Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) - You Need This Document to Leave 🇵🇭 (Foreigners)

For long-term (6+ months) tourists (foreigners) trying to leave the Philippines, you'll first need to obtain a Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC), before heading off to catch you flight at the airport.

If you're staying around the BGC area, you can process your ECC at the Bureau of Immigration Satellite Office, located on the 8th Floor of SM Aura.

[theelectoreffect]

What a pain in the arse! Imagine if you have a medical emergency and need to get to a hospital in Hong Kong, Singapore, or perhaps Thailand. Now imagine the stress if this emergency is happening on a day when immigration is not open! What a dumb policy and a waste of a foreigner's time!

[hyperpedro]

Thanks for the info, that is useful. I thought that paper was more of a formality, like 20 minutes for an extension. Gonna leave after 7 months. I start to regret I didn't leave just before the 6 months period. They were adding plenty of fees for express lane, extra 6 months fee in my last extension coming from nowhere + now that bureaucratic exit clearance certificate.

[perlaaguinaldo]

Take care always jay and jenny have a safe travel.👍✌🙏😍

[amaliahightower]

Only 3hrs…not too bad. That’s quite expensive though. I wonder if that ECC is the same as Exit clearance/fee? It was only 500 pesos. I have my Filipino citizenship so less hassle for me. However I gotta get my US passport renewal by mail. It will take at least 8 weeks to process. I was gonna get it done in the States but the expedite will take 5 weeks. Didn’t bother coz I was only there for a month. A long long time ago, going to the Passport Office was a breeze. It only took 3 days to expedite. These days everything takes forever!

[gazreyn]

One thing I would have found useful in the video is if you had a summary screen where you basically listed all of the requirements. Something like
- ECC Form (SM Aura Immigration Office)
- 2x2 Photo (x4)
...etc

Not really sure what else was needed. Although like you said, for some reason you needed a photocopy of your passport page

[inadatuin]

Hi. Thank you for uploading this info.

May I know if you printed the EC form yourself or you can just get it at the immigration office?


Also, why do you have to come back after 3 days when you pay for express lane? I thought you're supposed to get it on the same day. Just like when renewing visa. Coz regular lane means you have to get back on the following day to get your visa.
Hope you still notice this :)

[DerrickWe]

Thx, glad they have an express lane and have a flight in 4 buisness days.

[KrystianLejowski]

You need to show them also your visa extension?

[lambertdeguzman]

3 hours is ok, including waiting for the pictures and buying glue, etc, etc... i thought you had to wait in line for 3 hours hehehe... so, that's not so bad... at least next time, you already know what to do (and you have your glue ready), you can do all of the filling up at home and just go to immigration to submit your documents...

[Livinginthephils]

Hi Jay. We're both Canadians and we have changed our permanent residency back to Canada this year after living in the Philippines for 18 years full-time. We still have our active I-Card and we visited Canada this year and came back to the Philippines on October 05, 2024. We're flying back to Canada on March 18, 2025 for 7 months and it's NOT 6 months that we're here in the Philippines anymore till the next flight out (March 18). Are we exempted from paying the ECC fee at the airport now? Cheers and thank you.

[dellyvlogs]

It is ok to gey the ECC card at the airport if you didnt get it yet to the immigration ? Is there any problem at the airport when the day to travel without showing the ECC?

[leezz]

can we come back to Phillipines after out from here with ecc?

[SatoriLuvTheFlex]

Did you put your flight information on the request for authorization visa extension? And do you have to have a flight booked already before getting ECC

[tettignacio-mallari]

from which store did you buy your hat Jenny? it's pretty!

[josephpau]

What if you only there for one week or two in the Philippines

[Kuya_Michael]

Is it only for tourists? I have a permanent resident Visa (Quota Visa) Do I need the ECC paper too? Thank you.

[Hicks-gm]

Wow Jay 3 hours of filling out paper work getting photos and you still need to do more? That's a lot of work I'm getting tired just watching this video LOL anyway Jay I hope you and Jenny have a great time in Hong Kong and everything goes ok👍👍

[Patrik_]

I am leaving after 63 days (June 6) I have read that I can pay this ECC fee at the airport. Some says it is included in the valid visa. My visa is valid for to end of July. Many says that I do not need ECC but only after 6 months, it depens of what country you are I think. I will call to BUI just to make sure about it.

[BossChronicles]

Soo 3 days is the fastest to get it processed?

[GREGTV]

Idol alis kna ba dito sa bansa namin😢😢 i miss you guys