My husband and I went on a holiday, well, mainly to attend a friends’ wedding, in the Philippines. We were there for 15 days and had a great time meeting and visiting family and friends. It was really heartwarming seeing them again after 10 months of being in the UK. I almost forgot how it felt to have a sun-kissed skin. I realized how I missed the food, the road chaos (lol), the real sunshine! Yeah, the real sunshine! LOL!
This blog article though will not focus on our holiday experiences but on the what, how, where and when of my journey, immigration-wise. As most of you know, I just came in the UK last December 2018 holding a spouse visa. Naturally, I have my BRP or the Biometric Residence Permit card which replaced the visa vignette I have on my passport, which basically expired after a month it was released. Let me tell you how it went for me at the border control of both UK and the Philippines.
We flew out to the Philippines via Manchester airport and landed at NAIA terminal 1 in Manila, Philippines. At the border security of both ports, I was asked to present my passport and BRP card.
On the day we were going back to the UK, we checked in at NAIA terminal 1. I was asked by the airline staff who processed our check in to go and check with TIEZA Travel Tax Office if I still needed to pay for the travel tax. The staff asked me for my passport, boarding pass and brp card. It turned out I had to pay the travel tax of Php1,620.00 because it was not included on the payment made upon booking the flights online.
As I went back to the airline check in counter, the staff gave me a departure card to fill in to be presented to the immigration officer. Just a reminder, always take with you a black pen.
After checking in with the airline, my husband and I went to the border control/immigration area. I presented to the Immigration Officer my passport, boarding passes, departure card and BRP card. The Immigration Officer didn’t even bother asking me a single question.. The process took less than 3 minutes.
At Muscat airport, I was asked again for my BRP card and passport along with the boarding pass upon check in for the second leg of our journey back here in the UK. Before we landed in Manchester, I asked the steward for a landing card. I was surprised as he told me it wasn’t needed anymore. At the immigration control in Manchester airport, the Immigration Officer just asked me for my passport and BRP card. It took him less than 2 minutes to process my entry and then wished me a good night.
So there! I hope this very simple blog article gives you peace of mind if you’re having concerns about immigration as you travel abroad.
Freddy's Musings 
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