Personal checklist copy. Suggested dates are editable planning prompts, not legal, tax or immigration deadlines. Confirm requirements with the responsible authority.
☐ Check the stay recorded on arrival
Read the permission or record issued for your stay. Keep a copy and add the actual expiry or follow-up date as a personal task. Resolve any uncertainty with Immigration.
Philippine Bureau of Immigration: https://immigration.gov.ph/ · source checked 2026-09-09
☐ Check in and confirm your first-night essentials
Confirm access, drinking water, a working lock, charging and how to contact the host. Report problems promptly and keep booking receipts.
Guide: https://www.expatguidephilippines.com/guides/housing
☐ Get data working and test your accounts
Activate your chosen connection using the provider’s instructions. Test maps and important sign-ins before relying on the connection away from your accommodation.
Guide: https://www.expatguidephilippines.com/guides/internet
☐ Get a manageable amount of local spending money
Use a trusted bank or exchange provider and review fees before confirming. Keep receipts and avoid relying on a single card or carrying all your moving funds in cash.
Guide: https://www.expatguidephilippines.com/guides/banking
☐ Let someone know you have arrived
Send your location and accommodation contact to someone you trust. Agree a way to stay in touch that works across time zones.
☐ Walk your immediate neighborhood
Locate groceries, a pharmacy, transport options and places you would feel comfortable visiting after dark. Notice how the area feels at different times.
Guide: https://www.expatguidephilippines.com/cities
☐ Locate a suitable clinic and hospital
Check where you would go for routine and urgent care. Confirm opening hours, services, payment arrangements and whether your insurer recognizes the facility.
Guide: https://www.expatguidephilippines.com/guides/healthcare
☐ Leave room to recover and adjust
Keep the first few days flexible. Sleep, hydrate and handle essential tasks before making expensive commitments. Reorder the rest of your plan around how you are feeling.
☐ Review your first week’s priorities
Check the next tasks, adjust unrealistic dates and add anything your arrival revealed. Your checklist should support the move rather than become another deadline.