Registration in the Philippines: ACR I-Card, Annual Report, ECC and your TIN
In the Philippines your registration revolves around the Bureau of Immigration. If you stay longer than 59 days, you get an ACR I-Card, the alien registration card. With it you report every year in the first 60 days for the Annual Report, and when you leave you sometimes need an ECC. You also apply for a TIN with the tax authority BIR, and register every trip free of charge through eTravel.
5 min read
Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
In the Philippines your registration revolves around the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the immigration service. If you stay longer than 59 days, you get an ACR I-Card: an alien registration card with a chip, the size of a bank card. With that card you report every year for the Annual Report, and when you leave you sometimes need an exit clearance, the ECC. You also need a tax number, the TIN, as soon as you work or deal with a government office.
Which papers and numbers do you get?
| What | From whom | When | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| eTravel | the eTravel website or the eGovPH app | within 72 hours before every arrival and departure | free |
| ACR I-Card | BI | as soon as you stay longer than 59 days | US$ 50 (≈ € 45), express ₱ 500 (≈ € 7) |
| Annual Report | BI | every year in the first 60 days; in 2026 from 1 January to 1 March | ₱ 310 (≈ € 4), online ₱ 1,000 extra |
| ECC-A | BI | when leaving after six months or longer as a tourist, or when you leave for good | |
| ECC-B | BI | when leaving temporarily with a visa and an ACR I-Card | |
| TIN | BIR, the Philippine tax authority | for work, or to deal with government offices |
With a Dutch passport you enter visa-free for 30 days. Everyone aged 16 and over must always be able to identify themselves, writes NederlandWereldwijd. So always carry your passport with the entry stamp or your visa.
What is eTravel?
eTravel is the online registration for everyone entering or leaving the Philippines. You fill it in within 72 hours before your trip, and you show the QR code before boarding. Registration is free. The only official addresses are the eTravel website and the eGovPH app. Sites that ask for money are fake.
When do you get an ACR I-Card?
Everyone who stays longer than 59 days gets an ACR I-Card. As a tourist you pay for it with the extension beyond 59 days: US$ 50, and ₱ 500 if you want it fast. With a 13(a) visa you pay US$ 50 when you apply, and again at the amendment to permanent. The card is your proof that you are registered as a foreign national.
With an SRRV, the retirement visa, you do not need an ACR I-Card and you do not file an Annual Report. That is listed among the benefits on the website of the Philippine Retirement Authority. See the residence routes.
How does the Annual Report work?
Every registered foreign national with an ACR I-Card reports to the BI in the first 60 days of the year. In 2026 that ran from 1 January to 1 March. It costs ₱ 300 plus ₱ 10. If you do it online, ₱ 1,000 is added.
- Appearing in person. Anyone under 14 or aged 60 and over need not come in person; a representative may report for them.
- Late. Then you pay ₱ 1,510 and ₱ 200 per month of delay, up to a maximum of ₱ 2,000 a year.
- On departure. At the airport they check whether you paid the Annual Report. Anyone who cannot show this may be stopped from leaving.
On 9 October 2026 the BI proposed raising the fee to ₱ 500. That was a proposal, not yet a decision.
Does a tourist with an ACR I-Card also have to file an Annual Report? The BI contradicts itself. The service page exempts tourists. The 2026 guidelines name all holders of an ACR I-Card. Check with the BI, and keep your proof of payment at hand. If you hold Philippine nationality as well as Dutch, you do not file an Annual Report.
When do you need an ECC?
The ECC (Emigration Clearance Certificate) is an exit clearance.
- ECC-A is needed if you stayed six months or longer as a tourist, or if you leave for good on a visa. Apply at least 72 hours before departure. It is valid for one month and can be used only once.
- ECC-B is for people who leave temporarily with a visa and an ACR I-Card. You first pay your Annual Report, then you get the ECC-B.
What a separate ECC costs is not on the BI website.
When do you need a TIN?
The TIN (Tax Identification Number) comes from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). If you start employment, you are registered with form 1902, within 10 days of starting. If you do not work but need a TIN to arrange something with a government office, you use form 1904. You file it with the BIR office for your place of residence. See working in the Philippines.
Which Dutch papers do you bring?
Your birth certificate, your marriage certificate and a certificate of conduct (VOG) come back in almost every application. The Philippines has been party to the Apostille Convention since 14 May 2019. So a Dutch document gets an apostille from the district court, and the embassy no longer needs to legalise it. Anything not in English you have translated into English.
What you close down in the Netherlands is in deregistering from the municipality. The order after arrival is in the first weeks in the Philippines.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to the Philippines or go straight to step 5.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Bureau of Immigration — frequently asked questions on the ACR I-Card, the Annual Report and the ECC — immigration.gov.ph
- Bureau of Immigration — the Annual Report, the fees and the penalty for reporting late — immigration.gov.ph
- Bureau of Immigration — the 2026 Annual Report guidelines (Operations Order 2025-007) — immigration.gov.ph
- Bureau of Immigration — proposed new Annual Report fees (9 October 2026) — immigration.gov.ph
- Bureau of Immigration — the Visa Waiver and the extensions, with the ACR I-Card for tourists — immigration.gov.ph
- eTravel — frequently asked questions, free registration within 72 hours — etravel.gov.ph
- Bureau of Immigration — advisory on eTravel registration (5 October 2026) — immigration.gov.ph
- BIR forms 1902 and 1904 — the TIN for employees and for dealing with government offices (description on lawphil) — lawphil.net
- Philippine Retirement Authority — the SRRV, exempt from the Annual Report and the ACR I-Card — pra.gov.ph
- Philippine Embassy in The Hague — the apostille since 14 May 2019 — philembassy.nl
- NederlandWereldwijd — travel advice for the Philippines, with the duty to identify yourself — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
Read on
- PhilippinesAankomst in de Filipijnen3 min
Banking and paying in the Philippines: cash, a dollar account and 20% on your interest
You may bring at most ₱ 50,000 in pesos in cash into or out of the Philippines without permission from the central bank. Foreign currency is unlimited, but above US$ 10,000 you declare it. Anyone may open a foreign currency account at a designated bank. Since July 2025, 20% tax comes off interest from a Philippine bank; interest from your Dutch bank is not taxed by the Philippines.
Updated 20 October 2026
- PhilippinesAankomst in de Filipijnen5 min
The first weeks in the Philippines: 30 days, extending, and the ACR I-Card after 59 days
In your first weeks in the Philippines the immigration clock is running. With a Dutch passport you get 30 days. After that you extend by 29 days for ₱ 3,030, and then by 1, 2 or 6 months. If you stay longer than 59 days, you get an ACR I-Card. Meanwhile the 90 days on your driving licence count, and from June to November the typhoon season.
Updated 20 October 2026
- PhilippinesAankomst in de Filipijnen4 min
School in the Philippines: thirteen years of K-12, lessons in Filipino and English, and a Special Study Permit
In the Philippines children go to school for thirteen years: one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary and six years of secondary. Lessons are in Filipino and English. A foreign child not yet in higher education needs a Special Study Permit from the Bureau of Immigration, for ₱ 5,240 plus US$ 50 for the ACR I-Card. With an SRRV the PRA promises exemption from a separate study permit.
Updated 20 October 2026