21 or 30 days?

[Jack Peterson]

3 minutes ago, DonJuanMatus said:

Is getting the 30 day extension (59 total) at the airport more inconvenient than going to the BI office in Manila or Davao later on before the initial 30 days is over?

 Well IF you know you are going to stay over the 30 days then yes do it, I just don't see the sense of paying out when you don't need to, You can do it at any time up to the 30 days when you have found your feet, I have known many that did the 59 days in their own country and most said it was not worth the money, Heck the first 30 days are FREE! you don't get much of that Today. For me, Come explore and then decide and save yourself some cash 

30 day is a long time to Decide and soon enough to make up your mind How you want to do things, But I would look at 25 says to extend if it were me, Sometimes things at field Offices can be Slow, you know, Leave today pick up in 3 days,

Anyway Hope all goes well 

[Dave Hounddriver]

44 minutes ago, DonJuanMatus said:

Is getting the 30 day extension (59 total) at the airport more inconvenient than going to the BI office in Manila or Davao later on before the initial 30 days is over?

That is a very subjective opinion.  Some have the "airport extension" routine figured out and they swear by it.  I have tried to do it dozens of times but my flight always seems to arrive when there is "no-one available" at the airport to do that for me.  The airport seems to see those extensions as a pain in the neck that they don't want to be bothered with now that there are so many people watching for corruption.  Used to be that they loved doing it 

I find it more convenient for me to go to a BI office when I am in the mood rather than fight the bureaucracy at the airport when I am tired and cranky from a long flight.

[Mr. Bobo]

1 hour ago, DonJuanMatus said:

Is getting the 30 day extension (59 total) at the airport more inconvenient than going to the BI office in Manila or Davao later on before the initial 30 days is over?  I

I have successfully acquired the 29 day extension at the in Manila several times. It is very easy,  just tell the immigration officer that you want one. In terminal two (Philippine Airlines) the couple of times I did it there I was the only one requesting one. I just sat on the bench outside the immigration booth while an immigration officer when off to do the processing after I gave him the money. It may have taken 15 or 20 minutes. At terminal one (NAIA) it took a little longer. There is a little office near the leftmost immigration booth where you wait. There is a caveat however, I have never been able to do it at terminal 3. The last time I tried, maybe about a year ago, I was told by the immigration officer that they weren't set up for it yet. Maybe that has changed since the last time I landed there. It is much less of a hassle to get the extension at the airport, no matter how jet lagged you are, than going to a BI office.      

[robert k]

1 hour ago, DonJuanMatus said:

I don't know Jack, but you're right, I can make life harder than it has to be.  I just don't have much knowledge in these things yet, but I'm learning thanks to everyone here.  -

Last time (2+ years ago) I was there I got a an additional 30 day extension in Manila.  I remember it cost me about P5,000 to have a service pickup my passport and bring it back the next day.  I know, I know...I overpaid and put my passport at risk, but the city overwhelmed me at the time since it was my first time there.

Is getting the 30 day extension (59 total) at the airport more inconvenient than going to the BI office in Manila or Davao later on before the initial 30 days is over?  I was thinking the airport would be easier, but I don't know.  After a long flight the last thing I would want to do is wait in a long line for an extension, so maybe it's not that convenient.

I'm kind of a scatterbrain right now.  I'm not going full ex-pat, but I'm doing a lot of things here in the States to prepare for being away for about a year.  It's overwhelming, maybe more psychologically than anything else.

 

 

Yes and no it can be easier at the airport. The extension I got at the airport was not too difficult  but everyone from about 3 flights that had arrived at the same time were gone through customs. Immigration comes before the baggage carousel, your checked luggage might not be there anymore by the time you have gotten your extension.

On the plus side, I tracked down a customs person to check my bags and they refused. I guess it was break time. They just told me to go on.

[DonJuanMatus]

Just wanted to give an update on my experience yesterday arriving in Manila.  I asked the customs person if I can extend for a total of 59 days and they directed someone over to me right away.  She was really sweet and took me over to the BI office.  I told her I need to exchange money so she told me I could leave my carry-ons in the BI office and to come with her.

She escorted me downstairs and first we went to see if my luggage arrived.  It hadn't so we went to the ATM, then to Globe to get a Sim card and then on the way back she said I could stay there and wait for my luggage while she went upstairs and processed my visa.  I gave here the 3,000 pesos and off she went.

I collected my luggage and went back upstairs and about 5 mins later she appeared with my stamped passport and 200 pesos in change so the extension was 2800 pesos total.  She then escorted me back through customs and helped me carry my luggage to the elevator.

Super sweet girl.  Maybe I just go lucky because there were no lines at all, and she was a really sweet person.  Thanks again to everyone for sharing this visa option.  It really worked out well for me.

I ended up getting a Grab Taxi for about 360 pesos to Makati.  Uber wasn't working well.  Next time I may go upstairs to Departures and wait for a taxi to come.  My Grab taxi came from up there the counter-lady said.

[Dave Hounddriver]

28 minutes ago, DonJuanMatus said:

 It really worked out well for me.

Yes, sounds like a near perfect experience.  You'll want to frame that post and look back on it from time to time to remind yourselves that sometimes things do work well in Philippines   Congrats on making it work!

[Reboot]

58 minutes ago, DonJuanMatus said:

Just wanted to give an update on my experience yesterday arriving in Manila.  I asked the customs person if I can extend for a total of 59 days and they directed someone over to me right away.  She was really sweet and took me over to the BI office.  I told her I need to exchange money so she told me I could leave my carry-ons in the BI office and to come with her.

She escorted me downstairs and first we went to see if my luggage arrived.  It hadn't so we went to the ATM, then to Globe to get a Sim card and then on the way back she said I could stay there and wait for my luggage while she went upstairs and processed my visa.  I gave here the 3,000 pesos and off she went.

I collected my luggage and went back upstairs and about 5 mins later she appeared with my stamped passport and 200 pesos in change so the extension was 2800 pesos total.  She then escorted me back through customs and helped me carry my luggage to the elevator.

Super sweet girl.  Maybe I just go lucky because there were no lines at all, and she was a really sweet person.  Thanks again to everyone for sharing this visa option.  It really worked out well for me.

I ended up getting a Grab Taxi for about 360 pesos to Makati.  Uber wasn't working well.  Next time I may go upstairs to Departures and wait for a taxi to come.  My Grab taxi came from up there the counter-lady said.

I hope it goes as smoothly for me....thanks for sharing your experience. How was the cab ride to Makati? I'll be heading that way when I get there.

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by Reboot

[DonJuanMatus]

13 minutes ago, Reboot said:

I hope it goes as smoothly for me....thanks for sharing your experience. How was the cab ride to Makati? I'll be heading that way when I get there.

 

13 minutes ago, Reboot said:

 

It's a very quick ride into Makati. 20 mins tops, no real traffic.  The time of night was between 8-9:30pm.  The taxi vultures had prices ranging from 850-1600 pesos.  There is a Green "Grab" taxi stand if you walk past the first roadway.  There was a line for sure and it took about 30 mins of waiting in line to getting in the taxi.  The counter people there use a "Grab" app to call up a taxi for you.

 

If I were to do it again, I would go upstairs to the "Departures" area and grab a metered taxi that's dropping someone else off.  As you're leaving the terminal you'll see signs up towards the ceiling.  To the left there is a "Departures", and the right is "Exit/Taxi, etc."

If you're flying in the next couple of weeks and want to grab a beer, let me know.

Edited August 30, 2016 by DonJuanMatus
Responded in quote area

[Reboot]

26 minutes ago, DonJuanMatus said:

 

It's a very quick ride into Makati. 20 mins tops, no real traffic.  The time of night was between 8-9:30pm.  The taxi vultures had prices ranging from 850-1600 pesos.  There is a Green "Grab" taxi stand if you walk past the first roadway.  There was a line for sure and it took about 30 mins of waiting in line to getting in the taxi.  The counter people there use a "Grab" app to call up a taxi for you.

 

If I were to do it again, I would go upstairs to the "Departures" area and grab a metered taxi that's dropping someone else off.  As you're leaving the terminal you'll see signs up towards the ceiling.  To the left there is a "Departures", and the right is "Exit/Taxi, etc."

If you're flying in the next couple of weeks and want to grab a beer, let me know.

Thanks friend. I will be flying at the end of September, however. I'll be in Makati for a couple of days, then I'm off to parts unknown.

[AlwaysRt]

3 hours ago, DonJuanMatus said:

arriving in Manila.

Which terminal were you at?