The Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) opens at 40, asks for a deposit rather than an income test, and halves that deposit for anyone who can show a pension. Thailand’s retirement visas open at 50. For a large group of people the SRRV is the least expensive of the three retirement routes this site covers, and the details decide whether you are in that group.
Everything below is from the Philippine Retirement Authority’s own SRRVisa page, read on 23 September 2026. The Bureau of Immigration issues the visa under the PRA’s retirement programme.
What it grants
The PRA lists permanent residency, multiple entry and indefinite stay, and these exemptions and rights:
- exemption from the Bureau of Immigration’s annual reporting and from the Alien Certificate of Registration identity card
- exemption from tax on pensions and annuities
- exemption from travel tax
- a one-time import of household goods and personal effects up to US$7,000 free of customs duties and taxes
- no separate work or student visa or permit needed
- a PhilHealth special rate
The deposit
The main route is SRRV Classic, for retirees with or without a pension. The deposit depends on your age and on whether you draw a pension.
| SRRV Classic | Age 50 and over | Age 40 to 49 |
|---|---|---|
| With a qualifying pension | US$15,000 | US$25,000 |
| Without a pension | US$30,000 | US$50,000 |
A qualifying pension is a lifetime pension of at least US$800 a month for a single applicant, or US$1,000 a month for an applicant with dependants. The PRA asks for proof with the application.
The test is in US dollars. A pension paid in pounds, euros or Australian dollars clears US$800 or not depending on the exchange rate on the day someone checks, which is the currency problem inside every visa test in the region. If yours sits just above the line, leave a margin before you build an application on it.
Classic holders may use the deposit for investments the SRRV programme allows. The PRA also runs SRRV Courtesy, with deposits starting at US$1,500, for:
- retired diplomats
- officers of international organisations recognised by the Department of Foreign Affairs
- retired military personnel from countries with recognised bilateral relations
- notable achievers
- former Filipinos who have naturalised elsewhere
Sending the deposit
The PRA requires the deposit to be sent as an inward remittance from any bank abroad to a PRA-accredited bank of your choice. The remittance purpose must name it as an SRRV deposit, with the principal applicant’s full name, date of birth and passport number.
- Development Bank of the Philippines, the accredited government bank, sends the PRA a notarised bank certificate seven to ten working days after the money arrives.
- Accredited private banks need a Letter of Introduction from the PRA first. The private bank then certifies within three to five banking days.
The PRA’s wording is “from any bank abroad”. If you plan to send the deposit any other way, ask the receiving bank whether it will certify that transfer as an SRRV deposit before you send US$15,000 through it.
What it costs to hold
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| PRA processing fee | US$1,500 |
| Annual fee, Classic, principal plus two dependants | US$360 |
| Each further dependant, annual | US$100 |
| Application fee per joining dependant | US$300 |
| Extra deposit per dependant beyond two | US$15,000 |
The annual fee is payable on joining and every year after, in cash at the PRA office or into the PRA’s Land Bank of the Philippines account.
The paperwork
The principal applicant needs a passport carrying a valid tourist visa with at least a month left on it. The PRA says to extend it if it would expire while the SRRV is still in process. In practice you apply while in the Philippines, having arrived on the ordinary entry covered in our guide to the Philippines’ visa waiver.
You also need:
- a PRA application form
- a medical certificate and a police clearance from your country of origin or residence, each issued within six months
- eight 2x2-inch photographs on a white background, taken within three months
Documents issued outside the Philippines must be in English, or translated, and apostilled or authenticated by a Philippine embassy or consulate.
Dependants are a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21.
Against Thailand and Malaysia
Thailand tests income in baht and opens at 50. Malaysia wants a far larger deposit and a compulsory home. Set against Thailand’s retirement visas and what MM2H asks of a retiree, the SRRV is the only one with no end date rather than a pass to be renewed, and the only one where drawing a pension lowers the deposit. The cost is a deposit held in a Philippine bank rather than a property bought. Ask the PRA what may later be done with the deposit.