What visa do I need to live in the Philippines?

US citizens arrive visa free for 30 days and can extend with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), a few months at a time, up to 36 months from their latest arrival. It needs no deposit and no sponsor, which is why so many people start here. The cost is ongoing: fees every few months, an ACR I-Card, and an exit clearance after 6 months.

If you are still deciding whether the Philippines is for you, this is usually the right first step. The full details, with fees, are on the page about how long a US citizen can stay.

The Special Resident Retiree's Visa is run by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), not by Immigration. It lets you live in the Philippines indefinitely, with multiple entries, as long as you keep your deposit in place and pay the annual fee. Since September 2025 the minimum age is 40, down from 50, with higher deposits for people in their 40s.

PRA currently lists two options, SRRV Classic and SRRV Courtesy. Classic is the one most Americans use. The deposit depends on your age and on whether you receive a pension of at least US$800 a month (US$1,000 if you bring dependents):

• The deposit covers you and up to 2 dependents. Each further dependent adds US$15,000.
• PRA charges a one time processing fee of US$1,500 for the main applicant and US$300 per dependent.
• The annual fee for Classic is US$360, covering you and 2 dependents, plus US$100 for each additional dependent.
• You need a police clearance from home, and an NBI clearance if you have been in the Philippines more than 90 days before applying.
• After 30 days you can convert the deposit into a condo in your own name, if the unit is worth at least US$50,000. The title is then marked so it cannot be sold without PRA's approval.

SRRV Courtesy has much lower deposits (from US$1,500) but is limited to specific groups: former Filipino citizens, retired diplomats and officers of international organizations, retired military from countries with recognized relations, and people PRA classes as high achievers.

PRA's own page lists the current amounts. Older articles still describe options called Smile and Human Touch, and a minimum age of 50. Go by PRA's page, not by those articles.

If you are married to a Philippine citizen, you can apply for permanent residence under Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act. You can apply at the BI main office in Manila or another authorized BI office, or before you travel at a Philippine consulate in the US.

The first visa is probationary and lasts one year. Near the end of that year you apply to convert it to permanent status, with a joint letter from both of you, a joint affidavit that you live together, an NBI clearance and a BI clearance. BI's table lists the fee as PHP 8,620 for each stage, plus US$50 for the ACR I-Card, and says the table dates from 2014. If you apply at the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles, it lists a US$150 fee.

BI applies this visa on the basis of reciprocity, and runs a separate visa for spouses from countries without it. Americans routinely receive 13(a) visas, but confirm your own case with BI or your consulate before you apply.

You will need the PSA copy of your marriage certificate. If you have not married yet, the page on what a foreigner needs to marry in the Philippines walks through it.

The Special Investor's Resident Visa is processed through the Board of Investments (BOI). You must be at least 21 and invest at least US$75,000, sent from abroad, in qualifying Philippine companies. You first get a probationary visa for 6 months, and an indefinite visa once you prove the investment. It lasts as long as the investment stays in place.

It is a real option for people who were going to invest anyway. As a way to buy residence, the SRRV is usually simpler and cheaper.

A 9(g) visa is for a foreigner coming to a job already arranged with a Philippine employer. It is issued for 1, 2 or 3 years, and the employer files most of the paperwork. Before you start work, the employer must also get you an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Under DOLE's 2025 rules the permit lasts up to 3 years and costs PHP 6,000 for the first year plus PHP 5,000 for each additional year.

DOLE first checks whether a Filipino could fill the job, so this route works best for specialist roles. It does not cover working remotely for a company outside the Philippines.

Executive Order 86, signed on April 24, 2025, created a digital nomad visa for remote workers with foreign income: up to 1 year, renewable, for people 18 and over with health insurance and a clean record. As of November 5, 2026, we could find no published rules, no fee and no way to apply on the government's e-visa portal.

The order also limits it to citizens of countries that offer a similar visa to Filipinos. The United States does not have a digital nomad visa, so it is not yet clear whether Americans will qualify. Do not plan around this visa until it opens and the rules are published.

• Relying on an article about the SRRV written before September 2025. The age and deposit rules changed.
• Paying an agent for a visa you can apply for yourself without first reading the official requirements.
• Planning to work for a Philippine company on tourist extensions. That needs a work visa and a permit.
• Waiting for the digital nomad visa instead of choosing a route that is open now.
• Letting a probationary 13(a) lapse instead of converting it to permanent before the year is up.