Filipino Travelling on Foreign Passport
There are many Filipinos that travel on a Foreign passport, due to being dual citizens with another country.
This sometimes causes problems at a Philippine airport when trying to leave the Philippines, as a person who travels on a foreign passport is treated as a national of that country, and overstay fees often become involved, if you don’t have a valid visa or ECC.
A recent enquiry from one such Dual Citizen, (comment 123250) who only had a valid foreign passport, as the Philippine Passport had expired, brought up a possible solution to this.
At first he was told to extend his expired tourist visa and to pay the overstay fee.
They then saw that “with philippine passport” was stamped in his foreign passport so extending the tourist visa was not possible.
He was then given two options instead-
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- to renew the PH passport, or
- to get a Balikbayan Visa.
He chose the Balikbayan due to the time factor AND because they told him that having 2 passports could cause trouble in the future.
The trouble at the airport, if you have two passports?
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- You try to leave the Philippines on a Philippine passport, but don’t have an entry visa for the country you are going to, and you get told you can’t board the flight.
- You then show your Foreign Passport, but are told it doesn’t have an Exit clearance stamp, so you can’t board the flight..
Frustrating for some…
But, a Foreign Passport with a Balikbayan Visa, arranged at an Immigration office beforehand, and it seems you have a clear way through Philippines Immigration at the airport.
A Balikbayan Visa allows you a 12 months stay, and is available to certain individuals.
Who is eligible under Balikbayan Program?
a:) A Balikbayan, who may be either one of the following:
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- A Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year;
- A Filipino overseas worker;
- A former Filipino citizen and his family who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines.
b:) Immediate family members (spouse and children) of the Balikbayan, who are nationals of countries falling under Executive Order No. 408, travelling together with the Balikbayan.
Visa-required nationals (nationals of countries NOT listed under EO 408) may not be eligible for the Balikbayan privilege.
Source: immigration.gov.ph…/balikbayan-previlege