๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ Manila ยท Paperwork

Registration, banking and utilities in Manila

An immigration category that depends entirely on why you are here, and a registration card that follows it.

Get started in Manila

The thing people get wrongThe Philippines has an unusually wide spread of visa categories โ€” employment, retirement, investment, marriage, special resident schemes โ€” with materially different requirements. Identify the right one before you arrive, because switching category in-country is often the hardest path.

Indicative figures

  • Visa-free stay30 daysUK, EU and US passports; extendable in steps.
  • ACR I-CardAfter 59 daysFor visitors; issued with work and resident visas.
  • Annual reportJanuary โ€“ FebruaryWithin the first 60 days of each year.
  • Emergency911

Checked . Ranges, not quotes โ€” your Insider confirms the current numbers in Manila before you commit to anything.

Working and staying

Employment needs two things from two agencies: an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment, and a 9(g) pre-arranged employment visa from the Bureau of Immigration, with the employer driving both. Retirement runs through the Philippine Retirement Authority's Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV), and investor routes through other agencies with their own thresholds. A digital nomad visa was created by executive order in 2025; check whether it is open before planning around it. Requirements and fees are revised often, so confirm the current position with the Bureau of Immigration or the relevant agency rather than a summary.

  • Employment: the AEP from DOLE first, then the 9(g) from the Bureau of Immigration โ€” two separate processes.
  • Every arrival registers on the free eTravel system within 72 hours before landing.
  • UK, EU and US passports get 30 days visa-free, extendable in steps at the Bureau of Immigration; staying beyond 59 days means getting an ACR I-Card.
  • Confirm your category in writing before making commitments that depend on it.

The ACR I-Card and annual report

Foreign nationals holding longer-stay status register with the Bureau of Immigration and are issued an ACR I-Card. Registered foreign nationals also file an annual report within the first 60 days of each calendar year โ€” a short, cheap formality that carries a penalty if missed, and which people forget precisely because it is so minor.

  • ACR I-Card for registered foreign nationals and for visitors staying beyond 59 days; carry it.
  • Annual report between January and the end of February, in person or online.
  • An emigration clearance certificate may be needed when leaving after a long stay.

Banking and payments

Opening an account is easier with an ACR I-Card and a local address, and requirements differ between banks more than you would expect. Day to day, GCash and Maya cover a very large share of payments, transfers and bills, and are worth setting up early โ€” a great many small transactions in Manila run through them rather than cards.

  • Bring passport, ACR I-Card, proof of address and often an employer letter.
  • GCash and Maya are close to universal for everyday payments.
  • Post-dated cheques are still sometimes requested for rent; ask before agreeing.

In order

  1. Identify your immigration category before you travel, and confirm it with the authority.
  2. Let your employer start the labour and immigration steps early.
  3. Register on eTravel within 72 hours of the flight, and enter on the correct visa for the category.
  4. Apply for the ACR I-Card once your status is granted.
  5. Diarise the annual report at the start of the calendar year.
  6. Open a bank account and set up GCash or Maya.