What is an Alien Certificate of Registration or ACR-I Card?
Alien Certificate of Registration ACR-I Card
The ACR-I card is a requirement for foreign nationals to hold after a certain period of time in the Philippines. It is also required by those foreign nationals to be able to leave the Philippines, together with an ECC (Exit/Emigration Clearance Certificate) [not instead of].
The ACR-I card is issued at a Philippines Bureau of Immigration office.
The Tourist ACR-I card
The Tourist ACR-I card has a validity of ONE year, and must be renewed annually.
Originally, the ACR-I card had to be handed in at Immigration when leaving the Philippines. This has now changed, and you retain it now, and it is still valid if you come back before it expires.
Common categories of the ACR-I card would be the Permanent Resident, Tourist, Student and Voluntary. (Full category list is shown at the bottom of this page.)
Application for an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR)
Who can apply for an ACR-I card?
All foreign nationals who are visa holders of Temporary Visitor’s Visa or Tourist Visa who have stayed for more than fifty-nine (59) days in the Philippines, MUST apply for an ACR-I card.
The ACR I-Card application must be submitted together with the application for visa (Visa Extension).
Who MUST apply for an ACR-I card?
Who is required to apply for an ACR I-Card?
All foreign nationals under immigrant and non-immigrant visas including holders of Temporary Visitor’s Visa, who stayed for more than fifty nine (59) days in the Philippines are required to apply for an ACR-I Card at expiry of their first 59 days..
www.immigration.gov.ph/../faqs/acr-i-card
Some websites state: All foreigners who stay longer than 6 month in the Philippines on a Non Immigrant or Resident Visa, must have an ACR-I Card.
Renewal of an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR)
Who can apply to renew an ACR-I card?
All foreign nationals who are existing ACR I-card holders and whose basis of renewal is any of the following:
Expiration of the one (1) year validity of the card.
– Re-registration of alien upon reaching the age of 14;
– Change of visa status;
– Replacement of ACR as required under the Alien Registration Act of 1950, as amended.
How much does an ACR-I card cost?
USD 50.00 plus Php 500.00
Why is this price in US Dollars ? No Idea !!!
What is an ACR-I card
New ACR-I card Issue
ACR-I card Renewal
What are the Benefits of an ACR-I Card ?
I liked this one from the Dept of Immigration:
4: Achieves higher revenues for the Bureau and the national government through increase in number of aliens who will register and improved efficiency in collection of fees.
However, they are needed if a foreigner wants to open a bank account.
Some websites have stated that a Tourist cannot get an ACR card, eg:
However, they can…
Categories of the ACR-i card
I am a balakbyan visa holder which was issued upon arrivel last Feb17. My existing ACR card which was issued Feb 2022 during my visa extensions (due to covid travel restrictions), expired on the 23 March 2023. I am going abroad on september 30. Do I need to renew my ACR.
I am a ARC card holder going to take my vacation for 2 and a half weeks from USA. Do I still need to show my ACR card still? My ACR card does not expire until 2023. I have Permanent Resident visa.
hi, how to write a letter for cancellation of my ACR I-Card?
You need to go to an Office of Bureau of Immigration, complete their documents and pay the fee of about 1,010 php.
I just let mine expire. Never even thought about cancelling it.
Form example:
https://immigration.gov.ph/images/FORMS/Checklist/4AlienRegistration/8.%20Cancellation%20of%20ACR%20I-Card.pdf
Thank you so much for your help. The problem is that my ICard is with the Immigration. That is now 6years ago and i dont now why this is now a problem.
What ACR category should I choose if I want to stay for 1 to 2 years permanently in the Philippines, and return to my country after?
People who arrive on a tourist visa would just do the Tourist ACR-I card. By renewing that visa, most can stay for up to 3 years without needing to leave.
It really depends on which visa you hold while in the Philippines.
Hi, my father was issued an ACR and ICR number but he was not issued an ACR I-card. How can he be issued one?
The ACR card has the number on it. Was he issued the numbers at a BoI office? If so, he should have got the card at that time. It is possible that that card is in transit from Manila, and may be able to be collected later.
I experienced that once. I was given the receipt etc., and told to collect the ACR card in 2 weeks time.
ROI
payment
Can I get a ACR card on balikbayan visa before the 59 day tourist type off visa like a week after getting into Manila
I suggest that you apply at an Immigration Office. I see no reason why they would not do one, although you may need to explain why it is required.
I feel they may suggest you apply at the same time that you apply for your first extension, before the first 30 days is up. I also see no reason why you can’t do that too, after the first week. After all, it is all about the tourist giving money to the Government, (a common situation worldwide).
Can ARC card can use as a savings, and will be like other atm card to use anywhere?
An ACR card is a government ID card for foreigners, not a bank card.
I have applied for a ACR I-card and it appears to have been approved. I was wondering what the initial E stands for in the last column. Some have A but mine shows E
E: = 13a Probationary resident.
A: = Most other 13a holders.
Hello!
How much is the total cost of renewal of student visa (9f)?
The latest costs are shown at: in-philippines.com/student-visa-in-the-philippines/
These costs are still the same on the Philippine Immigration Website today.
After one year, the student visa would need extension/ renewal every six months. The Registrar’s Office (RO) and the Admissions Office at the University or Education Facility will normally assist all international students in this process.
The cost to extend a Student Visa in the Philippines is shown as 4,020 PHP. (as checked 4 Nov 2019)
This may be increased by US$50 if an ACR-I card is not currently held. One ACR-I card application or renewal is needed every 12 months.
They gave me a hard time at the airport because my return flight to Canada was 3 months from departure date. The next time, by showing my little white tourist Alien registration card with my address in the Philippines, should that help in any way?
No guarantees, but it should help. It all comes down to the airport employee at the time.
my friend is a indian national…he has no idea where he can get ACR here in porac,pampanga..please help us where we can get…
The same place that he gets his visa renewals, the nearest Bureau of Immigration.
That might be at Clark.
http://immigration.gov.ph/contact-us/other-immigration-offices
My husband is a foriegner he wants to open an account in the Philippines. Please help how & where to apply ACR card and immigrant certificate of registration?
The ACR-I card (Alien Certificate of Registration) is applied for, and issued by, a Philippines Bureau of Immigration office.
He needs to go to his local one, with passport and last visa receipt.
My wife and I opened an account in HSBC, Cebu when visiting and staying in a hotel. No problems in doing so, just needed a passport. Things might have change since but might be worth a try.
my friends
Good Day
if you have Voluntary Card like red color is very easy to open account in land bank
bank working hour 100% sure sure sure .. i did it now i have bank account of
land bank ((((( must be Red ACR CARD)))
have a nice day
Mine was yellow, but a visitor ACR-i card, and was also OK for a bank account.
I have a ‘White Tourist SSRN ACR Card’ valid from March 2019 for one year which was accepted when I setup a new ‘Philippines Bank Deposit ATM Account’ two weeks ago. I am married to a Filipino but don’t know if that made a difference, they took a copy of our marriage certificate and my UK passport. A friend of mine who is not married and had just arrived in the Philippines a few weeks ago walked into a bank and opened an account with less than PHP 500, I had to deposit PHP 10,000. I don’t know how he managed it as he hasn’t been in the country long enough to get an ACR Card. Unlike me he is extremely wealthy although he told me he didn’t tell them and they didn’t ask. I have been out of the country and returned with no ACR Card problems, I believe I can leave and return as many times as I like without the card lapsing within the one year period. I now want to arrange ‘Philhealth’ for my wife and hopefully myself although I originally thought that wouldn’t be possible for me until I visited a ‘Philhealth’ site and they actually display a ‘White Tourist SSRN ACR Card’.
I also had issues with opening a bank account, with a Tourist ACR card. I was refused at the Security Bank, when wanting to open and then transfer in over 1 million pesos.
They were OK opening an account for my Filipina girlfriend though, with a lot less to deposit…
The Philippine Savings Bank (PSB a subsidiary of Metrobank) were OK with me (not married to a Filipina) opening an account, and even issued the debit/ATM card on the spot. I actually opened it with just a few hundred pesos, but transferred more in later.
It seem that different banks have different rules.