SIRV Investor Visa

Overview

The Special Investor's Resident Visa (SIRV) is the Philippines' investor residency program. Put $75,000 USD into qualifying Philippine investments and the government grants you indefinite residency. No age requirement. No pension. No Philippine spouse required. Just money deployed into the Philippine economy.

Unlike most Philippine visas, the SIRV is processed through the Board of Investments (BOI) — an agency under the Department of Trade and Industry — not the Bureau of Immigration. That distinction matters practically: different office, different staff, different process, different timeline.

The official program information lives at boi.gov.ph, though their published guidance is not always current. The BOI's SIRV FAQ document is useful as a baseline, but I'd recommend a consultation with an immigration lawyer before starting any of this — the BOI's processing has been inconsistent in recent years.

Who This Visa Is For

Before you get excited: this is a real investment requirement, not a deposit. The Philippines is not selling residency in exchange for money sitting in a bank account. That model is the SRRV. The SIRV requires you to actually invest in operating Philippine businesses or listed securities.

The SIRV makes sense for a narrow set of people:

• Investors who genuinely want exposure to Philippine equities or companies and want residency as a side benefit
• Foreign entrepreneurs who are starting or acquiring a Philippine business and need long-term residency to manage it
• High-net-worth individuals with diversification reasons to put capital in Southeast Asian markets
• Foreign nationals under 40 who want Philippine permanent residency but don't qualify for the age-restricted SRRV (which requires 35+ or 50+ depending on the variant)

If you're just looking for a convenient place to live long-term and don't have genuine investment interest in the Philippines, the SRRV or a long-stay tourist visa strategy will be simpler and cheaper. The SIRV's $75,000 minimum is a lot of money to deploy if all you wanted was a place to spend your winters.

Requirements

• Valid passport with at least 6 months validity at the time of application
• Proof of inward remittance of $75,000 USD to a Philippine bank — the funds must come from abroad (wire transfer), not from funds already held domestically
• Investment plan — you must demonstrate where and how the funds will be invested within 180 days of visa approval
• NBI clearance (if you've lived in the Philippines) or home country police clearance (apostilled)
• Medical certificate from a licensed physician (not required to be from a BI-accredited clinic, unlike most other visas — this goes to BOI, not BI)
• Accomplished BOI SIRV application form
• Proof of eligibility: age (21+), clean medical history, no criminal record involving moral turpitude

Dependents — spouse and unmarried children under 21 — can be included in the SIRV without an additional investment requirement. Each dependent pays their own application fees (approximately PHP 2,000–5,000 each), but the core $75,000 investment covers the whole family.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Remit $75,000 USD to a Philippine Bank

The funds must arrive via inward remittance — a wire from a foreign bank account to a Philippine bank account in your name. Banks that work frequently with BOI applications include BDO, Metrobank, and BPI. Get a Bank Certificate of Inward Remittance from the receiving bank — this document is central to your BOI application and must state that the funds were remitted from abroad.

Do not transfer from a Philippine account, even if you've held funds there legitimately for years. The BOI requires demonstrable capital inflow.

Step 2: Develop Your Investment Plan

You have 180 days from SIRV approval to deploy the $75,000 into qualifying investments. Eligible categories include:

• PSE-listed companies — shares in companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange
• BOI-registered enterprises — companies registered with the BOI under investment promotion laws
• PEZA-registered companies — entities inside Philippine Economic Zone Authority zones
• Other BOI-accredited investment vehicles

Notably, real estate does not qualify. Parking the money in a condominium or land purchase does not satisfy the SIRV investment requirement, even though real estate in the Philippines is often what foreigners want to buy. You need operating business or financial securities exposure.

Before you file, have a clear, documented plan for where the $75,000 is going. The BOI will ask.

Step 3: File Your Application at the BOI

Submit your complete application to the Board of Investments office in Makati (Sentro ng Kalakalan, JELP Business Solutions, or the BOI main office depending on current office assignments — confirm current location on boi.gov.ph). Bring all original documents and at least two photocopies.

Application fee: approximately PHP 25,000–35,000, plus processing fees.

Step 4: BOI Review and Approval

The BOI reviews the application in 2–3 months. They may request clarification on your investment plan or ask for additional documentation. There is no formal interview process for the SIRV (unlike the SRRV or 13a), but expect back-and-forth correspondence.

Step 5: Receive Probationary SIRV

Upon initial approval, you receive a probationary SIRV. You now have 180 days to deploy your $75,000 into qualifying investments. Keep detailed records — the BOI will verify the investment before converting your visa to full standing.

Step 6: Deploy Investment and Submit Proof to BOI

Within 180 days, complete the investment. File proof with the BOI: stock purchase confirmations, company shareholding certificates, or other documentation depending on your investment type. Once satisfied, the BOI converts the SIRV to full permanent standing.

Step 7: Annual Report to BI

Despite the SIRV being issued by the BOI, SIRV holders still must file the annual report with the Bureau of Immigration every January and pay approximately PHP 310.

Costs Breakdown

The application fees are a rounding error compared to the investment itself. Budget primarily around the $75,000 commitment and lawyer fees.

Processing Time

• BOI application review: 2–3 months
• Probationary SIRV to full SIRV conversion: 180 days after initial approval (once investment is deployed and verified)
• Total from application to full permanent SIRV: 6–9 months

This is slower than the SRRV (1–2 months) and significantly slower than a tourist visa extension. Plan accordingly if you have a specific timeline for establishing Philippine residency.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Remitting funds from a Philippine account. The inward remittance requirement means the money must come from outside the Philippines. Funds you've accumulated locally — salary, rental income, savings in a Philippine account — do not count. This catches people who've been living in the Philippines for years.

Investing in real estate. The temptation to put the $75,000 into a condo unit or commercial property is understandable — Philippine real estate is tangible, income-producing, and easy to understand. But it doesn't qualify. Stick to PSE-listed securities, BOI-registered companies, or PEZA entities.

Missing the 180-day investment deadline. The probationary SIRV lapses if you don't deploy the investment within 180 days. The BOI is not flexible about this. Have your investment plan ready to execute before you file the application.

Withdrawing the investment before you're done with the visa. If you liquidate the $75,000 in qualifying investments, the SIRV is subject to cancellation. The BOI can and does monitor whether the investment remains active. If you're planning to sell out of Philippine equities, understand the visa implications first.

Filing without a lawyer. The BOI processes far fewer applications than the BI does. Staff familiarity with SIRV applications varies. An immigration lawyer who has done SIRV filings recently is worth the fee — they know the current processing quirks and what documentation the BOI actually wants versus what the official guidelines say.

Renewal & Maintenance

The SIRV does not expire or require renewal as long as:

1. The qualifying investment of $75,000 remains in place
2. You pay the annual BI reporting fee (PHP 310 every January)

That's essentially it. There is no annual fee to the BOI for maintaining the SIRV, unlike the SRRV's $360/year PRA membership. From a maintenance standpoint, the SIRV is very low-friction once established — assuming your investment stays invested.

If you want to exit — either leaving the Philippines permanently or restructuring the investment — you can apply to terminate or amend the SIRV with the BOI. Expect the process to take 30–60 days to formalize.

Comparison to Alternatives

SIRV vs. SRRV: The SRRV requires a deposit (as little as $1,500 for those with pension), not an active investment. SRRV deposits can sit in a bank account. The SRRV also has an annual PRA membership fee (~$360). For retirees aged 50+, the SRRV Classic with pension is dramatically cheaper than the SIRV. The SIRV's advantage is the absence of an age requirement — anyone 21+ can apply.

SIRV vs. 13(a): If you're married to a Filipino citizen, the 13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa is cheaper, faster, and grants equivalent permanent residency. The SIRV only makes sense over the 13(a) if marriage is not on the table.

SIRV vs. Long-Stay Tourist: Stacking tourist visa extensions costs roughly PHP 3,200–4,500 every 60 days and maxes out at 36 months total. After that, you have to leave and re-enter. The SIRV removes that ceiling and provides legitimate permanent residency, but at the cost of $75,000 tied up in Philippine investments indefinitely.

SIRV vs. 9(g): The 9(g) Work Visa grants you the right to work for a specific Philippine employer. The SIRV grants residency without work authorization. If you want to work locally, the 9(g) or 13(a) are better suited.