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Visa Extension - my experience (Manila)

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OK so week 3 was up and I needed to get a visa extension. First of all bad day Friday to do it, the traffic was intense!

First taxi driver wouldn't go to Manila (I am in Mandaluyong) 2nd said ok so I gave him a generous tip as it took just over an hour to get there.

First weird item -NO SHORTS! being an Aussie I had my board shorts on. I knew something weird was happening when a little boy opened the taxi door when I arrived and scremed SHHHHHORTS!!!! From out of nowhere came 5 guys offering to rent me some long pants!

WTF! ok Protected content and I had a pair of pants. Luckily I had read other posts about what to do so it was a speedy process but if you go to do this blindly you will be in for some confusion.

Like any government office around the world there are heaps of booths and officials and desks and in this case foreigners of all kinds wondering around with confused looks on their faces.

The easy way - make sure you bring a pen, a copy of your passport photo page, your passport and a copy of the page that was stamped when you arrive.

Take it all to the desk right in front of you once you pass through security. They will give you a form. Fill this out (passport number, name, nationality etc..) take it back from where you got it. They will give you a number, you then go watch the screen for your number to be called and it will say what booth to go to.

You hand over all your paperwork, they check it and print out a receipt for you to go pay at another window. I think it was Protected content . Once you have paid you take the receipt back to the booth you were served at and the person will hold up a sign saying "come back in 1hr and go to booth 20"

Dont bother walking around the local area. One thing I noticed is Manila is extremely poorer than where I am and what I have seen in Makati. There is nothing to see but stray cats and dogs and street stalls.

There is a Starbucks across the road, I suggest going and getting a frappacino and a cake and waiting it out.

I went back after 1hr and sure enough there was my passport at booth 20. Simple! and I now have another 38 days before I have to do it all again!

WARNING - outside when you go to leave there are heaps of kid beggars, they will try and get you a cab and silly me I handed over 50p and they came from everywhere! Then the taxi said he wouldnt go to Mandaluyong anyway.

OH yeah and I ended up buying the pants for 150P (cheeeeap!)

Also watch the taxis around there as they know there will be heaps of foreigners. The one I got into already had the meter at 200P instead of the usual 40P. He wouldn't go to Mandaluyong either so I said I would pay him 500P which he agreed to.

It took just on 90mins to get back so again if you're going to do this maybe try and avoid Fridays!

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