The New Balikbayan privilidge

[ginapeterb]

Consular Information Bulletin on the New Balikbayan Visa Privilege

1. What is the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?

2. Who may avail of the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?

3. What are the conditions to avail of the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?

4. What steps should be followed to avail of the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?

5. What documentation are required to enter the Philippines under the Balikbayan Visa Privilege?

- for former Philippine citizens

- for the foreign spouse and foreign minor unmarried children



No visa shall be required for a maximum stay of one (1) year for the following Balikbayans, every time they enter the Philippines to visit, regardless of the frequency of their travel:

1. Former Philippine citizens (including Filipinos who have become naturalized U.S. citizens, and citizens of the Bahamas, Bermuda and other countries within the jurisdiction of the Embassy of Washington, D.C.);
2. Foreign spouses and minor foreign unmarried children of Filipinos and former Filipino citizens.

The balikbayan privilege is extended to former Philippine citizens, the foreign spouse and the foreign minor unmarried children of Philippine citizens, provided that:

1. they are nationals of Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, or Vietnam; and
2. they are traveling together to the Philippines with the balikbayan spouse.

The former Philippine citizen shall declare before a Philippine Immigration Officer at the port of entry that he/she is availing of the balikbayan privilege and shall present his/her valid passport in addition to any of the following documents:

1. cancelled Philippine passport;
2. birth certificate; 3. naturalization papers to show former Philippine citizenship; or
4. certification from the adopted country.

The accompanying foreign spouse and foreign minor unmarried children of Filipinos and former Filipino citizens shall declare before a Philippine Immigration Officer at the port of entry that he/she is accompanied by a Filipino or former Filipino spouse or parent and that he/she is availing of the balikbayan privilege, and shall present his/her valid passport in addition to the following:

1. Foreign spouse: Valid passport and Marriage certificate
2. Foreign Minor unmarried children: Birth certificate
3. Adopted children: Adoption papers

For further verification please call the Philippine Embassy at 202-467-9300 or 202-467-9324 for more information.
_________________[B]

[Pauldo]

So my wife can show her current Filipino passport and hide her current Brit passport and she won't have to do battle with the f***wits at immigration who don't actually know the new laws, and probably won't for several years?

Or am I being cynical

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Dec 21 2005, 08:14 AM
So my wife can show her current Filipino passport and hide her current Brit passport and she won't have to do battle with the f***wits at immigration who don't actually know the new laws, and probably won't for several years?

Or am I being cynical

Quoted post

hmm Paul, your wife may show her Filipino passport of course, but it means that you and your dependant child would be entitled to balikbayan visa privilidge, so if you wanted to stay for longer than 21 days, you are no longer required to visit the Phiilippine Embassy in L ondon to obtain a visitors visa in excess of the 21 days, i.e. the 59 day visa, which I had last year, you mut of course inform immigration at your port of arrival that you wish to avail yourself ot this privilidge, as it is called, (sounds like they think they are doing us a favour) but having said that, it just m eans that the foreign spouse...doesnt have to have a tourist visa, to visit his wifes country, which I think is much better than the procedure before.

Ok its worth knowing isnt it

[Admin]

I just love the way they simplify things

Pete, haven't you got a job to go to.....it's after nine :P

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by admin@Dec 21 2005, 09:20 AM
I just love the way they simplify things

Pete, haven't you got a job to go to.....it's after nine :P

Quoted post

Ive finished for the year Keith, I am on the PC most of the day...p...around, not doing too much, why is it bugging you ? I am also, editing the web site.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Dec 21 2005, 10:07 AM
hmm Paul, your wife may show her Filipino passport of course, but it means that you and your dependant child would be entitled to balikbayan visa privilidge, so if you wanted to stay for longer than 21 days, you are no longer required to visit the Phiilippine Embassy in L ondon to obtain a visitors visa in excess of the 21 days, i.e. the 59 day visa, which I had last year, you mut of course inform immigration at your port of arrival that you wish to avail yourself ot this privilidge, as it is called, (sounds like they think they are doing us a favour) but having said that, it just m eans that the foreign spouse...doesnt have to have a tourist visa, to visit his wifes country, which I think is much better than the procedure before.

Ok its worth knowing isnt it

Quoted post

Pete, I meant she won't have to try to persuade the numpties on immigration that she is entitled to a Balikbayan visa, as a 'former' Filipino citizen. If she just uses her Filipino passport it'll cut down on the potential 'challenges' that immigration could present, and that's worth its weight in gold I reckon.

Of course, if we go with her and she uses her Brit passport, we don't get the super-visa, just the three weeker. That's why I persuaded her to renew her PI passport instead of just tossing it in the garbage. :o I know it will have its uses some day.

I'm off to the PI on the 31st. That should be interesting, haven't been for nearly two years. Wonder what progress has been made.........

[deepete]

It looks like she can travel on her British passport and take her old P.I. passport as proof that she is filipino by birth.

I have never had a problem when we have travelled together, always get the balikbayan stamp, cos once my wife starts rabbitting at the immigration officer I dont think there could be any doubt that she is anything else but filipino

[walesrob]

Originally posted by deepete@Dec 21 2005, 05:23 PM

I have never had a problem when we have travelled together, always get the balikbayan stamp

Quoted post

Yeah me too....we both handed our passports together and I got a 1 year stamp, didn't need any certificates, etc.

[ginapeterb]

Originally posted by walesrob@Dec 21 2005, 06:08 PM
Yeah me too....we both handed our passports together and I got a 1 year stamp, didn't need any certificates, etc.

Quoted post

I agree with you Paul, well it looks like Rob has already got this, so it works !

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by ginapeterb@Dec 21 2005, 08:08 PM
I agree with you Paul, well it looks like Rob has already got this, so it works !

Quoted post

Pete, I dream of needing a Balikbayan stamp.
I'm only going for five days this time :( Collect the mom in law, say hi to some old friends, and off home again. Barely time to get sunburnt.

An extra few days stay saw the ticket price rise by an astronomical £300 for some reason. I reckon we got the very last of the el cheapo Emirates flights for that early January period.

[deepete]

A friend of mine booked direct with Emirates yesterday, Lon Heathrow to Manilla on 4th Jan returning 12 th Jan for £690 including taxes, paying a bit of a premium for the time of year as we normally pay around £550.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by deepete@Dec 22 2005, 12:34 AM
A friend of mine booked direct with Emirates yesterday, Lon Heathrow to Manilla on 4th Jan returning 12 th Jan for £690 including taxes, paying a bit of a premium for the time of year as we normally pay around £550.

Quoted post

Pete, getting that part was no problem, and I believe I paid about the same as your friend, but the one way MNL to UK ticket for the mom in law was going to be about the same price, unless we flew on the 5th, and then it was little more than £300.

I spent hours pounding dates and times into the various websites trying to get a compatible set of dates so we could both fly back on the same plane. (All done on a reeaal slow satellite 'net connection on my ship) Seems no travel agent wants to do the leg work any more; they just shove you at a web site and tell you to go do it yourself.

[grahamw48]

Useful info, and I've availed of the privilege on several occasions, going back 15 years, but what is 'new' there?
Am I missing something ?

[Gary]

so does this mean that i can stay for a year, leave for a week or a two and then come back and stay for another year... ad infinitum...

as long as ecxy is with me at the airport on arrival

i sure hope so...

or am i being too hopeful and/or missing the point...

[grahamw48]

Originally posted by Gary@Dec 26 2005, 09:36 AM
so does this mean that i can stay for a year, leave for a week or a two and then come back and stay for another year... ad infinitum...

as long as ecxy is with me at the airport on arrival

i sure hope so...

or am i being too hopeful and/or missing the point...

Quoted post

That's the way it reads to me.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by grahamw48@Dec 26 2005, 12:25 AM
Useful info, and I've availed of the privilege on several occasions, going back 15 years, but what is 'new' there?
Am I missing something ?

Quoted post

I think it has changed so that ex-Filipinos can get the one year balikbayan stamp. Before the new nationality change, in '2003, they were treated just like all the rest of the rabble tourist crowd: 3 weeks on entry.

[deepete]

No, as far as I know it was always the case that ex citizens could ask for and get the balikbayan stamp, and I have been travelling there since `89`. It got a lot easier after my wife used her British passport as she didnt have to pay the income tax on leaving. Also the less dealings with the P.I. embassy here the better.

When we made our second visit all those years ago, and she was travelling on her filipino passport we applied for a tax exemption cert here in London as she wasnt working, cost a couple of quid plus a lot of hassle. When she tried to exit Manilla to return home they told her she should have had it countersigned at some office in Manilla, complete waste of time, so we payed up and said never again , or words of a similar nature.

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by deepete@Dec 26 2005, 03:17 PM
No, as far as I know it was always the case that ex citizens could ask for and get the balikbayan stamp, and I have been travelling there since `89`. It got a lot easier after my wife used her British passport as she didnt have to pay the income tax on leaving. Also the less dealings with the P.I. embassy here the better.

When we made our second visit all those years ago, and she was travelling on her filipino passport we applied for a tax exemption cert here in London as she wasnt working, cost a couple of quid plus a lot of hassle. When she tried to exit Manilla to return home they told her she should have had it countersigned at some office in Manilla, complete waste of time, so we payed up and said never again , or words of a similar nature.

Quoted post

Income tax exemption? Is that the exit tax Filipinos pay when they leave then? My wife didn't have to pay it last time we left as she had lived overseas for more than a year. Still charged 200 pesos 'administration' costs for a tax she was not liable to pay though!!

Indonesians pay 1,000,000 Rupiah when they leave their country, which is about US$100.

You should check out the taxes and costs for leaving the UK as well, though they are usually buried in with the price of the ticket so people don't go ballistic.

[grahamw48]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Dec 26 2005, 04:02 PM
Income tax exemption? Is that the exit tax Filipinos pay when they leave then? My wife didn't have to pay it last time we left as she had lived overseas for more than a year. Still charged 200 pesos 'administration' costs for a tax she was not liable to pay though!!

Indonesians pay 1,000,000 Rupiah when they leave their country, which is about US$100.

You should check out the taxes and costs for leaving the UK as well, though they are usually buried in with the price of the ticket so people don't go ballistic.

Quoted post

I think it's the 'travel tax' that you're referring to here.

Used to be 1620 pesos, paid by the locals whenever they have the temerity to leave their own country.
Another way the gov. milks some cash out of them.

[fred]

Balikbayan visas are only good for one year.
When you leave, you need to be out of the country for at least another year before you can avail of the priveledge again.. oh:
(unless you stick a £20 note in your passport and ask nicely )