I started this process in October of 2023, I applied for a 13A Visa in Washington DC. Philippine Consulate.
My reason for writing this is simple, I repeatedly during the process looked for information as to what happens during the Visa Application and also what is expected or what a person should expect when departing the USA and landing in Manila.
Seems the information that I got never applied to the process I went through.
I obtained all the required information for the physical, the financial documentation, the Apostilled documents, (which wasn’t needed if you applied in the USA) and all the pertinent information regarding the wife’s dual citizenship, birth certificate, Philippine Passport.
First to begin with let me say this, I flew out of Florida with a connecting flight to Seoul Korea and then a flight from Korea on Philippine Airlines to Manila. When I checked in with Delta I was immediately asked if I have a round ticket or an ongoing ticket with a departure. My reply is I have a 13A Visa, and she said, my information states that you need a on going ticket or a round trip ticket. So, after making a few calls, she said well this is what we can do. I will book you on to Seoul and we can let Philippine Airlines handle your flight to Manila.
I immediately thought, now I’ve been under the impression that I don’t need a round trip ticket and so I told her to book the flight to Seoul. After finishing the check in I went on Expedia and bought a ticket from Manila to Singapore, simply because I didn’t want to fly for 15 hours to get to Korea and only have Philippines Airlines to tell me the same thing. I also wrote to the Los Angeles Consulate, the New York Consulate, and the Washington DC Philippine Consulate, with one question: Sir, do I need an on-going ticked or a round trip ticket when I enter the Philippines for the first time using a 13A Visa.
I arrive in Seoul and go to check-in Philippines Airlines; they lady took my passport swiped it hit a couple of keys and looked at my Visa in my passport and issued my boarding pass. So, to make a long story short this information about a round trip ticket is not relayed or shared with American Airlines, especially Delta.
My packet that was returned to me when I applied for the Visa at the Washington Embassy, had a stamp on it. It said: Give this package to the Customs Officer on arrival at the airport in Manila.
I deported the plan in Manila and went to the Foreign Passport Holder line and surrendered my passport and the envelope to the Customs Officer, he removed the stack of papers that was copies of all the documentation that was submitted to get the 13A Visa and briefly thumbed through them not looking at any of them, didn’t even unstack them. Took my passport, swiped it and stamped something inside of it, it was a triangle with the writing 13A inside of it. He than said, sir you will need to take this packet and report within 7 days to BOI (Bureau of Immigration) this stamp is good for 30 days.
I took the passport and the packet of papers and walked away, thinking my 13A Visa has a start date of Feb 2024 and an expiration date of Feb 2025 and I got a 30-day stamp in my Visa upon arrival. On my ride from the Airport to Cavite where I was staying, I got a reply from the Washington Philippine Consulate regarding my question I had emailed them almost 2 days ago. It was simple, No you will not need a round trip or ongoing ticked to enter with a 13A Visa.
I arrived on May 9th, 2024. So, I eventually got my stuff together and headed to the BOI, I was there on May 14th, 2024, 9:13 AM. The security outside will scan your passport prior to you entering the building. I went to the reception desk just inside the door and gave my passport and packet to the guy and told him I just entered the Philippines, and I was here to process, my 13A Visa, after looking at the stuff for several minutes and talking to his partner beside him, he said sir. What’s your reason for being here. Your passport is stamped with this stamp, which is a tourist visa, I said on the other page is a 13A Visa, he then talks more with the guy beside him, and they agreed I should report to window 1A.
I then waited in line until it came my turn at the window and the lady took less then 5 seconds and told me I must be at window 3A. I immediately go to window 3A and the lady looks at everything and with my wife standing beside me she starts writing down steps that needs to be completed before she can process my paperwork.
Next surprise, Report to Bureau of Quarantine complete this process obtain a stamp from them clearing me, a copy of my Filipino wife’s passport a copy of our marriage licenses and then return to this window for processing.
Nowhere has anyone ever told me this or that it was required. And the Bureau of Quarantine is in another location, and you will have to travel there. Upon arrival they normal process showing the security the passport the documentation and wanting to know why I was there. However, we got by the gate and were inside and were confronted by Security at the entrance.
Now, I am told that I should have made an appointment online using the website. Well, until about 20 minutes ago I didn’t even know I needed to be here, however with my wife’s and her cousins help and me being a senior they said if I would take the time go online and register and make an appointment for tomorrow since the day I was there, was booked up, they would check to see if the Doctor would see me today and try to fit me in.
So, after signing into the site, registering, and also setting up the appointment for the 15th of May, which was one day away and also given the option to either pay it by going to a 7-11 store up the street using a barcode and number or using G-cash they could process the appointment. Lucky for me the cousin used her G-cash account and paid for the appointment if I remember it was 300php.
So once that was completed, I was moved inside to wait to be called. After about an hour I was called to Stage 2 desk. Here a RN, took my folder looked through it and pulled out a couple of papers and also asked me if I have with me a Polio Document showing I’ve had to Polio shot. I told her I got that shot when I was 3 yrs. Old. She said I would have to get a Polio Booster, also even though I had all my medical tests completed at a VA Clinic and had the Doctors Sworn Document of health, she said she would need a Feces Test. She said your tests was done in December and this is May, and they are good for 6 months, but I don’t like this one. The one she was talking about was the Feces Test performed in December and was marked and noted Negative.
I thought okay I’m not going to argue, I asked how long for the results, and she said maybe 2-3 hours. I said okay, she said then we need to pay for the Polio Shot and the Feces Test. So here I go back on the website and trying to figure out how to do this and once again the wife’s cousin saved me from having to leave and paying at the 7-11 down the street by using her G Cash account.
So, then I was given three identical copies of document and asked to fill them out, and to also go down at the end of the compound and obtain three pictures like a passport photo and attach them to each sheet.
After getting the passport photo’s (which by the way I bought six of them) I returned to the area and was told that I can go get my Polio shot and then return with the document, which happens to be a book of Vaccination stamped with one shot Polio Booster.
After about 30 minutes I was called into the doctor’s area, there I had a Blood Pressure, Temperature and was asked a few questions about my health to include if I had Covid or been exposed to it (which I think about 100 million people has) and how many medications do I take. Now it should be known that the medical files that were in the packet that no one wants to look at contain all this information. But still, I guess it’s general practice to ask anyway.
As I was told to get in line for my specimen cup from another room, I overheard the Doctor talking to another nurse at the desk that my Feces Specimen was negative why am I doing it again? I felt like turning around and saying, yes why am I doing it again?
So completed the sample and turned it in to the guy in the room, I assumed a Lab. Was told to take a seat back our front. Several hours passed and the wife’s cousin came in and asked what we were waiting for. Told her Lab results I suppose. She questioned the nurse at the Stage 2 desk, the same one that requested the stool sample to be done again and she came over asked for my passport.
She took it and went into the back part of the building, after a while she returned and said it wouldn’t be long. It was another 20 minutes, and I was called to the window Stage 6 and was given my document (Quarantine Document Stamped) with approval, and we returned to the Bureau of Immigration and to window 3A.
I presented everything I had to include copies of my wife’s Filipino Passport, copy of the Marriage Licenses, the packet from the Embassy In Washington DC and my Passport. Was given a piece of paper and she told us we need 3 copies of it and pointed to a copy machine where you got inline and pay to have copies made. Completed that task and returned to window 3A only to be told we needed a Folder, so the wife departed again to get the Folder from the same people she paid to make the copies previously.
After some time, she printed a document and told me to go to window 7A and pay for the processing fee, It was 7,380php (if I remember correctly) returned to window 3A submitted the receipts stamped paid and she did some more things on the computer and then told me that this was my receipt for my ACR card and that I was supposed to call after 7 days and provide a number that was on the receipt to see if I could pick my ACR Card up. But before leaving I had to go to Biometrics on the 4th floor and complete that to obtain the card.
So, we went to the 4th floor, I think it was room 41, presented my receipt and the guy told my wife that she needs to go to another window and have the receipt turned on so he could collect my information. Don’t ask me why that had to happen, it was paid I have a receipt you must tell someone to activate it.
So, before the wife could get back to my location it was turned on and active and he collected my fingerprints and my photo.
Departed BOI at 3:40 PM. My journey may be different than yours, but this is what I experienced, and I wanted to take notes and share this with others because I could not believe the lack of knowledge about what the true process is, and no one could give me hard answers. That packet that came back from my Visa Application and The Philippine Consulate in Washington DC that was so important and something that I safe guarded so well and thought would be my cake walk along with the Visa into the Philippines, is in my luggage again, with only two documents missing from it. Those were the documents for the Stool sample that the RN didn’t like.
Also, I would hate to think what would have happened if I had not had my wife with me or her Passport. You just can never tell so I suggest you be prepared because tomorrow it may change again to something entirely different. 6 hours and 25 minutes total time.
Philippines
Living in Philippines Guide
Philippines Forum
Contribute
Best Places to Live in Philippines
Healthcare in Philippines
Moving to Philippines Guide
Pros & Cons of Living in Philippines
10 Tips for Living in Philippines