Upon your arrival in the Philippines, all tourists are stamped with a visa good for 21 days.
You can visit your nearest Philippines Embassy or consulate in your country of origin about the immigration and visa rules of the Philippines.
In Manila, you must go to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) before your 21 days expire (holidays included or be wary of holidays eating up your visa processing time). To secure an extension of stay, you must register with the Bureau of Immigration, and pay the necessary Immigration fees. The visa waiver will entitle you to another 59 days.
As posted at the Bureau of Immigration, Philippines:
# Effective February 15,2008 all applicants for extension (tourist visa) under the VIMS (VISA ISSUANCE MADE SIMPLE) are required to pay in addition to immigration fees, Certification fee of P500, Express fee of P500 plus Legal Research Fee of P10 for every transaction.
# All APPLICANTS are required to dress properly. Applicants wearing shorts, sandos, and slippers will not be allowed entry to Immigration Office.
Please refer to the folowing websites for specific visa concerns:
The Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines
Bureau of Immigration, Philippines
Please DO NOT OVERSTAY, you are merely subjecting yourself to more queues, paperwork and/or fees.
According to one expat friend, if you are unable to file your visa extension on time just exit the country on your 21st day, go to Hong Kong, Thailand or Taiwan and just make a re-entry. You get another 21 days to finish your business here or to file a proper extension.
