The short answer

• Arrival: US citizens are admitted visa-free for an initial 30 days. The United States is on the BI's list of countries under Executive Order (E.O.) 408. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 329–331
• First extension: a 29-day visa waiver, which takes you to the 59-day maximum initial stay. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 320 · BI: Visa Waiver
• After 59 days: extensions of 1, 2 or 6 months, and an ACR I-Card becomes required. BI FAQs · BI: ACR I-Card issuance
• Maximum: under Memorandum Circular SBM-2013-003, nationals of non-visa-required countries can extend up to 36 months, counted from their latest recorded arrival. BI FAQs
• Where: the BI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila, or another authorized BI office. Some stages can also be done online at the BI e-Services portal. BI: Visa Waiver · BI IOC 2024-001

Step 1: the 30-day visa-free entry

• The BI classifies E.O. 408 nationals as non-visa-required temporary visitors "admissible for thirty (30) days initial stay." BI FAQs
• The United States of America is listed in Annex A ("List of countries under Executive Order (E.O.) 408") of the BI's 2026 Citizen's Charter. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 329–331
• Count your days from the arrival stamp. You can file an extension 7 days before your authorized stay expires. BI FAQs
• Passport validity, the onward-ticket rule and eTravel registration are on our Visas & Entry page and in the eTravel guide.

Step 2: extending at a Bureau of Immigration office

Who can apply for the visa waiver: "Non-visa required tourists admitted initially for thirty (30) days and is requesting for an initial extension of twenty-nine (29) days." BI: Visa Waiver

Where: the BI Main Office (Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila) or another BI office authorized for the transaction. The BI's visa-waiver page links to the list of authorized offices. In Palawan, the Puerto Princesa Immigration Field Office's citizen's charter (3rd edition) lists both the visa waiver and tourist-visa extensions. BI: Visa Waiver · BI Puerto Princesa Field Office charter

What to bring (2026 BI checklist and charter):

• A completed Consolidated General Application Form (CGAF) for extension of a temporary visitor's visa. BI: CGAF form (PDF)
• Your original passport.
• A photocopy of your passport bio page and latest arrival stamp. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 320
• If someone files for you: a Special Power of Attorney plus a valid government ID of your representative, or the BI accreditation ID of a travel agent. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 320 · BI FAQs
• If you have overstayed more than 6 months: a notarized letter of explanation with supporting documents. BI checklist (effective Jun 4, 2026)

Steps (as published by the BI):

1. Get the CGAF from the Public Information and Assistance Unit at the BI Main Office or from the BI website.
2. Submit the completed form, attachments and passport to the frontline officer.
3. If you have no derogatory record, you're issued a BI Clearance Certificate. If you do, you'll be sent to the clearance section first.
4. Get the Order of Payment Slip and pay at the cashier.
5. Submit the Official Receipt with your application and passport.
6. Claim your passport stamped with the extension.

Source: BI: Visa Waiver. At the Main Office, the 2026 charter gives a processing time of about 1 hour 4 minutes in the express lane and 3 working days in the regular lane. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 320–321

Step 3: extending online (BI e-Services)

The BI runs an Online Application and Payment System (OAPS) on its e-Services portal, e-services.immigration.gov.ph. The BI's Visas page links to its Visa Waiver and Tourist Visa Extension services. BI: Visas

Requirements for online extension (BI Immigration Operations Circular 2024-001):

• A valid passport.
• An authorized stay that hasn't expired yet.
• A Special Security Registration Number (SSRN) or a valid tourist ACR I-Card.
• A total stay of no more than 12 months from your latest recorded arrival.

Which stages can be done online:

• Register an account, log in, fill in the e-form and choose 1 or 2 months. Fees are paid through an online payment portal, and electronic receipts go to your registered email. BI IOC 2024-001
• The 2026 charter names Landbank (Link.Biz) or Maya as the payment channels. Your details must exactly match BI travel records. If the application is approved, the visa extension validity and a BI Clearance Certificate are emailed to you. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 333
• If the system flags a possible record match (for example, someone with the same name), the Tourist Visa Section reviews it and may ask for more documents. Applicants who aren't eligible online are told to go to a BI office. BI IOC 2024-001
• Use only the official e-services.immigration.gov.ph address. Copycat sites charge extra.
• Note: the e-Services portal didn't load from our test location on Oct 19, 2026, so we couldn't check the live screens. The steps above come from the BI's own circular and citizen's charter on immigration.gov.ph.

Fees (as published by the BI)

Important: the fee tables on the BI website say fees "are updated as of 06 March 2014 and may change without prior notice." Where they conflict with the 2026 charter, we show the 2026 charter. The amount on your Order of Payment Slip is what you'll actually pay. We don't convert to dollars because exchange rates move. BI: Visa Waiver · BI: Citizen's Charter

When you need an ACR I-Card

• The ACR I-Card is a microchip-based ID card "issued to all registered aliens whose stay in the Philippines has exceeded fifty-nine (59) days." Tourists get the white card. BI FAQs
• Who must apply: holders of a temporary visitor's (tourist) visa "who have stayed for more than fifty-nine (59) days in the Philippines." You file it together with the visa extension. BI: ACR I-Card issuance
• The requirement applies once your stay passes 59 days, so it starts with your first extension after the visa waiver. The extension fees above don't include the USD 50 card fee. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 321
• Staying 6 months or more? Tourists who have stayed six months or more must get an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC-A) before leaving. Apply at least 72 hours before departure. The ECC is valid one month and can be used once. BI FAQs

Staying longer: 6-month extensions and Balikbayan stays

• Long-Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE): open to temporary visitors who apply during the last 30 days of a previous LSVVE or when a regular extension expires. Each extension can run up to 6 months from the end of your authorized stay. BI: Visa Waiver page, LSVVE section
• At the Main Office, the LSVVE needs the Commissioner's approval. The charter's processing time is about 4 working days. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 343–344
• Married to a Filipino? A foreign spouse or child of a Balikbayan who is an E.O. 408 national and travels together with the Balikbayan can get a 1-year initial stay. BI FAQs If you plan to live here, see our 13(a) spouse visa guide. Retirees should also read SRRV requirements.

Tips

• Calendar the expiry date from your arrival stamp, and file in the last week before it, not after.
• If you're island-hopping (Palawan, Siargao), plan around where the nearest BI office is, or use the online visa waiver if you're eligible.
• Keep your Official Receipt and BI Clearance Certificate with your passport until you leave.
• Long stays mean you need a working phone number. SIM cards must be registered; see our eSIM guide or the Airalo Philippines eSIM (affiliate link).

FAQ

• How long can a US citizen stay in the Philippines without a visa?
  30 days on arrival. The United States is on the BI's list of Executive Order 408 countries, whose nationals are admitted visa-free for an initial 30-day stay. BI Citizen's Charter 2026, Main Office, p. 329–331
• Can I extend the 30 days?
  Yes. The first step is a 29-day visa waiver, which brings you to 59 days. After that you can apply for 1-, 2- or 6-month extensions. BI FAQs
• Can I extend online?
  Yes, on the BI e-Services portal (https://e-services.immigration.gov.ph/), for the stages the BI allows online: the visa waiver, months 2–5, and months 7–12. The first extension after the visa waiver and the 6th-month extension have to be done at a BI office. BI Immigration Operations Circular 2024-001
• When do I need an ACR I-Card?
  Once your stay goes past 59 days. You apply for the card together with your extension. BI: ACR I-Card issuance · BI FAQs
• How much does an extension cost?
  It depends on the stage, your age and whether you use the express or regular lane. See the fee table above. Some published visa-waiver totals don't agree with each other, so check current fees with BI. The Order of Payment Slip you're given shows the amount you'll actually pay.
• How early should I apply?
  The BI says you may file 7 days before your current authorized stay expires. Its FAQ also says to apply at least one week before expiry. BI FAQs

Sources checked

• Bureau of Immigration: Temporary Visitor (9A) Visa Waiver, Extension Beyond 59 Days and LSVVE: checked Oct 19, 2026
• Bureau of Immigration: FAQs: checked Oct 19, 2026
• Bureau of Immigration: ACR I-Card Issuance: checked Oct 19, 2026
• Bureau of Immigration: Citizen's Charter 2026 1st Edition, Main Office (PDF) (via the Citizen's Charter page): checked Oct 19, 2026
• BI Immigration Operations Circular No. 2024-001 (OAPS tourist visa extension rules, PDF): checked Oct 19, 2026
• BI Checklist of Documentary Requirements for Extension and Updating of Stay of Temporary Visitors (PDF): checked Oct 19, 2026
• BI Puerto Princesa Immigration Field Office Citizen's Charter, 3rd edition (PDF): checked Oct 19, 2026
• Bureau of Immigration: Visas (links to e-Services Visa Waiver and Tourist Visa Extension): checked Oct 19, 2026
• BI e-Services portal: tried Oct 19, 2026 but it didn't load from our test location. We describe it only from the BI documents above.

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