Beginers Guide to Driving in the Philippines

I was driving from Manila to Subic via San Fernando some years ago on the old road (very different now!) and we were "in the middle of nowhere", in the lahar affected belt, when I noticed that we were closing the car ahead of us much faster than we should have been doing. I am not a slow driver, as Markham may confirm, but this was odd, as the chap didn't seem to be braking, Was he stopped? Broken down? Even so he was getting too close too fast. I stopped - and a jeepney shot past on our port side - he had RED HEADLIGHTS!

International driving license is only required if your national licence is not in English so if your national licence was issued in the UK or EU you won't need an international one to drive in the Philippines. Insurance beyond the statutory third party cover included in your annual vehicle registration fee is an optional extra but be aware that most policies only cover drivers who hold Philippine licences.

I would say that your driving skills are beyond reproach although a 'spectacles-testicles-wallet-and-watch' salute serves well to ward off feelings of blind terror!

Forgot to add - a supply of currency notes of sundry demoninations for handing out to LTO officials, policemen and young men who offer to "watch your car for you"

Hey Guys...and Girls,
Just returned from LTO. Land Transport Office in Laoag to apply for my Philippine Driving Licence......Oh Boy.
Anyhow, my story....arrived in Phils December 26th 2018 and have extended my tourist visa up to the end of April....no problems.
My UK Liecence expires in March 2019 so I decided to convert my UK one to a Phils one. Mmmmmm
Arrived at the LTO Laoag at 7 am, thinking I should be at the front of the queue lol......34 people ahead of me all waiting for stage one of the licence process which is the Medical. This took less than 5 minutes, blood pressure, eye test...that’s it. 7 am till 10.30 am!!!!! A long wait lol
Then next door to the licensing dept, showed all the stuff they needed to see and got pointed to see Mr varifyer, that’s when the day turned into a bad day.
This visit I have been living at my girlfriends house with her family since Boxing Day 2018 ( Two months ) and have been extending my visa , I have done this for the past 4 years....that’s another story.
Anyway, as I could not show a visa allowing me to stay for a year without leaving the country, I was denied a Licence.
My UK licence allows me only 90 days from arrival to drive in the Phils using the UK licence so......I can extend my tourist visa up to 24 months (paying each time) however technically I’m not allowed to drive legally , or even apply for a Phils licence until I’ve been here for 12 months.
I’m not planning to go back to the UK soon as I’m planning to marry and get a 13a visa.
PLEASE BE WARNED if you buy a vehicle, get your licence before you spend your money, or, if you do, drive with lots of beer tokens in your wallet .
It’s still worth all this hassle, I love the country, us foreigners have to adjust.

Better than that..36 months!
Here in the jungle I have mates that have used their Brit or international licences for years..
If asked,they tell the Police they have been in country 35 days.. Goes no further.
I wouldn't want to try that in Manila these days!
I converted my Brit licence 10 years ago back when everything was easy.

Got mine whilst on BB privilege. been in the country 3 months bought a car converted my British licence to a filipino one. No problem, did the piss and eye test next day went to convert licence in and out less than an hour.

Ah... thanks for that info'. I'd been wondering whether or not I could acquire the local licence while with BB stamp only.

I did a few months ago, just went to the local LTO office, with the wife. She supervises all that I do, in case I look at another woman.
Got an application form from the guard. Saw the top banana, who looked at my driving licence and passport with BB stamp, asked a few questions, he struck me as being strict and abrupt.
Sent to the medical office ( a shop across the road) eye test, I wear glasses, colour blind test, that was all.
Back to the LTO put in front of the 35 people waiting. Wife insisted I was senior citizen. Photo, can't remember if they did fingerprints, I think they did, licence produced, in all it took 30 minutes. Most impressed.
I think that I probably should have had at least a years Visa. There was Tagalog between the wife and the boss. And we had to go properly dressed, long trousers, closed toe shoes, and a shirt, the wife dictated that's what we wear.
The funny thing was she got a student driving licence, and was told to come back in 6 months and get a full licence, she's never driven anything in her life, nor likely to, she would be too busy making the sign of the cross, as she passed every church, to watch where she was going

Thanks Rob...funny AND informative, but I can only select one.

That has been the ruling since August 2017. Minimum of 12 months visa before being able to convert your foreign DL to a local one. That rules out any sort of tourist visa including BB.

When I applied to convert my licence they told me I had to first have my British licence translated into English by my embassy..
An interesting conversation followed!
When I went to pick up my new licence some months later, they told me I had already had a Filipino licence issued in 1996 and fined me accordingly..
Obviously I had forgotten all about that one!