ACR I-Card, Annual Report and ECC: staying registered and leaving cleanly

Estimated budget

ACR I-Card US$50 + ₱500, paid with the extension that takes you beyond 59 days. ECC at the airport for a stay of 6 months to 1 year: ₱1,210, or ₱500 if the ECC fee was already paid.

Processing time

ACR I-Card: biometrics at the BI office on the day of the extension, card released later. ECC: same day at the airport, or at a BI office before the flight.

• A tourist who stays beyond 59 days must get an ACR I-Card at that extension.
• The Annual Report does not apply to temporary visitor and tourist visa holders, according to the BI.
• From 6 months of stay, an ECC is required before leaving.

Myth: Every foreigner with an ACR I-Card must do the Annual Report. Reality: The BI exempts holders of temporary visitor and tourist visas; the Annual Report is for registered residents, workers and students.

Estimated budget

₱310 (₱300 Annual Report fee + ₱10 Legal Research Fee). Express Lane for online filing: ₱1,000, according to a secondary summary of Operations Order No. 2025-007.

Processing time

About 15 minutes at the counter; online filing via BI e-Services for eligible visa holders.

• Every registered foreigner holding an ACR I-Card must report within the first 60 days of each calendar year; for 2026 the deadline was March 1.
• According to the BI page, the fee applies if you arrived on or before November 2 of the previous year; if you registered later, ask the BI whether you must report this year.
• Online registration on BI e-Services comes first: it gives the reference number you show at the counter.

Myth: Permanent residents are exempt from the Annual Report. Reality: RA 562 Sec. 10 covers all registered aliens, immigrants included; only specific programs such as the SRRV have their own exemption.

Estimated budget

₱310 for the report + fine of ₱200 per month of delay, capped at ₱2,000 per year + ₱1,510 Motion for Reconsideration (BI page, Operations Order No. 2025-007; the 2025 Citizen's Charter listed ₱1,010).

Processing time

Same day at a BI office in most cases; count on half a day.

• The monthly fine is counted from March 2 of the current year.
• When you owe both an Annual Report fine and a late registration fine, the BI charges the higher of the two, not both.
• Non-compliance can lead to administrative fines, prosecution or being stopped at the port of exit, according to the secondary summary of Operations Order No. 2025-007.

Myth: A missed Annual Report gets you blacklisted. Reality: The standard sanction is a capped fine and a Motion for Reconsideration fee; the risk grows if you ignore it and try to leave.

Estimated budget

₱310 if accepted without penalty; otherwise the late regime applies: ₱200 per month, capped at ₱2,000 per year, + ₱1,510 Motion for Reconsideration.

Processing time

File within 30 days of arrival, according to the secondary summary of Operations Order No. 2025-007.

• If you were not in the Philippines during the reporting period, report immediately on your return, within 30 days of arrival, to avoid penalties (secondary summary of Operations Order No. 2025-007).
• Keep proof of your absence: the arrival and departure stamps in your passport.
• Online filing may be possible from abroad for eligible visa holders; check on BI e-Services before your return.

Myth: If I was abroad, I can skip this year's report. Reality: Absence moves the deadline, it does not cancel the report.

Estimated budget

₱310 per registered person (₱300 + ₱10). Late fees, if any, are charged per person.

Processing time

Same as an adult report; plan one visit for the whole family.

• Parents or legal guardians must report for a registered child under 14.
• Minors, seniors, persons with disabilities and pregnant women are exempt from personal appearance under the 2026 rules, according to the secondary summary; the report itself remains due.
• Each registered family member has a separate report and a separate fee.

Myth: Children do not need an Annual Report. Reality: Registered children do; the parents or guardians carry the duty until the child is 14.

Estimated budget

US$50 (paid in pesos at the BSP exchange rate) + ₱500 additional fee, according to the BI issuance page.

Processing time

Biometrics on the day of filing; the card is printed afterwards and released against the claim stub.

• The ACR I-Card is applied for together with the visa: at the implementation of a resident or work visa, or at the extension that takes a tourist beyond 59 days.
• Fingerprints and photo are taken in person at the BI office.
• While the card is being printed, the claim stub and Official Receipt are your proof of registration.

Myth: The ACR I-Card is a visa. Reality: It is a registration card; your right to stay comes from the visa or authorized stay in your passport.

Estimated budget

US$20 card fee + ₱1,000 express fee for a lost card (BI re-issuance page), plus the notarization of the affidavit of loss.

Processing time

The card is printed after evaluation; field offices forward the application to the BI Main Office. A secondary source mentions up to 2 days in Manila (around 2019).

• Holders of non-immigrant visas need a valid ACR I-Card to be allowed back in, according to a 2021 BI directive: do not travel before the replacement.
• The re-issuance is filed with a request letter, the application form and copies of your passport pages.
• The BI Citizen's Charter lists a notarized affidavit of loss and a PNP police report on the loss of the card.

Myth: A photo of my old card is enough to travel. Reality: Non-immigrant visa holders must present a valid card on entry; replace it before you fly.

Estimated budget

US$20 card fee + ₱500 express fee (BI re-issuance page). An amendment filing fee may apply: confirm it at the counter.

Processing time

After evaluation and approval; the card is released against the claim stub and an ID.

• Changes of address, name, nationality or civil status must be reflected on the ACR I-Card through a re-issuance.
• Each change must be proven: court order for a name, official document for a nationality, marriage or death certificate or annulment/divorce decree for civil status, barangay certificate of residence for an address.
• A wrong entry caused by your own mistake is fixed at your expense through the same re-issuance.

Myth: A new passport means a new ACR I-Card automatically. Reality: The card is not reissued automatically; ask the BI whether your passport change requires an update of your records.

Estimated budget

Renewal fee assessed at the counter: the BI renewal page could not be read. For reference, a new card costs US$50 + ₱500 and a re-issuance US$20 + ₱500 (BI pages).

Processing time

Filing takes about 20 minutes; field offices forward the application to the BI Main Office by courier, so the card is not released the same day.

• The expiry date printed on the card is the one that counts: renew before it passes.
• For visas that are extended (9(g), TRV, 13(a) permanent and others listed by the BI), a new card is issued after each approved visa extension.
• A late renewal may require a letter of explanation.

Myth: The ACR I-Card is valid as long as I live here. Reality: It carries an expiry date and must be renewed.

Estimated budget

Extension of the Re-entry Permit or Special Return Certificate: ₱2,010 for one year or ₱1,510 for six months, plus ₱510 Motion for Reconsideration if applicable (BI Citizen's Charter 2025). Card renewal after return: fee assessed at the counter.

Processing time

RP/SRC extension: about one hour at a BI office. Card renewal after return, at a BI office.

• Immigrants and permanent residents with an expired card may still enter if they hold a valid Re-entry Permit; they are then told to renew the card.
• Holders of non-immigrant visas must hold a valid ACR I-Card to be allowed entry.
• In 2021 the BI allowed expired Re-entry Permits and Special Return Certificates to be extended at the airport on arrival; check with the BI that this is still possible before you fly.

Myth: An expired card always means a refusal at the border. Reality: For immigrants, the valid Re-entry Permit is what matters; for non-immigrants, the valid card is required.

Estimated budget

Immigrant visa: ECC-B with one-year Re-entry Permit about ₱3,380 (₱1,400 RP + ₱700 ECC-B + ₱250 head tax + ₱30 legal research + ₱1,000 express), according to a secondary source citing the BI Citizen's Charter 2026. Non-immigrant visa (Special Return Certificate): confirm the amount with the BI.

Processing time

Same day at a BI office or at the airport before immigration inspection; online application via BI e-Services.

• An ACR I-Card holder leaving temporarily needs an ECC-B, issued with a Re-entry Permit (immigrants) or a Special Return Certificate (non-immigrants).
• The Annual Report must be up to date and the ACR I-Card valid; otherwise the ECC-B is refused until you settle.
• SRRV holders follow the rules of the Philippine Retirement Authority, which lists an exemption from the exit clearance and Re-entry Permit.

Myth: With a resident visa, I can come and go freely. Reality: Each temporary departure requires an ECC-B with a valid Re-entry Permit or Special Return Certificate.

Estimated budget

Downgrading: ₱2,520 (₱3,520 express) if the visa is still valid; ₱3,520 (₱4,520 express) if expired within 59 days; ₱4,030 (₱5,030 express) beyond 59 days. ECC-A: ₱700 + ₱10; the counter may add the ACR fee ₱1,000 + ₱10, the CRTV ₱1,400 + ₱10 if you stayed 6 months or more, and ₱500 express.

Processing time

Downgrading: a few days to a few weeks. ECC-A: under an hour at the counter once the file is complete; valid for one month.

• A resident or work visa that ends is normally downgraded to temporary visitor status, which lets you remain legally until departure.
• The ECC-A is for holders of downgraded or expired visas and is issued at a BI office, not at the airport.
• Holders of an Order to Leave must also present an NBI clearance.

Myth: My employer cancels my visa, so I just have to fly out. Reality: The departure still requires the downgrading or cancellation to be recorded and an ECC-A in your name.

Estimated budget

At the airport (stay of 6 months to 1 year): ₱1,210, or ₱500 if the ECC fee was already paid with the extension beyond 59 days. At a BI office: ECC ₱700 + ₱10 and CRTV ₱1,400 + ₱10, plus ₱500 express if all fees were paid.

Processing time

Airport: same day, arrive 3 to 4 hours early. Office: file at least 72 hours before the flight; ECC valid for one month.

• Temporary visitors who stayed 6 months or more need an ECC to leave.
• The airport ECC is only possible with a valid visa, a stay of 6 months to 1 year and no derogatory record.
• Beyond one year of stay, or after an overstay or an Order to Leave, the ECC must be obtained at a BI office.

Myth: The ECC is only for residents. Reality: Tourists who stayed 6 months or more are the first category listed by the BI for the ECC-A.

Estimated budget

Depends on the cause. Late Annual Report: up to ₱2,000 per year + ₱1,510 Motion for Reconsideration. Court hold orders: lawyer's fees, not a BI fee.

Processing time

Same day for unpaid BI fees; weeks or more when a court order or a pending case is involved.

• The ECC certifies that you have no derogatory record and no pending obligation with the government: any unpaid fee or open case blocks it.
• A Hold Departure Order or a Precautionary Hold Departure Order is issued by a court; only that court can lift it, not the BI.
• An overstay, an Order to Leave or a blacklist entry is handled under its own procedure before any ECC.

Myth: If the ECC is refused, I can still try another airport. Reality: The ECC is a BI clearance in your name; it stays refused until the cause is cleared, whichever airport you use.