Emigration Exit Clearance

That's the name given to a piece of paper that any foreigner who is about to fly abroad and who lives here on a settlement Visa or, if memory serves, who has been a tourist for six or more months and is issued by the Bureau of Immigration. It's basically a certificate to say that one's name does not appear on any BoI blacklist or watchlist and is exactly the same document that is issued to tourists with each extension permit. It's bureaucratic bullshit because if your name does appear on one of those lists, you'd be languishing in some prison cell and not free to board a plane to anywhere.

I last needed one about 15 months ago and, since BoI is not a philanthropic organisation, I paid a modest P250 fee. As we're about to sallie-forth to Europe, I had to obtain another EEC and was shocked to discover that BoI now charges P2880 which includes a P500 "Express Lane" fee for an express lane that doesn't even exist! (That's on top of the P1620 (x 3) Travel Tax and P700 (x 3) in Terminal Fees I have yet to pay just to leave the country.)

The Bureau of Immigration is a revenue generating department and each year Aquino has raised its target. Aquino is well-known for being anti-foreigner - except when he's got his begging-bowl in hand - hence the "nickel-and-diming".

A tenfold increase in fees is ridiculous.

maybe the next president will not be as hard of foreigners

Possibly but only then if the next President is Duterte or Poe. Binay and Roxas are not pro-foreigner and are tainted by being prominent members of the current administration which not only failed to bring the "pork barrel" senators to book but have failed to account for billions of Pesos donated to this country in the aftermath of Yolanda, about six billion of which came from Britain.

There's a new member (@bobby) who asked a question about the exit clearance in another thread and directed him here. My guess is this is only applicable to foreigners? I think his baby has a British passport and so may be subject to this fee.

Not proud of all the bureaucracy and corruption in our country. And the government had the gall to question why Filipinos often want to leave the country. Go figure.

Yes, EECs are only required by those travelling on non-Filipino Passports. If Bobby's baby has a Philippine Passport - as well as a British one - then he/she could exit the country using that and therefore not have to pay this iniquitous charge. But he/she would require a CFO sticker.

Well quite!

Thanks @firew0myn

@Markam, we are at the stage of waiting for my wifes visa now, wondering how it would be possible for our baby to travel on her fillipino passport cos we didn't get a visa for the baby. We waited for her to get the British one (It took 7 months) It arrived in Jan. Also the other query is would there be any charges for our baby for overstaying on a british passport?

You have both Philippine and British Passports for your baby; you are lucky! As the baby has both, he/she should not require any extensions but it would be wise to take him/her and them (the Passports) to your nearest BoI and verify this.

I Just paid P2500 for 5x Express Lane fees for my perm residence.
That's in addition to long list of other items totaling almost P7k

Still, cheap at the price IMHO
The major requirements being time and patience

how long do you wait for to get the EEC thing if we do need it?

They'll issue it the same day, usually within an hour or two. Depends how busy they are and whether it's lunchtime or not.

On the subject of 'baby travel' (British Passport/Filipina mother). I'm racking my brains because it's such a long time ago... over 20 years, but I'm sure my British-born son didn't need any sort of visa on the various visits we made to the Phils when he was a baby and a toddler. He had his own British passport too. I then got him 'Recognition' status when he was 2 years old. This means he's recognised as a Filipino Citizen and is able to live there visa-free or to apply for a Filipino passport... using the certificate he was issued with at the time.

hi guys, wife went to the BOI (beuro of immigration) the one nearby her and she was telling me that there is a charge for elesha (our almost 2 year old daughter) of 26k peso for overstaying on her British passport?? It's crazy, I just want my family over

. My wife said this to me, "Hun local BI here (immigration) told me (coz i went on here today) that arrears for eleshas fee are only for the one year but since January she acquired another citizenship which is British she will have a total Payment of 26,000 as penalty since august 2015 that was the lawyer told me."


is this right, can they do that? it took us ages to get a british passport for her) so it would be pretty much straight forward, we got her visa within 5 weeks (tense wait) after the bio thing, and they are all set to go on the 8th June. CFO sticker on the 12th, and they to go to the BOI in Manila on the 13th June

12th May CFO 13th May B

I meant 12th may and 13th may, they fly out june 8th

So we shouldn't be charged at all OSS?

Is the a Visa for the UK in your daughter's Philippine Passport? If so, tell your wife to ensure that she gets a CFO sticker for your daughter at the same time as she collects her own. Your daughter then uses her Philippine Passport to exit the Philippines and her British one to enter the UK. To prevent any problems at Philippine Passport Control, do NOT show your daughter's British Passport or even mention that she has one.