Is the Bataan investor visa right for you?

Who may find the FIV suitable?

The FIV may suit you if you genuinely want to invest in Bataan, the enterprise or project is registered within the AFAB structure, the investment makes commercial sense for your objectives, you can maintain the minimum amount over the long term, and all visa, investment and exit conditions have been clarified in writing.

It is less suitable if you are simply looking for the easiest possible long-term stay and have no genuine commercial interest in a Bataan project. In that case, compare the FIV with the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV - the Philippine retirement visa) or another investor status.

Which deadlines must you keep in view?

• Until the BI decision: Your authorized stay must remain continuously valid. If you prepare the application as a visitor, extend your 9A visitor status (tourist stay) before it expires.
• After approval: The Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card - Philippine foreign national ID) is initially issued with one year of validity. Apply for renewal before the expiry date printed on the card.
• Every year: Submit the proof AFAB requires to show that the recognized minimum investment remains fully in place. Retain the confirmation and proof of submission.
• For as long as you want the status to remain valid: Maintain the minimum investment. If it ends, the FIV and the dependent family visas based on it also end under AFAB rules.

Which requirements must you meet?

• Investment: According to the BI guide, the minimum amount may be contributed within the FAB as cash, equipment or another investment recognized by AFAB. For a cash remittance, BI requires a bank certificate confirming receipt and conversion into Philippine pesos.
• Personal requirements: You must be at least 18 years old, must not have been convicted of a serious criminal offence and must not have a dangerous or contagious disease. The law also refers to current institutional confinement because of a mental illness or disability. Submit complete personal and financial evidence. If any of these points might apply to you, describe the circumstances to AFAB and BI in writing before making any payment, and request written guidance on your eligibility and the evidence required.
• AFAB confirmation: AFAB must confirm to BI in writing that your project or investment qualifies for the FIV.
• Immigration documents: These include your passport, proof of valid immigration status, the Consolidated General Application Form (CGAF - BI’s general application form), Tax Identification Number (TIN - Philippine taxpayer number), BI Clearance (BI records and background clearance), and the documents required by the BI office in Mariveles.
• Family: A spouse and children also need marriage or birth certificates and their own application documents.

What are the roles of AFAB and BI?

AFAB checks the enterprise’s registration, the type and amount of the investment, the official endorsement (the authority’s formal recommendation), and compliance with the program rules. BI enters the residence status in the passport. Among other things, it checks the application forms, passport, arrival records, medical documents, police clearances, biometric data, foreign national ID and investment evidence. The appropriate procedure may be handled through the Immigration One-Stop-Shop in Mariveles, Bataan.

How does FIV differ from the general investor visa?

The Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV - the general Philippine investor visa) is applied for through the Board of Investments (BOI - the Philippine investment agency) and recognizes different investment forms. The FIV, by contrast, is prepared by AFAB and remains tied to an investment within the FAB.

The location of the investment is decisive: consider the FIV for an investment within the FAB, and the SIRV for an investment outside the FAB.

What happens to the minimum investment?

The minimum investment is not a visa fee. It must flow into an eligible FAB investment. Whether you receive ownership or a repayment claim depends on the model and the contract. Republic Act 11453 (the Philippine law governing the freeport) and the AFAB rules identify direct enterprise investments, grants or interest-free loans for investments in the FAB, certain real-estate purchases, and the contribution or donation of equipment and other tangible assets.

The BI guide also lists cash, bonds, shares, equity interests, money-market placements and bank deposits as possible forms of proof. This does not mean that any ordinary or unrestricted bank account automatically qualifies: AFAB must recognize the specific investment and confirm it to BI. Interest, term, repayment and termination are governed by your contract, not by the visa.

Which commercial risks must you examine?

The USD 75,000 is not a visa fee or a simple deposit at an Immigration counter, but a real investment. You must therefore examine, in particular, loss of value, exchange-rate risks, restricted access to the capital, insolvency of the enterprise, delays in repayment, tax consequences and the visa’s dependence on the investment. An investment form that is eligible in principle is not automatically safe or terminable at short notice.

Which questions must be answered before you pay?

• Who is your contractual counterparty?
• Is the enterprise genuinely registered with AFAB?
• Is there an official AFAB endorsement?
• What exactly do you acquire with your money?
• Who legally owns the investment?
• Who holds the capital or assets?
• Which ongoing fees apply?
• Are there lock-up periods?
• How can the investment be sold or terminated?
• Which costs arise when you exit?
• What happens in the event of insolvency?
• What happens to the visa if the investment ends?
• Which provisions apply in the event of death?
• Can a spouse or children be included?
• What are the tax consequences in the Philippines and in your country of tax residence or origin?

Oral promises are not sufficient for an investment of this kind.

Which three areas must you examine separately?

What must you know about residence law?

Clarify which AFAB confirmation will be issued, which BI service is responsible, and how the visa is implemented and confirmed each year.

What must you know about the investment?

Clarify exactly what you own, which rights you have, how the investment is valued and held, and which costs and risks exist.

What must you know about exiting the investment?

Clarify how you can terminate the investment and what happens upon sale, repayment, relocation abroad, divorce, death, a change of project or insolvency. An offer can only be assessed seriously once all three areas are understandable and documented in writing.

What must you clarify before the transfer?

1. When? Begin this review before making any payment or transferring any asset.
2. Where? Contact AFAB in writing and also have the contract reviewed by an independent qualified adviser.
3. What do you bring? Submit the description of the proposed investment, the project registration and the draft contract to AFAB.
4. What happens? AFAB tells you whether the investment can qualify in principle, which evidence is missing and who applies for the final confirmation to BI. In the contract, check the recipient or custodian, ownership or repayment claim, fees, terms, sale and termination, and the consequences of death, divorce, insolvency, a project change and relocation abroad.
5. What do you keep? Retain AFAB’s preliminary review, the project registration, the signed contract and every written undertaking.

What does the practical route to the FIV look like?

The first step is to examine the Bataan connection, not to file the visa application.

1. Select a suitable, registered enterprise or project.
2. Examine the investment structure.
3. Verify the AFAB registration.
4. Clarify the official endorsement.
5. Check the current BI requirements.
6. Prepare your personal documents.
7. Have the contracts reviewed.
8. Only then make the investment.
9. Submit the application to the appropriate Immigration service.
10. Then submit the required periodic evidence.

If you stay in the Philippines under 9A visitor status while preparing the application, you must extend it according to the deadline shown in the timeline. The FIV does not cure an existing overstay (remaining after your authorized stay has expired).

How do you submit the application?

1. When? Invest only after the written preliminary review. Then transfer or contribute the minimum amount and request the prescribed bank or investment evidence.
2. Where? Submit the investment evidence and project documents to AFAB first. After AFAB confirms them, the visa application goes to the BI Mariveles One-Stop-Shop (the appropriate BI office in Mariveles).
3. What do you bring? Take the CGAF, passport, arrival record, proof of valid immigration status, TIN evidence, BI Clearance and, where applicable, family certificates.
4. What happens there? BI examines the documents, assesses the fees, records your photograph and fingerprints, and enters the approved status in your passport.
5. What do you keep? Keep the AFAB confirmation, Order of Payment, original receipt, approval, passport copies, investment evidence and ACR I-Card together.

How do you keep the investment evidence and ACR I-Card current?

1. When? Use the dates in the timeline for both procedures. Before submission, ask AFAB and BI in writing which current checklist applies to each one.
2. Where? Submit the investment evidence to AFAB. Apply to renew the ACR I-Card at the BI office in Mariveles or at the office BI identifies to you in writing.
3. What do you bring? Submit the AFAB confirmation, current account statement or proof of ownership interest, contract, passport, existing visa endorsement, existing ACR I-Card and previous receipts.
4. What happens? AFAB checks whether the recognized investment remains fully in place. BI then checks your status and the documents for the new ACR I-Card.
5. What do you keep? Keep the proof of submission, new AFAB confirmation, government Order of Payment, original receipt, copy of the old card and new ACR I-Card together.

Which documents may be required?

Expect to provide your passport, current proof of immigration status, a police clearance from your country of origin or recent residence, an NBI Clearance (Philippine police clearance), medical evidence, investment records, AFAB endorsement, corporate documents, BI application forms and passport photos. Family documents are added for accompanying dependents. Documents issued outside the Philippines must be translated into English if necessary and either apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country or given consular authentication (verification by the responsible Philippine mission), depending on the issuing jurisdiction.

How does your FIV remain valid?

You must provide periodic evidence of the investment and maintain it in full. If you withdraw the capital or the investment no longer meets the requirements, the residence status may end automatically. The FIV therefore cannot be considered separately from the investment.

What is the bottom line?

The FIV may suit people who genuinely want to invest in a vetted Bataan project. It is not a simple visa purchase or a general solution for retirement or emigration. Residence status and capital investment are closely connected. You should therefore examine the provider, enterprise, contract, investment structure and exit options before transferring money.

Would you like to plan the investment and visa together?

Before you make a payment, we examine the visa side with you and the questions you need to ask the provider. The legal, tax and commercial assessment of the investment should also be carried out by suitable professionals.

Initial Visa Consultation · 99 € 1-Hour Video Call Compare SIRV

Which official sources support this information?

• Supreme Court E-Library: Republic Act No. 11453 on the Freeport Area of Bataan
• AFAB: Implementing Rules and Regulations for Republic Act No. 11453
• AFAB: Citizen’s Charter with procedural routes
• Bureau of Immigration: 2025 Citizen’s Charter for the Mariveles field office

Status: 15 July 2026. BI and AFAB fees and requirements can change - always check the current requirements with the responsible authority before applying or renewing. USD planning rate on this page: USD 1 = PHP 62; conversions are rounded from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reference rate published for 3 July 2026.