Honor Code | School Policies | Fees / Tuition | Financial Aid
General Info | Student life | Family life | Davao City

A passport is obviously required for international travel. Passports must be current with a minimum of six months remaining until the date of expiration. If your passport is scheduled to expire while you are in the Philippines it can easily be renewed at the U.S. Embassy or the embassy of each student's respective country if their embassy/consulate is located in Manila. Please make sure to photocopy the inside identification cover of the passport and keep it in a separate place in case of loss. This way, it is easy to replace it at the Embassy. It is also a good idea to photocopy your plane tickets in case of loss.

Visas/Immigration (Please read carefully)

It is not necessary to secure a visa from the Philippine consulate in the States or Canada prior to departure. An automatic 21-day tourist visa will be issued upon your arrival into the Philippines. The necessary visa extensions can be acquired in Davao City at the local Dept. of Immigration office once the initial visa expires. Typically, the second visa renewal will be increased to 38 days or 59 days. Each renewal cost money. Visa fees vary and the prices change according to the policy updates mandated by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BOI). The most recently published fees are;

P2020* per person for a 38-day extension.

P3290* per person for a 59-day extension.

*Average Philippine Peso/$US exchange rate varies between P51-P55/$1. Example: P2020 divided by P51 = $39.60

As a Newlife School policy, in accordance with BOI, each student (inclusive of husband and children if the student is married) will be required to apply for a special 9g missionary visa. The process can take 3-6 months. The initial tourist visa will simply be renewed until such a time the 9g visa is finalized.

Each student should expect to pay about $500 total to maintain the appropriate visa renewal(s) inclusive of the 9g visa fees throughout the duration of your stay in country. Please budget $700+ for a family of 4.

There is paperwork involved to apply for the 9g visa that requires letters of endorsement from your home church and various other documents such as birth certificates, diplomas, marriage licenses, etc. Please write to the school director for more information regarding specific documents you will need to bring with you.

Note: all visa fees are subject to change according to the policy of the Philippine Government. The prices quoted above are not exact but represent an approximate amount to budget for.

Banking

Each student needs to have access to funds for personal expenses. Most students use the local ATM machines to withdraw funds that are given in the local currency and drawn off the student's home bank in the States. Students may also open a bank account here in Davao by depositing their personal check drawn off their bank account in the States. Simply bring your checkbook with you and you may write yourself checks for deposit. The only drawback is that checks require a 30 day clearance time before those funds can be withdrawn. So you need to budget ahead.

In the event of an emergency and cash is needed quickly there is the option of receiving an international wire transfer through the bank. A final option is to make a cash advance on a credit card. Please do not bring travelers checks since they are difficult to cash and receive low exchange rates. It is advisable to bring new crisp dollars in large denominations, preferably $100 bills. You may also use this money to open a bank account until your first check is cleared after 30 days. Credit and Debit cards are also becoming more widely accepted here in the country.

Visitors

We regularly receive visitors at our clinic and each student is certainly welcome to invite friends and family members from their home for a visit. Visitors may be allowed to stay at the school if space is available. Please be advised they will be charged for room and board which is a minimal fee. There are several very nice hotels available as well that are reasonably priced. It is understood that guests of the students will abide by our Honor Code and School Policies and that students assume full responsibility for their visitors. It is also important that visitors do not infringe on the student's responsibilities related to her clinical schedule.

Vacation/Breaks

Each student will be given a one month leave of vacation after the first year of school is completed. Year-end breaks will be scheduled by the school director. Please check with the director prior to booking your return ticket from the Philippines to the States for your vacation plans.