As your time in the Philippines ends, it helps to line up the steps before you leave and your options afterwards. We checked the official pages of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the test organisations. We do not cover personal stories or job outcomes. For the whole process, see our guide to studying English in the Philippines. Checked on 31 October 2026.
In short
BI’s FAQ asks for an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC-A) from, among others, tourist visa holders who have stayed six months or more. You can apply from 72 hours before departure. The ECC is valid for one month from issue and can be used only once. IELTS and TOEFL iBT scores are both treated as valid for two years, so count back from when you plan to use them.
The order of what to check before you leave
Counting back from your departure date helps you miss nothing. These four steps are in the order they come up.
- Check with BI’s FAQ and your school whether you need an ECC (emigration clearance certificate)
- Apply for the ECC once you are within 72 hours of departure
- If you plan to use a completion certificate or transcript, ask your school before you enrol whether it issues one
- Count how long the English test scores you will submit at home remain valid
ECC (emigration clearance certificate): who needs it and when to apply
In BI’s FAQ, the ECC comes in two types: ECC-A (the regular ECC) and ECC-B.
Among those who need an ECC-A, BI lists tourist visa holders who have stayed six months or more. People with an ACR I-Card who leave temporarily need an ECC-B.
The fee table of HELP English Academy also says an ECC is needed for stays over six months, and lists it at 500 pesos. That figure comes from the school’s page, not from BI.
| Item | What BI’s FAQ says |
|---|---|
| When to apply | From 72 hours before departure |
| Validity | One month from issue, and it can be used only once |
| Examples who need an ECC-A | Tourist visa holders who stayed six months or more, holders of expired or downgraded visas, and people leaving for good |
| Who needs an ECC-B | People with an ACR I-Card who leave temporarily |
ACR I-Card: cancellation is a separate service
On BI’s ACR I-Card page, the menu lists renewal, re-issuance and cancellation services alongside issuance.
We could not confirm the conditions or steps for cancellation on the pages we opened. If you were issued an ACR I-Card, ask your school staff or BI before you leave whether you need to do anything.
Ask your school about certificates and transcripts before you enrol
The fee pages of the schools we opened did not say how completion certificates or transcripts are handled. Whether a document exists, and what it contains, may differ from school to school.
Ask the school by email before you enrol and keep the reply in writing. These are the points to cover.
- Whether it issues a completion certificate or transcript, and what it is called
- When you receive it (on the last day or later)
- The language it is written in, and whether it costs extra
- Whether it can be supplied in the form your recipient asks for (original or PDF)
How long English test scores stay valid
If you will submit scores for an application or a job after you return, check how long they remain valid first. The official wording is below.
IELTS
What the official source says: Results are recommended to be considered valid for two years after the test. Organisations may accept them for longer
Source: IELTS
TOEFL iBT
What the official source says: Valid for two years from the test date. ETS will not report or send scores after two years
Source: ETS
Next options: a second country
For building on your Philippine study with a second country, see our two-country study plan.
Working holiday schemes depend on your nationality and your government’s agreements, so check your own government’s official page for the countries and conditions that apply to you.
Next step: plan the second country
Compare options in our two-country study plan. For the whole process, see our guide to studying English in the Philippines, and for carrying money home, cash and cards in the Philippines.
Sources
Government and public bodies
- Bureau of Immigration (BI): Frequently asked questions (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Bureau of Immigration (BI): ACR I-Card issuance (checked 31 Oct 2026)
