SRRV Retirement Visa 2026: New Deposit Rules Explained
Updated Fri, 16 October 2026
Work out your own SRRV deposit and fees →The Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) lets a foreign retiree live in the Philippines indefinitely, with the right to leave and come back as often as they like. It is run by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), not the Bureau of Immigration. On 1 September 2025 the PRA rewrote the programme. This guide explains the rules now in force.
What changed in September 2025
- Minimum age is 40. Applicants aged 40 to 49 are now accepted, but they place a bigger deposit than those aged 50 and over.
- The application fee rose to USD 1,500, from USD 1,400.
- Only two options remain: SRRV Classic and SRRV Courtesy. According to an independent guide, SRRV Smile and SRRV Human Touch were abolished and existing holders keep their visas. We found no source on SRRV Expanded Courtesy, which is not on the PRA’s current list.
A common misreading is that the deposit was cut for over-50s. It was not: the new rules added a higher-deposit band for 40 to 49 year olds.
Deposits for SRRV Classic
| Age | With a qualifying pension | Without a pension |
|---|---|---|
| 50 and over | USD 15,000 | USD 30,000 |
| 40 to 49 | USD 25,000 | USD 50,000 |
The deposit is not a fee. You remit it from abroad to a PRA-accredited bank in the Philippines, and it stays there, in your name, for as long as you hold the visa.
To use the pensioner column, your pension must be at least USD 800 a month if you apply alone, or USD 1,000 a month if a spouse or child applies with you.
So a 49-year-old without a pension needs USD 50,000; on their 50th birthday the same person would need USD 30,000. If you are close to 50, waiting can save USD 20,000 of locked-up money.
SRRV Courtesy
Courtesy is a low-deposit option for two groups:
- Foreign nationals who are retired diplomats, retired officers of international organisations, retired military personnel of treaty countries, or high achievers: USD 1,500 at 50 and over; at 40 to 49, USD 3,000 with a pension or USD 6,000 without. The PRA table for the 50+ row is hard to read; we follow a law firm’s reading of USD 1,500 regardless of pension.
- Former Filipino citizens: USD 1,500 at 50 and over, USD 3,000 at 40 to 49.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application, principal | USD 1,500 (not refundable) |
| Application, each dependant | USD 300 |
| Annual fee, Classic | USD 360 for you and up to two dependants, plus USD 100 for each extra dependant |
| Annual fee, Courtesy (foreign nationals) | USD 100, plus USD 10 for each dependant beyond two |
| Annual fee, Courtesy (former Filipinos) | USD 50, plus USD 10 for each dependant beyond two |
You also need a BI clearance certificate.
Bringing your family
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 at the time you apply can join as dependants. Two dependants are covered by your deposit. Each dependant beyond two adds USD 15,000 to the deposit, except for former Filipinos.
Example: a 58-year-old Classic applicant with a USD 1,500 monthly pension, a spouse and two children (three dependants) needs:
- Deposit: USD 15,000 + USD 15,000 for the third dependant = USD 30,000
- Application fees: USD 1,500 + 3 × USD 300 = USD 2,400
- First annual fee: USD 360 + USD 100 = USD 460
That is USD 32,860 in the first year, of which USD 30,000 is the deposit that stays in your account.
Can the deposit buy a condo?
SRRV Classic holders have been allowed to convert the deposit into a condominium unit. The PRA’s checklist sets out the conditions:
- The unit must be worth at least USD 50,000.
- You can do it from 30 days after the visa is issued.
- The deposit can cover only the final payment, and the balance due cannot be more than the deposit.
- You need a surety bond equal to the deposit, and the title (CCT) must be in your name within 180 days.
Caveat: that checklist dates from October 2022, before the new rules. Whether the USD 50,000 minimum still applies is not confirmed by the PRA. One 2026 guide says it does, which would mean a USD 15,000 or USD 30,000 depositor has to add money to buy. Ask the PRA before signing anything, and see what else a purchase costs with our condo purchase cost calculator.
Foreigners can own condominium units but not land, and foreign ownership in any condo project is capped at 40%.
Sources
- PRA: SRRVisa (official)
- PRA: Expanded SRRV Program, August 2025 (PDF) (official)
- PRA: Checklist for purchase of a condominium unit, October 2022 (PDF) (official)
- ACCRALAW: Updates on the Philippines’ retirement visa program, October 2025 (secondary)
- Rumavi: SRRV guide, 2026 (secondary)
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the Bureau of Immigration, the Philippine Retirement Authority, the BIR or a lawyer before you act.