How to get an ACR I-Card

The ACR I-Card is the ID card for foreigners who live in or stay long in the Philippines. It is a microchip card that holds your personal details and your visa status.

The three ways to get it

Online

Not on its own

The Bureau of Immigration has no working online application for the ACR I-Card as of 31 July 2026. Any website that says it will do your ACR I-Card fully online is a private agent, not BI.

You cannot apply for or renew the ACR I-Card online.
What you CAN do online is download the correct form and the Checklist of Documentary Requirements from immigration.gov.ph.
Fill in the form at home, print it, and put the papers in the checklist order.
Then file it in person or through an authorized representative.

Walk-in

Yes

File at least 30 days before your current card expires. Bring the original passport - BI will not act without seeing it.

Not every provincial office handles every visa type, so call ahead if you are outside Manila.

Download the application form and the checklist from immigration.gov.ph and fill them in.
Get all your papers, arrange them in the order of the checklist, and put them in a legal size folder.
Go to the BI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila, or to another authorized Immigration office.
Submit the application. BI checks their database for any record against you.
They give you an Order of Payment Slip.
Pay the fee at the cashier. Pay the PHP 500 express lane fee too if you want it faster.
Submit a copy of the official receipt.
Give your biometrics (photo and fingerprints) if BI asks for them.
Once approved, the card is printed.
Come back with your claim stub and a valid ID to get the card.

Representative

Yes

This is written on the BI form itself. The general instructions on BI Form 2014-08-008 say: if the application is filed by an authorized representative, attach a photocopy of the BI Accreditation ID Certificate or an original Special Power of Attorney for each applicant, with a photocopy of a valid government ID of the attorney-in-fact.

Warning - BI may still require you to appear in person for biometrics on a renewal, so ask before sending someone alone.

Prepare an original Special Power of Attorney (SPA) for each applicant, naming your representative.
Attach a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID of the attorney-in-fact (the representative).
If your representative is a BI-accredited agent, they attach a photocopy of their BI Accreditation Identification Certificate instead of the SPA.
Your original valid passport still has to be shown to the officer, so send it with the representative or appear to present it.
The representative files the application and can claim the card with the claim stub and an ID.

What to bring

Filled-out ACR I-Card application form (BI Form 2014-08-010). Write everything in capital letters, in English, and never leave a box blank - write N/A instead
Original ACR I-Card, to be surrendered (for renewal)
Photocopy of your passport bio-page, the visa implementation page, and the page with your latest arrival stamp and valid authorized stay
Your original valid passport, to be shown at the counter (it is given back)
Two 2x2 coloured photos, white background, no eyeglasses, taken in the last 3 to 6 months
Photocopy of the official receipt showing you paid the fees
All papers arranged in the order of the BI checklist, inside a legal size folder (8.5 x 14 inches)
Immigrant or resident visas: photocopy of the Board of Commissioners Order of Approval
Student visa: photocopy of the Student Desk-approved order granting the extension
Special Subic, Clark or Cagayan zone visas: photocopy of the endorsement from sbma, cdc or ceza
Dependents re-registering: certified true copy of the BOC Order, plus a photocopy of the parent's passport bio-page, visa implementation page and ACR I-Card (front and back)
Philippine-born permanent residents: birth certificate, and a certified true copy of the ACR and Native-Born Certificate of Residence if applicable
Lost card: notarized Affidavit of Loss

Fill this in before you go

Straight from the agency. Print it and bring it filled in.

The details

Who can apply

Foreigners who hold a visa other than a short tourist stay, such as a 9(g) work visa, a 9(f) student visa, a permanent resident visa, or a special investor or working visa. Tourists who stay in the Philippines for more than 59 days also have to get one.

Registered foreign children must re-register when they turn 14. You also need a new card when your visa status changes or when the card is lost, damaged or expired.

Cost

USD 50.00 for the card. You pay it in pesos, using the Bureau of Immigration exchange rate on the day.

Express lane fee: PHP 500.00. The BI page itself says these amounts were last updated 6 March 2014 and can change, so confirm at the counter.

Separate yearly cost: the Annual Report costs about PHP 310 and is paid every year between 1 January and 1 March. Lost or damaged card: the same card fee, plus a notarized Affidavit of Loss (and BI may ask for a police report).

Legal or agency service fees are separate and are not BI fees.

How long it takes

At the BI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila the card is usually printed about 2 to 3 working days after approval. Provincial and regional BI offices take longer, around 1 to 2 weeks, because cards are printed centrally in Manila and shipped out.

How long it lasts

It follows your visa. Most non-immigrant holders, such as 9(g) workers and 9(f) students, get 1 year and renew it together with the visa extension.

Permanent residents (immigrants) usually get 5 years.

Tips

Write only plain English letters. BI says the system does not read letters like n with a tilde, e with an accent, or umlauts. Type Munoz, not Muñoz, or the application gets rejected.
Do not leave any box blank on the form. Write N/A. BI will not act on a form with blanks.
File about 30 days before the card expires. Printing and approval take time, and an expired card can cause trouble at the airport.
The ACR I-Card is not the same as the Annual Report. Even with a valid card you still have to report in person to BI every year between 1 January and 1 March, and pay about PHP 310. Tourists are the exception.
Keep the claim stub. BI will not release the card without it.
The USD 50 fee is charged in pesos at BI's own exchange rate for the day, so the peso amount changes. Bring extra.

Not verified

The research could not confirm these against an official 2026 source. Phone the office before you travel.

BI does not publish a single validity table on a page that can be checked, so confirm your own card's expiry with BI
BI does not publish a release time on a page that can be checked