The ACR Card & The Bureau Of Immigration Manila

At some point for more than a few visitors to the Philippines, there comes a time when you have to make a decision of whether to leave the Philippines and return to wherever home is in order to add to your budget or to stay and if, you decide to stay, then you are going to have to visit your local branch of The Bureau of Immigration for the Philippines. If, you are South of Manila, down in the Visayans, their branch office in Mandaue City can assist you, in the Cebu City area, just before you cross the bridge to Mactan Island, where the airport is located.

However, if you are in Manila, you can just go by The Bureau of Immigration in the beautiful area of Intramuros, that's Spanish by the way, for "within the walls." There in Intramuros, you can see the old Manila and it's lovely architecture and Spanish influence. Definitely worth a visit and make a day of it, with its many spacious parks in the vicinity. Plenty of shade trees and don't forget to bring your lunch or snack and just in case you forget, there are many canteens (eateries) adjourning the many parks where you can get a three course meal for about P80 (< $2).

The ACR Card is the Alien Certificate of Registration Card that the Philippines Government implemented to help with registrations of persons inside its borders and to aid in combating questionable identification cards. The ACR Card has a microchip embedded in it and it's about the size and the thickness of a credit card. Note the card examples above, compliments of the Bureau of Immigration, located in the Intramuros area of Manila.

The ACR Card is great for Temporary visitors who are coming for pleasure or business if, you are coming to the Philippines for reasons associated with your health, all the better, especially if your stay in the Philippines is going to be for more than six months. It's also a good option, if your are going to be a temporary student, because along with your Student ID card, it proves that your residency conforms to Philippines Law. The ACR Card at the time of this posting is about P2200 ($50) for issuance and renewals. The ACR Cards are generally valid for one year. Native born Philippines citizens who may have taken citizenship in other countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, etc, are also encouraged to apply for the ACR Card. To apply for the ACR Card, check with your local or branch office of the Bureau of Immigration, or visit their website: immigration.gov.ph.