I decided to take my girlfriend on a trip to Disneyland Hong Kong. I knew I had to get an exit clearance, but that was never a problem before. I simply went to the Bureau of Immigration office, requested an exit clearance, paid the fee and badda bing badda boom I was ready to go (literally).
So, imagine my surprise when this time I was told there was a new set of requirements for an Emigration Clearance Certificate.
Who Needs an Emigration Clearance Certificate (Exit Visa)?
You need an ECC before departing the Philippines if you are:
- A tourist (9a visa) and have stayed over 6 months.
- A 13a, 9g, or other long-term visa holder who is either:
- Leaving permanently, or
- Leaving temporarily (ECC-B, issued at the airport).
- A foreigner born in the Philippines, departing for the first time.
- A foreigner with an expired visa or who has applied for visa downgrade.
Requirements to Get an Exit Visa from The Philippines
There are actually two ECCs, the ECC-A for tourists and the ECC-B for permanent residents, for example, those on spousal visas.
If you’re on a tourist visa, you need:
- Four 2×2 passport photos (with a white background)
- 2 photocopies of your passport bio page and latest arrival stamp
- 1 photocopy of your Tourist ACR I-Card
- 1 photocopy of your latest tourist visa extension
- 1 photocopy of your airline ticket
How to Apply for an ECC
For an ECC-A (Tourists)
You can apply at a BI office or at the airport. If you apply at a satellite office, it has to be 5 working days prior to departure and not all offices do it. SM Aura was willing, but since I went too late they couldn’t but the lady was very nice and checked my paperwork. She also informed me that I need to do another set of forms to get fingerprinted, which she also helped me prepare.
If you’re a tourist, then you can get the ECC on the day of your flight at the airport. . It is advisable to arrive at least five hours before departure to avoid missing your flight The ‘one stop shop’ is located in Terminal 3 at NAIA, and you should go there 5 hours prior to checking in as it takes 1-2 hours to get the exit visa.
ECC-B (Everyone Else)
If you’re eligible for the ECC-B, meaning you have an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa (except for tourist visas) and a valid ACR I-Card, you can use the e-services portal, although some have reported mixed results doing it this way.
You can pay the fee at the counter inside the ‘immigration area’ at the NAIA airport.
Here is the ECC application form if you want to print it and fill it out in advance.
How Much Does an ECC Cost
The cost of obtaining an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration typically ranges from ₱500 to ₱1210, depending on the type of ECC and the applicant’s specific circumstances.​
ECC Fee Breakdown
- ECC-A: Issued to departing foreign nationals who have stayed in the Philippines for more than six months but less than one year. The fee is ₱500.​
- ECC-B: Issued to holders of immigrant and non-immigrant visas with valid Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Cards (ACR I-Cards) who are leaving the country temporarily. The fee is approximately ₱1,210.​
Please note that these fees are subject to change, and additional charges may apply depending on your specific situation. It’s advisable to check the official Bureau of Immigration website or contact their office directly for the most current fee schedule and any additional requirements.​
You may also need to do a separate fingerprint application. That wasn’t too difficult, just fill out the forms and attach one of your photos.
Once we factor in gathering all the required documents, all in all, it took me 2 days and about 30 pages of paperwork to get an exit clearance to leave the Philippines.
Beware of Inconsistent Information
The information online was inconsistent (no surprise there), so I went to the BI office at SM Aura to make sure everything was correct. They would have done the whole process for me, except the woman there told me it had to be done five working days in advance.
I also got conflicting information from different BI offices. The woman at Ayala Circuit told me I had to do everything at the airport and that I had to get the ECC prior to checking in for my flight. But the woman at SM Aura told me otherwise.
Thank God I went to SM Aura, because she was really helpful. She checked all my paperwork and let me know I also needed to do a separate fingerprinting application in addition to the ECC application
Clarifying inconsistent information:
- The fee was 500 PHP
- You check in to your flight before getting the ECC
- Yes, you need to bring the pictures in advance, you can’t take them at the airport