If you are a regular reader of the site, you certainly know the procedure to get a Balikbayan Visa (Balikbayan Privilege) when you arrive in the Philippines. You fly in to the Philippines with your Philippine spouse, she requests that you be g

New tourist visas in the Philippines – EAM

Apr 23rd, 2016 11m 3s

Some time back, I got a question from my friend Bill. He was wondering about tourist visas.How long could Bill stay on his tourist visa?How often would he need to renew or extend his visa?Where could he do the renewal? Would he have to tra

Money Exchange Tips – EAM

Mar 19th, 2016 11m 46s

Recently, I got a voicemail through SpeakPipe (if you have a question for me look for the orange button down near the bottom of this post and you can also leave a question for me through SpeakPipe) from Mr. Jay Stainback. Who is Jay Stainback?

My 13a application didn’t go as I planned – EAM

Feb 23rd, 2016 7m 14s

There is lots of information about getting a 13(a) visa all over the Internet, even here on LiP. But, of all of the answers available, not all of them go far enough. Some of them only tell you what application to file, what supporting documen

Becoming an expat is not always easy – EAM

Sep 17th, 2015 9m 49s

When you decide to move to another location in the world, everything is exciting. Well, most everything.Fact is, most people who decide to move to the Philippines have some problems to deal with in addition to having exciting times ahead. On

What kind of business can I have? EAM

Sep 3rd, 2015 6m 11s

Depending on the type of visa you have to live in the Philippines, your options to open a business may be quite limited, or your options may be wide open. Like I say, it depends on your visa, but it also depends on what type of business you wa

Business permits – EAM

Aug 6th, 2015 7m 58s

A while back, I had a podcast about doing business in the Philippines. What kind of visa would you need, what type of business could you do as an expat in the Philippines. Today, based on some follow up questions that I got from that podcast,

How do you get clothes that fit? EAM

Jul 23rd, 2015 10m 38s

If you are bigger than the average Filipino, and most of us westerners are, getting clothing that fits can be difficult if you live in the Philippines. If you are a big westerner, and more and more westerners are quite big, getting clothes tha

Funds running low? Join the other expats in the same position! EAM

Jul 9th, 2015 10m

Over my years of living in the Philippines, I have literally met thousands of expats. Some have become friends, others I have only met once or twice. There is one thing, though, that impacts nearly every single expat that I know or have met.

Do you want to learn about culture? EAM

Jun 25th, 2015 6m 34s

I recently published a book on the Amazon Kindle called Expat Answerman: Understanding Philippine Culture. A fellow named Jeff purchased the book, and enjoyed it, but found that he had a cultural question that was not covered in the book, so he

Are these clothes appropriate? EAM

Jun 11th, 2015 8m 9s

The Philippines is, in my view, a generally safe country. There can be arguments about that, some people feel it is quite dangerous. I am not in that camp, though.I will say, there are some isolated parts of the Philippines, though, where we

Clearing up the confusion about working in the Philippines. EAM

May 28th, 2015 9m 18s

Working in the Philippines. Is it the great thing that a lot of people think it is? Well… I don’t think it is such a great thing, in fact, I think there are a lot of pitfalls.One of the big pitfalls is that you need to make sure that you hav

Confused about airline tickets? EAM

May 14th, 2015 9m 52s

If you are traveling to the Philippines, maybe you are confused about what type of airline ticket you must have. A lot of people think that you have to get a round trip ticket or else you are not following the Philippine regulations. Truth is

Questions galore from Karl! EAM

Apr 30th, 2015 10m 22s

Karl is confused. Maybe even dazed and confused. But, you know what, there is nothing wrong with that. After all, Karl is young, still a student, and he is having a difficult time deciding on the path he wants to take with his life.Karl is

Getting a 99 Year Visa? EAM

Apr 16th, 2015 11m 23s

What? A 99 Year Visa! Bob, is that a new thing?Well, no it is not new, in fact, no such visa exists! But, I recently got a question from a fellow named Al, asking about getting a 99 year visa to live in the Philippines. While there is no s

Philippine Foreign Post? Help! EAM

Apr 9th, 2015 5m 46s

When dealing with governments, it is not unusual that we have to offer proof or evidence that documents or other items are authentic. These days, buy bactrim online pharmacy, there are a lot of counterfeit items making the rounds, so you shoul

Business practices – EAM

Apr 2nd, 2015 8m 14s

One of the biggest complaints that I hear from expats living in the Philippines is about customer service.I know, a lot of you are saying – what customer service?Unfortunately, there is a lot of truth to that statement. It always shocks me b

Public Transportation options in the Philippines – EAM

Mar 19th, 2015 12m 19s

Whether you want to ride tricycles, jeepnies, taxis or just about anything in the middle, you can find it in the Philippines. The Philippines has so many public transportation options, it is hard to choose sometimes. Maybe the best way to mak

A few questions about the 13G Visa – EAM

Mar 12th, 2015 10m 15s

I have a 13G Visa. A 13G is a Philippine Visa that allows for permanent residence in the Philippines for a Former Philippine Citizen and also for the spouse and minor children of a former Citizen of the Philippines. At the time that we moved

Health Insurance for Travelers

Mar 5th, 2015 10m 26s

If you are coming to the Philippines to live here, having some kind of health insurance is a good idea. You need to be protected from the high cost of being sick. Getting sick can really bankrupt you these days.Fortunately, there are some ad

Do you like Catfish?

Feb 26th, 2015 6m 45s

It seems like all of us have certain foods that we like from back home, and a lot of times those exact foods are not available in the Philippines! Often times, though, a substitute food can be found to satisfy your craving. I am lucky, becaus

What do you miss in the Philippines? EAM

Feb 19th, 2015 7m 56s

Is there something that you miss since you moved to the Philippines? What about those of you who have yet to move, but are planning to move to the Philippines? Do you think there will be things you miss from “back home”?Well, I can assure yo

Missing a food from the past…

Feb 12th, 2015 7m 24s

Favorite foods from our childhood can be a huge draw. Those foods are ingrained into our souls, and they mean a lot to us. That is why such foods are often called “comfort foods”. They make us comfortable. Many people, if they are experienc

Is jail time in the future? EAM

Jan 22nd, 2015 6m 32s

In recent months, I have been absolutely inundated with inquiries from foreigners staying in the Philippines about a problem, the same problem for all of them. They are here illegally. They have overstayed their visa.Could this be you? Don’t

Help! I lost my ACR Card! EAM

Jan 15th, 2015 6m 9s

Do you live in the Philippines?Even if you don’t live in the Philippines, have you been in the country for more than 59 days?If you have been here for 59 days or more, you are required to get an ACR I-Card.An ACR I-Card is not a visa, but ma