Foreigners should comply early with their departure requirements if they plan to leave the Philippines during the "Undas" holiday break, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) advised on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
“We are expecting a surge in passengers at their airport this coming 'Undas' and this time we are seeing a tremendous increase in volume of New Year’s Day travelers with the total lifting of all Covid-related travel restrictions,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco in a statement.
Thus, Tansingco explained that securing the required permits early will decrease queueing time in half and foreigners will not have to line up at the BI’s airport cashiers anymore.
He said he has already issued an advisory addressed to registered foreigners who are permanently living, working, or studying in the Philippines.
These foreginers “may secure their re-entry permit (RP) or special return certificate (SRC) prior to departure in any of the different BI's district, field, satellite and extension offices nationwide.”
He also said that “foreign tourists who have stayed in the country for more than six months may also secure their emigration clearance certificates (ECC) before departure.”
In a statement, BI said its other immigration services are also available online via the BI’s e-services portal at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.
It said it has a one-stop shop (OSS) facility at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City where departing foreigners may also secure the said documents.