6 Ways to Stay in the Philippines Permanently (2026-2027 Guide)

Updated August 2026

You’ve been living in the Philippines for a year, and you’ve decided that the beautiful people, warm weather, and low cost of living outweigh the downsides. You want to stay. Good news: the Philippines is one of the easiest countries in the region for expats to settle in long term, and there are six main ways to do it.

One thing to get out of the way first: none of these visas grant the right to own land. That right is reserved for Filipino citizens. Foreigners can own a condominium unit outright (up to the 40% foreign-ownership cap per building), but never the land underneath it.

Here’s a quick map of your options before we dig in:

1. The Tourist Visa (9A)

This is how most expats stay, at least at first. The Philippines has an unusually generous tourist-visa policy. You can extend in 2-month or 6-month increments up to a maximum of 36 months for non-visa-required nationals (24 months for visa-required nationals). Once you hit the ceiling, you take a quick trip to Hong Kong, Thailand, or anywhere else, come back, and the clock resets.

The big downside is that this is the weakest status you can have. Legally, you’re a tourist with no right to remain. If you cross the wrong person, all they have to do is get your extension declined, and you have very little recourse. It’s fine for a trial year; it’s a shaky foundation for a life.

[Read my full guide: How to Extend Your Philippines Tourist Visa →]

The 6-Month Extension (LSVVE)

The Bureau of Immigration’s Long-Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) lets you extend for six months in a single transaction instead of returning every two months. A few things to know:

• It is currently processed only at the BI Main Office in Intramuros, Manila, until further notice.
• The single-transaction fee runs about PHP 11,500 for non-visa-required nationals and PHP 13,900 for visa-required nationals (these bundle several line items, so the “extension fee” alone is smaller).
• The same 36-month / 24-month ceilings apply, and you can convert to another visa category from here.

Correction from older versions of this article: The LSVVE is not limited to citizens of the US, Germany, and Japan. It is broadly available, with the length of stay depending on whether your nationality is visa-required or non-visa-required. Availability at BI satellite offices still varies by office, so call your local branch before you go.

Once you’ve been in the country longer than six months, you’ll need an Exit Clearance Certificate (ECC) before you can leave.

How to Extend Your Tourist Visa (Standard 2-Month Extension)

The process is straightforward:

1. Locate a BI branch office near you.
2. Fill out the two-page application form.
3. Bring two photocopies of your passport, including the page with your current visa.
4. Pay the fees — roughly PHP 3,000 for a two-month extension (exact totals vary by office and by the add-on fees applied, so confirm on the day).

2. Marrying a Filipino Citizen (13A Visa)

This is the second most common route to residency. The Philippines has reciprocity agreements with many countries: if your home country lets Filipinos gain residency through marriage, the Philippines returns the courtesy through a 13A Residence Visa.

[Check the list of eligible countries here →]

Does the Philippines Have a Fiancé Visa?

No. The Philippines has a spouse visa (13A) but nothing equivalent to the US K-1 fiancé visa. To stay through a relationship, you have to legally marry your partner.

13A Requirements

The 13A is not automatic once you say your vows. To even apply, you’ll need:

• A marriage that is valid and legally recognized.*
• A clean criminal record in both the Philippines and your home country.
• Freedom from any dangerous, contagious, or “loathsome” disease (this includes HIV).
• Proof of stable income enough to support yourself and your family.
• Legal entry into the country in the first place.

*Same-sex marriages are not currently recognized in the Philippines and do not satisfy this requirement.

[Related: How to Find a Filipina Wife with Good Values →]

The 13A Application Process

Meeting the qualifications only gets you to the starting line — approval is never guaranteed. Once you’re deemed eligible, you’ll need to:

• Have your Filipino spouse write and notarize a letter of petition on your behalf. Just as in the US, the citizen is the one formally requesting the visa for you, not you yourself.
• Complete and notarize the General Application Form (BI Form No. MCL-07-01). You can notarize this at BI, where photos are also available (4 for PHP 100).
• Provide a PSA (formerly NSO) authenticated copy of your spouse’s birth certificate. This can take some time to obtain.
• Provide a PSA-authenticated copy of your marriage certificate, or one authenticated by the Philippine embassy/consulate where you married. This step can also be slow.
• Obtain a BI Clearance Certificate (issued at immigration when you apply).
• Provide a plain copy of your passport showing your arrival date and authorized stay. Extend your tourist visa before making this copy.

One genuine advantage of the SRRV over the 13A (covered next): the 13A starts as a probationary visa, while the SRRV is permanent from day one. And remember — there is no divorce in the Philippines, and annulments are difficult and expensive. Marriage is a serious, hard-to-reverse commitment here.

Bonus: The Balikbayan Privilege (1-Year Visa-Free Stay)

If you’re married to a Filipino (or a former Filipino who has naturalized elsewhere), the Balikbayan Program under RA 6768, as amended by RA 9174, is the simplest option of all. It grants your foreign passport a one-year visa-free stay — no deposit, no petition, no filing fees — and it can be extended in 1-, 2-, or 6-month increments at a BI office.

There’s one critical catch: you must enter the Philippines together with your Filipino spouse. If you arrive separately, you don’t get it. At immigration you’ll present both passports plus proof of relationship (your marriage certificate; birth certificates for any children). It’s only available to nationals of non-restricted countries.

For many married expats, the practical playbook is to ride the Balikbayan privilege — entering together each time you travel — while deciding whether to commit to the full 13A residence visa. It’s the cheapest, fastest way to get a full year of legal stay, but it isn’t permanent residency, and it hinges entirely on arriving side by side with your spouse.

3. The Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)

The government created the SRRV to attract foreign capital, and unlike the 13A, it is permanent from the start — no probationary period. Despite the name, you no longer have to be retired, and the minimum age is now 40.

What Changed in September 2025

The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) restructured the program, so ignore older guides:

• The minimum age was lowered to 40 for all applicants, regardless of pension status.
• Only two categories remain: SRRV Classic and SRRV Courtesy. The old Smile and Human Touch categories were abolished for new applicants.
• New, higher deposit tiers were introduced for the 40–49 age bracket.
• A Bureau of Immigration clearance is now mandatory for every applicant.

Existing SRRV holders (including Smile and Human Touch) keep their visas under the old terms — the changes apply to new applications only.

SRRV Deposit Requirements (2026)

Your deposit is held in a PRA-accredited Philippine bank in your name. It remains your money and is refundable if you ever surrender the visa.

SRRV Classic (ordinary foreign nationals):

SRRV Courtesy (former Filipino citizens, retired diplomats, and retired foreign military — significantly lower deposits):

Fees and Key Guidelines

• One-time processing fee: $1,500 for the principal applicant, plus $300 per dependent.
• Annual fee: $360/year for SRRV Classic (covers the principal and up to two dependents). Courtesy holders pay a reduced annual fee — confirm the current amount directly with the PRA, as it has changed with the restructure.
• Dependents: Covers a legal spouse and unmarried children under 21. Adding more than two dependents requires an extra $15,000 deposit per additional child (former Filipinos exempt).
• Real estate conversion: Under the Classic track, your bank deposit can be reinvested into a PRA-approved condominium unit or a long-term residential land lease valued at $50,000 or more. This conversion option is a big part of why the government built the program. Note: buying a condo is not itself a visa — it’s what you may do with the deposit once you hold the SRRV. Confirm current conversion rules with the PRA, as they were affected by the 2025 restructure.

SRRV Benefits

Most expats don’t take this route, but the perks are real:

• You don’t have to get married — the SRRV stands entirely on your own qualification.
• Indefinite stay with multiple-entry/exit privileges.
• Exemption from the BI ACR-I Card annual report; from customs duties on a one-time importation of household goods worth up to $7,000; from tax on pensions and annuities; and from travel tax (if you haven’t stayed more than one year since your last entry).
• Access to PhilHealth benefits.
• Greet & Assist service at selected airports, PRA merchant discounts, and assistance with other government agencies.

This visa is especially popular with veterans and retiring Fil-Ams, whose deposit requirements under the Courtesy category are dramatically lower.

[Schedule a Consultation About Your SRRV →]

4. The Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV)

This one is for investors and entitles the holder to remain in the Philippines indefinitely. To qualify, you deposit at least $75,000 into a special Peso Time Deposit (maturity of roughly 30–60 days) with either the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) or the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

Once the deposit is made, you receive a probationary SIRV. You then have 180 days to convert that cash into an approved investment (such as shares of stock in a qualifying Philippine enterprise) and report it to the BI.

[Related: Why Expats Love Wise →]

5. Employ 10 Filipinos (SVEG Visa)

The Special Visa for Employment Generation (SVEG) is for foreign nationals who create jobs for Filipinos in a lawful, sustainable industry. Maids and household workers are specifically excluded from counting toward the requirement.

The upside: it exempts you from the exit clearance and special return certificate when you leave the country, and it has no large deposit requirement like the SIRV. You still need a work permit, and it is classified as a non-immigrant visa.

The SVEG carries substantial reporting requirements to prevent fraud. You must employ at least 10 full-time Filipinos on a regular basis — and if your headcount drops below 10, your visa can be canceled. For that reason it’s only recommended for foreigners who have done their homework and can comfortably sustain 12–15 full-time employees as a buffer.

One more thing to weigh: if starting your business and employing Filipinos costs more than $75,000, you may be better off with the SIRV, which is an immigrant visa.

[Find out more about the SVEG →]

6. The Quota Visa

The Bureau of Immigration issues permanent resident visas to nationals of countries that extend the same courtesy to Filipinos — the US is on that list. This visa isn’t widely known and the requirements are somewhat murky, but in general you’ll need a skill, ability, or level of capital that clearly benefits Philippine society.

The key constraint: the BI issues no more than 50 quota visas per nationality per calendar year, so slots are limited. Updated guidelines took effect in September 2025 under BI Board Resolution No. 2025-002

Which Visa Is Right for You?

• Just testing the waters? Ride the tourist visa for up to 36 months.
• Married to a Filipino? The 13A is usually the cheapest path.
• 40 or older and want stability without marriage? The SRRV is hard to beat, and it’s permanent from day one.
• Have capital to invest? Compare the SIRV ($75k) against the SVEG if you’d rather run a business.
• High skill or high net worth without a spouse? The Quota Visa is the fourth door.

Every situation is different, and the rules genuinely shifted in September 2025. If you want a clear-eyed look at which route fits your age, budget, and goals — before you wire anyone a deposit — let’s talk.

[Book a Consultation →] Just straight answers about your options.