Chapter 4 compares the Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) against the family routes, extended tourist status and the investor visa, with every deposit, fee and age bar side by side. Chapter 5 is seven questions for choosing, Chapter 6 covers applying, and Chapter 7 the ACR I-Card, the Annual Report and the travel clearances.
SRRV Classic (50+ with pension)
The cheapest SRRV tier: the smallest deposit, in return for proof of a lifetime pension. The test is a pension paid for life, so rent, dividends and drawings from savings do not count, and the proof is an apostilled letter from whoever pays it, which you arrange before you leave home because no embassy in Manila issues one. It gives permanent residence with multiple entries for as long as the deposit stays in a Philippine bank, and it frees you from the Bureau of Immigration's yearly report.
SRRV Classic (50+ without pension)
The SRRV at 50 and over without a pension, for twice the deposit. Permanent residence with multiple entries for as long as the money stays in a Philippine bank, and no yearly report to file. Converting the deposit into a home needs a property worth $50,000, which is more than this tier deposits.
SRRV Classic (40–49 with pension)
The SRRV opened to 40 to 49 on September 1, 2025, at a higher deposit than the tiers for 50 and over, in return for proof of a lifetime pension. The test is a pension paid for life, so rent, dividends and drawings from savings do not count. The residency terms are the same: permanent residence, multiple entries, no yearly report. Many sites still publish the old rules, which had a minimum age of 50 and lower deposits.
SRRV Classic (40–49 without pension)
The highest Classic tier, for 40 to 49 with no pension, aimed at someone with savings rather than pension income. It is the one tier whose deposit by itself meets the $50,000 a conversion into a home needs. Many sites still publish the old rules, which had a minimum age of 50 and lower deposits.
SRRV Courtesy (former Filipinos, retired military, diplomats)
A preferential tier at a fraction of the usual deposit, open to former Filipinos who have not taken back citizenship, to retired diplomats, to retired officers of recognized international organizations, to retired military of countries with recognized relations with the Philippines, and to people the retirement authority counts as high achievers. Most retirees do not qualify.
Special Investor Resident Visa (SIRV)
An investor visa with no end date, run by the Board of Investments rather than the retirement authority, for as long as the investment stays in place. The money goes into listed shares or government securities, and a condominium does not count. It is not a deposit and it is subject to market risk, which is the real difference from the SRRV. It suits someone under 40, for whom the SRRV is closed.
13(a) Visa (spouse of a Filipino citizen)
The usual route for a foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen living there full time, with no deposit, no income test and no minimum age. You enter visa-free and convert inside the country. It is probationary for one year and becomes permanent if the marriage still exists. Every country this guide is written for is on the reciprocity list. The visa depends on the marriage continuing.
Balikbayan privilege
One year of visa-free stay for the foreign spouse or child of a balikbayan, free and granted on arrival. A balikbayan is a Filipino who has been out of the country for at least a year, an overseas worker, or a former Filipino naturalized abroad, so a couple whose Filipino spouse lives in the Philippines does not get it. It only applies when you arrive together, every time, and it is not a residence visa.
Dual citizenship (Republic Act 9225)
A natural-born Filipino who took another citizenship can take Philippine citizenship back by oath, and keep the other passport. Unmarried children under 18 come with you. A citizen needs no visa, no card and no yearly report, and can own land with no limit on area. For most former Filipinos it is the best route by a wide margin. It does not extend to a foreign spouse.
Tourist visa with extensions
Thirty days visa-free on arrival, then extensions inside the country up to 36 months from your latest entry. A year of extensions costs more than the SRRV's annual fee from the second year on, every extension past the routine ones is at the Bureau of Immigration's discretion, and the major banks will not open an account until you hold a residence card. It suits a trial year, the wait while a resident visa is processed, or the years before you turn 50, as long as the SRRV is filed while your stay is still valid.
