After trying to get it all sorted out, I had over 21 pages single spaced and a lot of confusion on just the ACR-I card.  I gave up.