Resident & Investor Visa
SIRV: Special Investor's Resident Visa
Plainly: SIRV is not a retirement visa with a nicer name. It is a residence status for real investors. The visa question and the money question are connected: first check whether investment form, bank route and BOI proof are SIRV-capable, then move money.
In 30 Seconds
- Minimum investment: USD 75,000 or equivalent in recognized foreign currency under BOI rules.
- The money is not a fee and not an SRRV deposit, but investment capital with banking, documentation and market risk.
- SIRV fits only if you really want to invest and the specific investment form is permissible, can be documented and can be maintained.
- For quiet long-term residence without investment risk, SRRV is usually the clearer comparison.
Who for?
Investors aged 21 or older who want to bring capital into an eligible Philippine investment, document it and maintain it.
What is the core?
Your status depends on a real, provable investment. Without qualified investment, BOI documentation and ongoing proof, there is no SIRV.
Where is the limit?
SIRV is not intended for retirement, marriage, a local job, real estate purchase or cheap permanent residence.
What must be right before the application?
- Age: Principal applicant at least 21 years old.
- Capital: at least USD 75,000 or equivalent in recognized foreign currency in an eligible investment form.
- Eligibility: no conviction for moral turpitude, no dangerous, contagious or comparably severe disease and no institutional treatment for a mental disorder or disability.
- Family: Spouse and unmarried children under 21 can be considered as dependents; the status is tied to the principal applicant and typically ends upon marriage or reaching the age limit.
- Process: BOI reviews the investor, capital route and investment part; BI implements the visa status.
Is SIRV better than SRRV?
Only if you really want to invest. SRRV answers the residence question: deposit, fees, predictable long-term status. SIRV answers a different question: can your capital work in an eligible Philippine investment, be documented and carry your residence status at the same time?
If you simply want to live quietly, SIRV is often unnecessarily complicated. If you are already planning a Philippine investment structure anyway, SIRV can become interesting.
What happens to the USD 75,000?
The money does not go to Immigration as a fee. Under BOI rules, it must be placed into an eligible investment form and documented. Examples named include equity holdings in eligible corporations, certain BOI/IPP projects, manufacturing/service companies and, under conditions, certain government securities.
Private real estate purchases are not the standard solution for this: a condo, a lot or a private house purchase does not replace SIRV investment proof. That means you carry normal investment risk: market, liquidity, exchange rate, bank, broker, tax and exit. Statements like "just buy blue chips" are only reliable once the specific investment form and BOI eligibility have been checked.
How does SIRV work in practice?
First comes the preliminary check: age, nationality, residence status, family, capital source and planned investment form. Then come documents, clearances, medical, bank/remittance proof, the deposit at a BOI-accredited depository bank and the BOI evaluation.
Under BOI rules, a probationary multiple-entry SIRV for six months may come first. Within 180 days from issuance, the deposit must be converted into an eligible investment and documented with matching stock, broker, corporate-secretary or government-securities proof. Anyone already in the Philippines must keep their Tourist Visa (9A) status clean during this time.
What are costs and duties after the application?
The fixed large number is the USD 75,000 investment. In addition, there are government fees, ACR I-Card, bank and transfer costs, documents, apostilles, translations, clearances, medical, trips and professional advice. For fees, the current Order of Payment is what counts, not an old internet table.
As a SIRV holder, you are not a normal tourist. You must keep ACR I-Card, BOI/BI proof, reporting questions and departure/re-entry issues in view. The BOI-SIRV ID generally has to be renewed annually; at least one month before expiry, the investment and status proofs must be in order. If the investment is to be changed or sold, it must be clarified beforehand whether BOI approval is needed and whether the status remains.
Which question must be answered before every transfer?
Is this exact investment SIRV-capable? Not roughly. Not verbally. This exact investment, with this exact contract, through this exact bank route. The most expensive mistake is to transfer first to any account and ask afterwards whether it fits.
Before moving money, you need clarity on capital source, accredited bank, recipient, ownership proof, holding obligations, sale rules, currency risk, tax consequences and BOI documentation.
Bottom line: SIRV is not a shortcut visa
SIRV can be strong when investment, reporting discipline and residence goal fit together. It is weak if you are only looking for a quiet long-term status. Then first compare SRRV, 13A, Balikbayan or 9A properly.
Check before transfer
With SIRV, the sequence decides. We first check visa capability, documents, capital route, deadlines and exit questions. The investment, tax and contract decision additionally belongs with suitable professionals.
Official Sources
Information status: checked on an ongoing basis. Fees and requirements from BI, BOI can change - before applying or renewing, always check the current status with the responsible authority.