Acquire a visa to extend your stay in the Philippines
Foreign nationals are allowed to stay in the country without a visa for up to 21 days, provided that their home country has diplomatic relations with the Philippines.

Setting up a business in the Philippines requires a lot more time than 21 days, so it’s important to get a visa at the very beginning of your venture. The initial visa extension is 59 days. You can keep renewing your visa for a maximum of twelve (12) months, however in some instances a six (6) month extension may only be given.

• General Requirements
   • 2x2 passport photos
   • Duly accomplished visa application form
   • Proof of financial responsibility:
       • Photocopy of a recent bank statement
       • Photocopy of your ROUND-TRIP plane ticket OR certification from travel agent of possession of said tickets
       • Passport

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles offers comprehensive descriptions for the types of visas you can avail.

Secure these VALID ID’s

Driver’s License from Land Transportation Office (LTO).

• For inquiries, contact LTO Region III
   Tel. no. (045) 860-2050 / 961-1779

• Requirements (for new license):
       • Duly accomplished Application for Driver’s License
       • Valid Student Permit (at least 1 month old)
       • Medical Certificate (from an LTO accredited or Government Physician)
       • Negative drug test result (from DOH accredited drug testing center)
       • Taxpayer’s Idenitification Number (TIN)
       • Must have passed the written and practical examination

POSTAL ID from Philippine Postal Office (PhilPost).
• For inquiries, contact Balibago Post Office
   Tel. no. (045) 323-5689

• Requirements:
       • Duly accomplished and notarized application form
       • 3 identical 2x2 ID photo
       • Barangay Certificate (for residency)
       • Community Tax Certificate
       • Certified true copy of a Birth or Marriage Certificate

Alien Certificate Registration I-Card
       • For inquiries, contact:
        • Bureau of Immigration – AC
          Tel. no. 892-6110
        • Bureau of Immigration – Clark
          Tel. no. 599-4402 / 599-9000

Get yourself a bank account

• Present any two valid IDs from the list above together with your Passport at the local bank of your choice to set up an account
       • List your purpose for setting up an account as “business purposes”
       • Remember to bring 2 pieces of recent 2x2 photo
• To set up a regular savings account, you need only Php10,000.00 for a peso account or $500.00 for a USD account.
       • Negative drug test result (from DOH accredited drug testing center)
      *Based on RCBC Bank requirements

Get a long-term lease on a property for your business

• Three things you need to know about Philippine Real Estate Laws:
       • FACT 1: You have to be a natural-born Filipino to own land in the Philippines.
       • FACT 2: This does not stop you from owning property built on Philippine soil.
       • FACT 3: It does, however, limit your control of said property—specifically, to 40%.

For a more comprehensive explanation of the freedoms and limitations of foreign nationals in owning property in the Philippines, scroll down to Pointers on Philippine Real Estate Laws  at the Doing Business—AC Style section, or visit these websites:

• http://real-estate-guide.philsite.net/
• http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/real_estate/realestatelaws_philippines.html

Draw up your Articles of Incorporation
(for Partnership/Corporation only)

•For more information on this document,
read The Corporation Code of the Philippines.

Register your SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP with DTI
Requirements:
For inquiries, contact:
      DTI Region 3 – Contact Person: Riza Lina V. Dayrit
      2/F, Angeles Business Centre, Teresa Avenue,
      Nepo Mart Complex, Angeles City
      Tel. No.: (+6345) 625-9530

Register your PARTNERSHIP/CORPORATION with SEC

Requirements (for Stock Corporation):
      Visit the SEC page
For inquiries, contact:
      SEC Head Office
      SEC Building, EDSA, Greenhills, Mandaluyong City
      Trunk Line: (02) 584-0923
      Public Information and Assistance Hotline: (02) 584-1119
     Corporate and Partnership Registration Division Tel. No.: (02) 584-9225 loc. 219    Fax: (02) 584-2202

Register with Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)

• BIR Form 1701 (for Sole Proprietorship)
   BIRForm 1702 (for Partnership/Corporation)

• You are mandated by the BIR to register with them within 30 days upon drawing up your Articles of Incorporation.

Secure a Community Tax Certificate (CTC) at City Hall

Requirements:

DTI certificate, CTC of owner
           

Get a Barangay Certificate from your local barangay

Requirements: 2 valid IDs (photocopy & original), 1x1 ID photo, CTC (photocopy & original)
For inquiries, contact:
Balibago – Barangay Hall                    Tel.no. (045) 322-4038
Malabanias – Barangay Hall               Tel.no. (045) 888-0491           

Obtain a BUSINESS / MAYOR’S PERMIT

• Proceed to the Business Permit and License Division (BPLD) at City Hall with the following documents:
• DTI-registered  Business Name (for sole proprietorship)
• Community tax certificate (original and photocopy)
• Barangay certificate (original and photocopy)
• Sketch of business location
• Articles of Incorporation/Partnership (issued by SEC for corporations)
• Contract of Lease (for rental) / Occupancy Permit (for new building)
• BPLD has a BOSS (Business One-Stop-Shop) operation for easy facilitation of your documents
  Tel. No. 892-1024 / 625-7546

Register with these government organizations

• Social Security System (SSS)
• Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF)
• Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Phil-Health)

Get your business insured

Having a comprehensive insurance plan is an important aspect of a business in good working order. Above all, it serves to protect the business from dissolving after experiencing an abrupt and major disruption to operations, such as from natural calamities. An insured business, of course, is more attractive to clients, investors and government firms that give financial support and other incentives.

As a foreigner entering into business in the Philippines, you will have to choose your local insurance firm very carefully as you don’t want to be a victim of a fly-by-night insurance agency. As much as you would want to bring in an international insurance firm into the picture, they would still have to have a local subsidiary operating in the Philippines before being able to insure a locally-established business.

For businesses in Angeles, this insurance firm comes highly recommended some of the top business groups in the city: