Philippines: Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card Registration Due March 1, 2023

• Filing location details. The off-site venue is located at Robinson’s Place, Manila (2nd level, Center Atrium, in front of Robinson’s Department Store). Filings can be submitted from 09:00 to 18:00, Monday through Friday or at any of the BI participating offices.
• Documentary requirements. Foreign nationals who will personally appear at the off-site venue at Robinson’s Place, Manila and/or any of the BI participating offices must present an original ACR I-Card or original paper based ACR (as applicable) and a valid passport.
• Exemptions from personal appearance requirement. Foreign nationals exempt from personal appearance requirements include minors below the age of 14; those age 60 years and above; mentally and physically incapacitated; and pregnant women and unwell foreign nationals.
• Personal appearance by Fragomen. Per informal advice from the BI, non-exempt foreign nationals may still authorize their Fragomen immigration professional to file the AR on their behalf, which would waive the foreign national’s personal appearance requirement. An additional filing fee applies in such cases. Applications filed through an authorized representative must include the following additional documents:
  • Authorization letter (for non-BI Accredited Representative);
  • Valid government-issued identification of legal representative;
  • Photocopy of BI issued identification in lieu of authorization letter for BI Accredited Agents; and
  • A Special Power of Attorney, except for accredited BI Liaison Officer/s.
• Pending ACR I-Card applications. Foreign nationals awaiting the issuance of their ACR-I Card must still comply with the AR requirement and must present proof of a pending application.

• Immediate action required. To avoid any consequences in relation to their immigration status, affected foreign nationals should comply with the filing requirement as soon as possible. Employers and foreign nationals should notify their Fragomen immigration professional immediately if they require assistance.
• Consequences for late filing. Fines will be imposed for the non-filing or late filing of the AR. Therefore, Fragomen recommends that the AR registration be completed before March 1, 2023 to avoid other adverse immigration impacts such as delays to renewal applications.

• Purpose of AR. The BI requires foreign nationals to file an AR to track their stay and status changes, if applicable, in the Philippines.
• Off-site venue filing purpose. This marks the first time the AR reporting will be conducted at an off-site venue outside of the BI offices, possibly to reduce traffic at the main office. This is in line with the new BI Commissioner's aim to bring convenience to BI processes and improve service accessibility. Recently, the BI set up a 24/7 one-stop shop to cater to international passengers who need urgent immigration document assistance.

It is likely that the BI will continue to improve service accessibility to foreign nationals in the Philippines. We will report on related developments.