Good Monday to all of the readers of this blog, and how was your weekend? I spent mine on Saturday at a local amusement park with my one year old granddaughter and my family. Although my granddaughter was too young to enjoy the rides she loved being around the crowds and getting wet from the water rides splashing her. We hope to go back soon when she will be able to ride some of the kiddy rides. Other than that we have just been keeping up on the makeover of the Dream Home Binan Laguna from thousands of miles away. If you haven’t had a chance to see the work yet please visit my previous posts.

I have heard and read many people on the Internet saying they would love to live and retire in the Philippines and some have never visited there before. Like my friend Bob Martin says you should never move anywhere without visiting first. This includes former U.S. service members who haven’t been there since the bases have closed. Believe me guys, I was there for almost ten years and it is not the same now. But many people who would love to visit the Philippines have no idea on how to make their first exploratory trip. What do they need such as visas or paperwork, immunizations, and government clearances?

As far as immunizations, none are presently required but it is a good idea to be caught up on your immunizations anyway. Just as in the U.S. anything could happen and having that tetanus shot might just save you some pain and suffering. And while I’m on the subject if you would need health care while in the Philippines rest assured that it will be more inexpensive than the U.S. and the quality will equal just about any care you would receive at home. In fact, my wife and I are going to get some minor cosmetic surgery and dental work on our next trip there.

There are 3 things that you will need to travel to the Philippines if your stay is less than 21 days. They are:
1. Passport
2. Round trip plane ticket
3. Living expenses

A passport is now required to travel to just about every country in the world. You may be able to get out of your home country but not back in so I think this would be a little important. To get a passport in the U.S you must apply in person to an acceptance facility such as a Post Office, Courthouse, or other named facility. There are also approved agencies that you may apply for a passport in. Please visit the following site for more information on obtaining a passport and locations where you may apply. How to Apply for a U.S. Passport

You of course must have a round trip ticket when arriving in the Philippines with a fly out date from the Philippines. There are other ways in which you may stay longer but I will address that later in this post. Airfare can be relatively cheap or expensive depending on factors such as desired dates, time of the week, and particular airlines. I usually book my flights as early as possible from either CheapTickets.com or CheapOair.com

The last thing you will need is living expenses. The companies I listed above for airlines tickets have package deals for hotel rooms and airfare combined which many experts believe is the less expensive way to go. I would recommend you try that for a couple days until you get settled but the Philippines is such a beautiful place that you don’t want to limit yourself to one area very long. After a couple days you will probably have a good idea on where you are going and you can make lodging arrangements then. As far as food and entertainment Filipino food is very good and inexpensive as long as you stay out of the high class restaurants. If you are planning on using your first trip as an the basis for picking a location to live in the Philippines you definitely want to spend as much time living as the residents of that area live rather than hanging out in the touristy spots. Whatever you decide to do please enter the Philippines with a positive attitude and most likely you will leave with a love for that tropical paradise. For more information on the requirements of visa you need to live in the Philippines or even stay for an extended time check out Bob Martin’s latest book Philippine Immigration Guide: What Kind of Visa Do You Need to Live in the Philippines