Everybody seems to think that you need a round trip airplane ticket when you come to the Philippines. Truth is, there is no such law requiring a round trip ticket.
There is a law that, for most passengers arriving n the Philippines, they need an ongoing ticket. An ongoing ticket and a round trip ticket are two different things.
A round trip ticket (in some countries they call it a return ticket) is an airplane ticket that will take you to your destination, along with another ticket that will bring you back to the place where you started. So, for example, if you purchase tickets that will take you from Los Angeles to Manila, then at a later date will bring you back to Los Angeles, that is a round trip ticket.
A one way ticket is an airline ticket that takes you from your origin to your destination, with no other flights beyond your destination. So, for example, if you purchase a ticket that will take you from Los Angeles to Manila, and will not take you to any destinations beyond Manila, that is a one-way ticket.
An ongoing ticket is an airline ticket that takes to from your origin to a destination, then takes you to another destination, but not back to your origin. So, for example, if you purchase an airline ticket that takes you from Los Angeles to Manila, then another ticket that takes you from Manila to Hong Kong, that ticket from Manila to Hong Kong is an ongoing ticket. No matter when the flight to Hong Kong is, it is an ongoing ticket, it need not be immediately after landing in Manila.
Generally speaking, if you are going to take a vacation to the Philippines, unless you are on a Balikbayan Visa or a Resident Visa when you arrive in the Philippines, you are required to have an ongoing ticket within 59 days of your arrival in the Philippines. Since it is a requirement for an ongoing ticket, there is no requirement on where it goes to, as long as the ticket takes you to some country outside the Philippines. This ongoing ticket must be for travel no longer than 59 days after you arrive in the Philippines.
So, if you are going home to where you came from, within 59 days, you should purchase a round trip ticket, that would be best for you.
If you are going back home, but it is beyond 59 days after your arrival, the best thing you could do is to purchase a one way ticket to the Philippines and a “throw away” cheap ticket to a country near to the Philippines. The throw away ticket should be dated for travel withing 59 days of your arrival in the Philippines. The term “throw away ticket” will be discussed later in this book.
If you are intending to come to the Philippines to stay forever, but you don’t have some type of resident visa, and are not eligible for a Balikbayan visa, then your best route would be to purchase a one way ticket to the Philippines and a throw away ticket that is dated for travel sometime within 59 days of your Philippine arrival.
Whatever your plan, you should always enter the Philippines with an ongoing ticket to somewhere, either a place where you are actually going within 59 days of your arrival, or a throw away ticket to anywhere. If you have these things in hand, you will have no hassles entering the Philippines.
It is frustrating for people there that are living there to do a 1 week or so visa trip and have to buy 3 tickets to go out & come back to there home in the Philippines.
There is no need for a one-week trip. Just an overnight trip is all that is required.
I still don’t understand why people have such a hard time with this. Very simple. Did it many times myself before I got PR. Tiger Air and Air Asia are also good for throwaways. Just find the cheapest flight in the future, usually Singapore or Hong Kong, print the receipt, and you are golden. Alternatively, you can buy a fully changeable round trip and just keep changing the return date. That could end up being cheaper if you will travel quite a bit within Asia once you are here… you can use the return more than once
I would also mention that the EU and many other Asian countries have the same requirement… it is not just the Philippines
There is a company that…”leases” throw away ongoing tickets for $10.. I’ll see if I can find a link …
I deleted the link. Sorry about that, but I really don’t care to advertise for my competition. I hope you understand.
This is not an endorsement..I have never used them..
https://flyonward.com/en/
You’re right, Bob.
As far as the Philippines is concerned,
you don’t need a round-trip ticket.
But the problem is — and it’s a very real problem — foreign airport agents won’t you fly into the Philippines unless you can show a ticket that you are leaving.
Even when you are flying with your Filipino spouse and will get a BB visa on landing, airports in the US, Canada, Europe, and some Asian countries, will not let you board the plane.
Hmmmmm
If you know how to handle those agents, it’s not hard to get it done. Throw it could cost you $20, so it’s not really a big deal. Nobody ever requires a round trip ticket, an ongoing to get is all that you need.
seems like theres new options now
It’s getting OUT OF the US or Canada that’s the problem.
The problem is not at the Philippines end.
The agent told me they insist we have a ticket out — and they DO insist — is that, these days, the agent who let you travel is the one having to pick up your flight charges if you are denied entrance!
The fact that you will not be denied entrance doesn’t matter to them.
They are just scared that they are going to be tagged with a cost.
The reason the agency that is because that is what the Philippines government forces them to say. Enforcement of the law is put on the backs of the airlines. But, if you could display what the law is for them they will let you through. I know this, because I have seen it happen, and talked to many people who have been able to do it. If you think it’s a problem spend $20 for a throw away ticket, that’s all it costs. It’s really not a big deal.
Bob Martin the problem is NOT getting into the Philippines.
I’ve NEVER been asked for an ongoing ticket on arrival here.
The problem is getting OUT OF the US or Canada.
I’ll investigate that throw away ticket option, thanks.
I’m talking about leaving the US, not entering the Philippines Robert. Get a throwaway ticket for $20, and you will have satisfied the requirements of the agents at the gate. Good luck to you.
They always ask me that when we are coming back from the US. I just show them my I-Card and that suffices the problem.
Yep, exactly as it should be Randy.
I’ve been traveling back and forth between here and the U.S. for the last 3 years. I usually spend 4-6 months here at a time. I’ve never bought a roundtrip ticket. I buy a one-way and then a promo ticket (normally Cebu Pacific) and never have an issue with the gate agents in the U.S.
There is no law or requirement for a round trip ticket. A cheap promo or “throw away” ticket like what you are doing is exactly correct! People have a very difficult time understanding or figuring this out though. For $20 you can be in full compliance with the law!
I have been denied a couple times. I had roughly purchase a refundable ticket to Macau (PAL) and got my money back minus the $25 refund fee.
I’ve been traveling in and out of the country for over 30 years and we’ve always had to have ongoing tickets if we’re traveling as non-immigrants. I happen to maintain homes on both sides of the big pond and don’t use non-immigrant visas any longer. When I was, there was no 21 day or 59 day ongoing ticket requirement. Often my ongoing tickets were dated 6 to 9 months in the future and this was perfectly acceptable to the airline and immigration when I arrived. Even though Balikbayans are NOT REQUIRED to have ongoing tickets, some airlines still require them.
My ongoing tickets were up.to a year in advance. So unless the law has changed in the past year I don’t think there is a 59 day requirement. Sometimes I was asked to show it at immigration and sometimes not. But never had a problem and I flew in and out about 12 times a year
The law is that it should be within 59 days of arrival. However, this is the Philippines, and enforcement varies widely so you just never know.
Airlines sometimes check it before they allow you to board. Never had any problems even from America or Singapore. I really don’t think it days 59 days in the legislation or the airlines would not let you board. They get fined for it
OK Shawn. I have actually looked at the law, but I am not going to argue over it.
Can you send me a link. I can’t find it.
I have no link. I have it on a piece of paper in my office. I really have no interest in arguing about it.
I don’t want to argue about it but people need to know what the rule really is. I have even used open tickets to satisfy the requirement. Issued by Philippines airlines for this exact purpose. So I assume they would know.
http://www.immigration.gov.ph/faqs/travel-req Go to 9 and 9.1
Ok, I found the info on the Philippines immigration website. No where does it have a time limit on the onward ticket. It just says you must have an onward ticket.
Shawn Gray By law you can come into the Philippines for 30 days and it is your option to get the tourist visa which extends your stay for 29 days. 30+29=59 This is the time frame from which you need to have an onward ticket. It’s common sense to follow the law not look for a rule or somewhere it says to “have an onward ticket within 59 days” Your talking about what you can get away with Bob is talking about the right way to do things. Please don’t confuse other expats here as they might go through unnecessary shakedowns with immigration based on your comments of “what you can get away with”.
No, I posted what the Philippines govt. has said is the requirment. I have lived in the Philippines the past 7 years and I work abroad so I travel in and out about 12 to 14 times a year. I have had to deal with this often and I have never been told 59 days from either an airline or the Immigration officers in the Philippines. I am not trying to get around anything. I am following the law as it is written. I assume some airlines don’t understand the rules. I have never had a problem and I use Philippines airlines often. They would know as they are the flag carrier
By law you are allowed to stay for a maximum of 59 days if you are not married to a Philippine citizen. You are then able to extend your visa further by going to the embassy. By saying you can only stay a maximum of 59 days is kind of a no-brainer that you’d need to have your onward ticket within that legal time frame.
It doesn’t matter if this is a NO BRAINER, it is what the law actually says that matters and it does not require the onward ticket be within 59 days. The law and common sense do not go together.
Most airlines don’t know a lot about the onward ticket. I’ve had airlines not even ask people I’m traveling with for the onward ticket but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have it. You can theoretically stay in the Philippines for upwards of 6 months if you play your cards right. The law allows for tourists to stay for 59 days. I don’t see how don’t get that you need to have an onward ticket which falls within the legally allotted time your allowed to be in the country. THE LAW IS 59 DAYS. Whatever else you apply for through the embassy to stay beyond that does not matter at the time you go through immigration on arrival. Hes going to look at you and stamp you for 59 days, he may or may not ask you for the onward ticket. If an agent asks you for an onward ticket that is dated 6 months later when you have a visa for 59 days that wouldn’t be legal. Just because your used to it doesn’t mean it wont change. The law is very clear about the 59 day visas
Look at the link I posted from PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION, it clearly states you need an onward ticket but does not say anything about a timeline on it. When the order was issued in the early 60’s the visa was not for 59 days so it is a different matter. You are ASSUMING that it does matter when in fact it doesn’t. Philippines airlines made me buy an onward ticket to board from Singapore and they suggested I buy an open ticket good for 1 year. Which I did. Immigration has occasionally checked my ticket on entry and has always said it was fine. The law does not require it be within 59 days. The visa is a separate issue from the onward ticket. This is the Philippines and they don;t do things like we do back in our country. One of the reasons I love the Philippines
You need to have the onward ticket which doesn’t exceed the maximum number of days allowed on your visa. That’s the whole purpose of the onward ticket. Onward tickets can be bought for around $10. The whole purpose of Bob’s site is to teach expats the right way to do things. Buying expensive tickets that Philippine airlines want to sell you or buying expensive open tickets isn’t the right way to do it either. They don’t do things like they do in the US but what happens when the new president wants immigration agents to take their jobs seriously and a bunch of expats have read your comments thinking its OK to have onward tickets dated after your visa expiration date only to get shaken down by philippine airlines for the expensive onward ticket?
I am sure Dutuerte can sign an executive order changing the status of the current law but until he does there is no requirement for 59 days. I believe the original law is actually an executive order so it can be changed by one if the President so desires
They told you to buy a ticket good for 1 year because they wanted to sell you a ticket. Next time buy an onward ticket for $10 then leave and enter the country at your own convenience within your visa limitations. There is no law that says 59 days because of the complexity of the immigration law which is different for a lot of countries. Anyone reading this needs to have an onward ticket which is dated before their visa expires to enter the country. It’s really quite simple. An executive order doesn’t need to be issued for them to enforce immigration law.
You are telling people to do something which you’ve been doing for some time now which doesn’t make it right. That is not educating. Maybe I can educate you and make things a little easier for you. Buy a $10 onward ticket which is dated within the 59 days. This way you save on an airline ticket that you probably wont be using. Extend your visa through the embassy up to 6 months then exit at your convenience. Don’t tell people they need to get open ended tickets or onward tickets through Philippine airlines when there are cheaper solutions which don’t obligate them to actually exit.
Bob Martin — As far as “the law” is concerned, BI says that a non-immigrant must have “A validly issued ongoing ticket”. They make no mention of when it must be dated. As far as I know, all Commercial Airlines arriving in the Philippines stipulate their non-immigrant passengers have an on ongoing ticket with no specification upon when it is dated. If you know a specific “law”, please pass it along just for my own edification, thanks.
As a side note, International Airlines do check for “onward tickets” if they are required, but they may not mention it to you if you have one. Your entire itinerary appears before them on their computer screens (just as it does for Immigration Officers at your destination). If they haven’t asked you to show one, that is why.
Can you believe an airline in the U.S. wasnt going to allow me to fly to the philippines with just a one way ticket ? Some workers dont have a clue about the process !
Without an onward ticket they should not have allowed you to board unless you have a proper visa already. When leaving the US or Singapore or Japan I have always been asked to show my onward ticket. I usually buy one throw away ticket per year and use it all year long.
I never needed a visa because i recieve one on entry.This happened to me one time in ten years of traveling to Pi .
section 9 and 9.1 apply to Americans
I never had an onward ticket to anyplace.
Just because they didn’t ask doesn’t mean you didn’t need it. They could have denied you boarding. The airlines get big fines if they do not comply.
Yes you need and exit ticket in order to inter the Philippines
Bob i am going to be applying for tourist visa soon i need to buy a throw away ticket. Please give me the link to your page. So i can buy the throw away ticket.
Easy to get to:
http://ThrowawayTicket.com