Which visa?
| You are… | Usually | Who files |
|---|---|---|
| Coming to look around or house-hunt | Visa-free entry, then extensions | You, at the BI |
| Hired by a company in the Philippines | 9(g) work visa + DOLE work permit (AEP) | Your employer |
| Moving with a partner who has a 9(g) | 9(g) dependent visa | The employer, with the main visa |
| Aged 40+ and retiring or semi-retiring | SRRV retiree visa | You, at the PRA |
| Married to a Filipino citizen | 13(a) resident visa | You, at the BI |
| Investing US$75,000 or more | SIRV investor visa | You, at the BOI |
| Working remotely for a foreign employer | Usually visitor extensions | You |
A visitor visa is not a work permit. Working for a Philippine company, even for a short time, needs a work visa or a special permit. Remote work for a foreign employer on a visitor visa is a grey area.
Visa-free entry and extensions
For: first trips, house-hunting, and people waiting for a long-term visa
About 157 nationalities, including Americans, Britons, Australians, Canadians and most Europeans, get 30 days visa-free on arrival. You can then extend at the Bureau of Immigration (BI), in person or online at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.
- First extension
- +29 days, to 59 in allAbout ₱2,030, or ₱3,030 express (BI 2025)
- After 59 days
- 1 or 2 months at a timeYou also need an ACR I-Card (US$50)
- Long Stay extension
- 6 months in one goAbout ₱11,500–14,000
- Longest total stay
- 36 months24 months for visa-required nationals
- Leaving after 6 months or more? You need an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) before you fly. Get it at a BI office (about ₱700) a few days ahead, not at the airport.
- Indian nationals: 14 days visa-free since June 2025, or 30 days with a valid US, UK, Schengen, Japan, Australia, Canada or Singapore visa. Neither can be extended.
- Chinese nationals: 14 days visa-free from 16 January 2026, for tourism or business, through Manila or Cebu airports only. It cannot be extended.
About the fees: the BI's own fee table for extensions after 59 days is dated 2014. Treat those figures as a guide and confirm at the counter.
Sources: BI visa waiver page · BI Citizen's Charter 2025 · Philippine Embassy Canberra (LSVVE) · India rules · China rules
Where to file near BGC
- BI satellite office, SM Aura: 8th floor, SM Aura Tower, McKinley Parkway, BGC. Extensions, ACR I-Cards, ECCs and some visa filings. It has been there since 2016; check the BI site for current hours before you go.
- BI main office: Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila. Hearings and 13(a) filings.
- Online: visitor extensions at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.
Dress neatly (no shorts or sleeveless tops) and bring photocopies of your passport bio page and latest stamp. You will usually be asked for them.
Tax number, bank account and SIM
- Tax number (TIN): if you are employed here, your employer registers you with the BIR (Form 1902). It is free. Foreigners register in person, not on the online system.
- Bank account: BDO and BPI usually want your passport, ACR I-Card and proof of a local address, such as your lease. A hotel address is usually refused. Go in person, and expect to be turned away without an ACR I-Card. Ask your employer which bank its payroll uses.
- SIM card: every SIM must be registered. Tourists show a passport, proof of address (a hotel booking works) and a return ticket; a tourist SIM stops after 30 days. With an ACR I-Card or AEP you get a normal SIM that doesn't expire.
Sources: PwC on TINs · Wise: bank accounts · Globe: SIM registration
The ACR I-Card and Annual Report
The Alien Certificate of Registration is your foreigner ID card. You get one with any long-term visa, or as a visitor once you stay past 59 days. Banks, landlords and phone companies will ask for it. Visitors can apply at the BI office in SM Aura.
- Card fee
- US$50+ ₱500 express
- Annual Report
- Every Jan–Feb₱310, in person
- Exempt from the report
- Under 14s and 65+
Every ACR holder must report to the BI in person in the first 60 days of each year. The BI announces where each January; there are usually mall venues in Metro Manila.
Sources: BI · BAL: Annual Report
Retiring: the SRRV
For: people aged 40 and over who want to live here long term. Run by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).
Since 1 September 2025 the minimum age is 40 (it was 50). You put a deposit in a Philippine bank, and the visa is valid for as long as you keep it there. The Classic SRRV is the main option:
| Classic SRRV | Age 50+ | Age 40–49 |
|---|---|---|
| With a pension* | US$15,000 deposit | US$25,000 deposit |
| Without a pension | US$30,000 deposit | US$50,000 deposit |
* A lifetime pension of at least US$800 a month, or US$1,000 with dependents.
- Processing fee
- US$1,500+ US$300 per dependent
- Yearly fee
- US$360Classic, covers you + 2 dependents
The Smile, Human Touch and Expanded Courtesy versions closed to new applicants in 2025. Courtesy SRRVs remain for some groups, including former Filipinos.
Source: Philippine Retirement Authority
Working here: the 9(g) visa
For: anyone employed by a company in the Philippines
Your employer does most of the work. It is two permits from two agencies, in this order:
- Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor (DOLE). DOLE checks that no Filipino could do the job. It aims to process in 15 working days once the fee is paid. A 2026 guide says AEPs are now filed at DOLE's central office in Intramuros; check dole.gov.ph.
- 9(g) visa petition at the BI, filed with the AEP.
- BI hearing, then photos and fingerprints for your ACR I-Card.
- Realistic time
- 6–14 weeksAEP plus BI, start to finish
- Valid for
- Up to 3 yearsTied to your contract
- Start sooner
- Provisional Work PermitFrom the BI, 3 months, renewable once
Short assignments (under 6 months, such as consultants, trainers and performers) use a Special Work Permit instead: 3 months, plus one 3-month extension.
Fees not confirmed: we could not find a current official fee schedule for the AEP, 9(g), PWP or SWP. Your employer or its immigration lawyer will have the current figures.
Sources: DOLE-NCR 15-day processing · AEP guide (2026) · Legal 500: corporate immigration · Fragomen: PWP
Married to a Filipino: the 13(a)
For: spouses of Filipino citizens
A resident visa that lets you live and work here without a separate work permit. It starts as a one-year probationary visa; then you apply to make it permanent. You will need your marriage certificate, proof you can support yourselves, and a police clearance (an NBI clearance if you have already lived here 6 months or more). File at the BI main office.
Fees and timing not confirmed. Lawyers' guides put the total at roughly ₱20,000–50,000 and 1–6 months, but we found no official schedule.
Sources: InCorp guide · Respicio & Co.
Investors: the SIRV
For: people aged 21+ investing at least US$75,000
The Special Investor's Resident Visa, from the Board of Investments. The money first goes into a peso time deposit at Landbank or DBP, then within 180 days into shares of a qualifying company. Condos and partnerships don't count. It covers your spouse and children under 21, and lasts as long as the investment does.