Most developed countries, visitors are granted a (free) 30 days visa upon arrival.

Should you wish to stay for longer than one month the visa can be extended for another month in Surigao City, a three hour ferry ride from the Dapa ferry terminal in Siargao. The cost is about 3300 pesos and it’s very quick and easy to obtain. In fact, you can take the ferry to Surigao, get your visa, then get the ferry back to Siarao in the same day. The staff at the Department of Immigration are all very nice and helpful.

After your first 30 day (free) visa and then first one-month extension it’s still possible to extend further without much trouble. You’ll have to go back to Surigao again but this time they’ll give you a two-month extension. That’s right, the first time you go to extend you will only be given one more month, but after that extensions are given two months at a time and you can continue to do this for well over a year before ever having to leave the Philippines.

NOTE: After you first one-month extension and when you apply for your first two-month extension you will have to apply for a tourist ID card while you’re doing the visa in the Department of Immigration. The cost of this is around 4000php. So the costs associated with visas looks roughly like this
first 30 days – free
first extension (one month) – around 3300php
next extension (two months) plus ID card – around 7800php
future extensions after this point ( two months) – around 4000php each time

HOT TIP!!! If you know that you will be staying in the Philippines for more than one month it is possible to apply for a two month visa upon arrival in the Philippines. This will save you time and money as you won’t need to go to Surigao City after the first month to get the first months extension. Here’s how: Upon arrival from an international flight line up for the immigration inspection as usual, when approaching the counter tell the immigration officer that you would like a two month visa. You will be led into a small office where you will pay around 2800php and be given a 59 day visa. I have done this myself the last two times I’ve entered the Philippines and can confirm that this information is accurate…I only wish somebody had told me this earlier!