Long-stay visas for Philippines
The only country in the region where a retirement visa is now open at age 40, following the September 2025 restructure of the SRRV programme.
Special Resident Retiree's Visa
Indefinite while the deposit is maintainedThe Philippines restructured the SRRV in September 2025, dropping the minimum age from 50 to 40 and reducing the programme to two categories. Deposits run from USD 15,000 to USD 50,000 depending on age and pension status, and the visa permits indefinite residence.
Insurance: not requiredMinimum age 401 corrections tracked
Section 13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa by Marriage
One (1) year probationary, then permanent once amended. ExpatDen reports that permanent 13(a) holders renew the ACR I-Card only once every five years.The Philippines 13(a) is the residence visa for the foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen, granted first as a one-year probationary status and only then amended to permanent. The Bureau of Immigration lists Php 8,620.00 for the principal applicant plus US $50 for the ACR I-Card at the probationary stage, and the same Php 8,620.00 plus US $50 on its Permanent Resident Visa page for the amendment to permanent. BI's own 2025 Citizen's Charter budgets 15 days, 1 hour and 40 minutes for the probationary conversion, with Board of Commissioners approval taking a maximum of 14 working days.
Insurance: not required5 corrections tracked
Pre-arranged Employment Visa under Section 9(g) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended
Maximum three years, or co-terminus with the AEP issued by DOLE, whichever is shorter. Because the AEP is issued "for a period of one (1) year, unless the employment contract, or other modes of engagement provides otherwise, which in no case shall exceed three (3) years," a one-year visa is the common outcome. BI sells the conversion in one-, two- and three-year bands.The 9(G) is the Philippines' employer-sponsored work visa, granted to foreign nationals "proceeding to Philippines to engage in any lawful occupation, whether for wages or salary or other forms of compensation." It runs for a maximum of three years or co-terminus with the DOLE Alien Employment Permit, whichever is shorter, and the AEP itself defaults to one year, so most people hold a one-year visa in practice. The Bureau of Immigration's published conversion fee for a principal at a non-Top 1,000 corporation is Php 10,130.00 for one year, Php 17,170.00 for two and Php 24,210.00 for three, plus US$50 to US$150 for the ACR I-Card, on top of the separate DOLE AEP fee the employer pays first.
Insurance: not required6 corrections tracked
What a month actually costs
| Main hub | Cebu |
|---|---|
| Lean month | about $800 |
| Comfortable month | about $1,500 |
Estimates for one person, excluding flights and insurance. Presented as estimates because no primary source exists for cost of living — unlike every visa figure on this site, these are not sourced claims.