The Philippines’ SIRV Visa | A Complete Guide

Overview:

The Special Investor Residence Visa (SIRV) is a visa jointly issued by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and the Board of Investments. It allows foreigners who meet certain investment criteria to reside in the Philippines long-term, with the visa remaining permanently valid as long as the investment is maintained.

To apply for the SIRV, you need to invest a minimum of USD 75,000 in the Philippines, either by establishing a new company, purchasing an existing company, or entering into a joint venture with a local company.

The types of companies eligible for investment are as follows:

1. Publicly listed companies;

2. Companies engaged in sectors listed in the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP), which is a priority list of economic activities promoted by the Philippine government;

3. Companies engaged in the manufacturing and service industries.

These companies can be involved in various economic activities, including commerce, finance, logistics, infrastructure, information technology, education, environmental protection, healthcare, tourism, port operations, culture, and sports.

One important point to note is that investments in real estate, funds, or import-export trading companies are not recognized under the SIRV.

In addition to the above economic requirements, participants in the SIRV program must also meet the following basic requirements:

1. Be at least 21 years old;

2. Have no serious criminal record or tendencies that could endanger public safety;

3. Have no history of mental illness.

Application Process:

The application process for the Philippines Special Investor Residence Visa (SIRV) requires applicants to attend an in-person interview at a Philippine consulate or embassy.

For the entire process, you need to first determine your investment direction, apply for a probationary SIRV card, then use the probationary SIRV card to travel to the Philippines, complete your investment, and obtain a permanent SIRV card.

1. Probationary SIRV Card: Once you have prepared the investment funds, determined your investment direction, and gathered the required documents, you can schedule an interview at the nearest Philippine consulate or embassy to obtain the SIRV visa.

The documents required for this process include:

• Applicant’s identity documents: This includes passports for all applicants, passport-sized photos, marriage certificates, birth certificates, and other documents proving the relationship between primary and secondary applicants.

• SIRV application form: This includes an application form and a letter of intent to transfer at least USD 75,000 to one of the two major Philippine banks (Development Bank of the Philippines or Land Bank of the Philippines).

• Primary applicant’s resume: The resume should ideally include information on the source of funds, and the applicant’s past business experience.

• Medical certificate: All primary and secondary applicants must undergo a medical examination before applying for the SIRV.

All documents issued outside of the Philippines must be notarized, and all non-English documents must be translated into English.

The visa fee for the SIRV is USD 300 per person for both primary and secondary applicants. If everything goes smoothly, after the interview, you will receive a probationary SIRV card valid for six months.

2. Permanent SIRV Card: Within the validity period of the probationary SIRV card, you need to transfer the required investment funds into a Philippine bank and complete your investment.Once the investment is completed, you can convert the probationary SIRV card into a permanent SIRV card.

Dependents:

Accompanying family members of the main applicant under the SIRV program include the spouse and unmarried children under 21.

Citizenship:

After legally residing in the Philippines for ten years, if you can demonstrate integration into Philippine society, a basic understanding of the local political system, history, and culture, and the ability to speak Filipino, you may choose to apply for naturalization and become a citizen of the Philippines.

For foreign investors who establish new industries or introduce new technologies in the Philippines, the residency requirement can be reduced to five years.