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You are correct on several points...an SRRV holder is NOT reqd to secure an ACR-I card, nor have to do an annual report. They are also granted exit privileges & do not have to secure an exit clearance. As to the health/medical requirements, I'm not aware of any. I think expats with diabetes (as long as they have it under control) can still avail of the SRRV.

SRRV holders can apply for Philhealth, but it's not for free. On the contrary, the fees are higher than for Filipinos.

Contagious diseases and dementia are disqualificants.

Your visa never expires, acr card expires . Regarding SRRV聽 not having annual report, you have to renew your PRA id card annually at a cost of $360 . Is it cheaper to pay that or pay exit visa ?

Welcome to the forum alwish.

Only an opinion but if I could avail a 13a visa that would be my choice. Balakbayan works too. All here can register with Philhealth, for me on a visitor visa it costs me PHP 17K per year and an SRRV holder pays 15K while my Filipino better half pays 3.6K annually.

If you are a frequent flyer? Less than 6 month is frequent to me and no ECC needed.

My visitor visa costs are similar to the SRRV annual fee unless you qualify as a veteran then only 10 bucks a year. You are also going to tie up 10 or 20K for the PRA to make money on as your return on that deposit is negligible to nothing.聽 1.5K deposit as a recognized veteran.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

@james mcgowan

SRRV makes the holders also rather independent. And is easier to obtain and cheap for former servicemen (of US, UK, Canada, India, OZ and France.)

@emvaningen It cost 19,000p to renew your id card annually for SRRV. What is hard about getting A.C.R. card .

@james mcgowan Wow, I have a Courtesy SRRV and annual renewal is 500php $10 each for my wife and I.

Thank you all for very prompt and informative responses. I'm left wondering whether there is any merit in making the switch from 13A to the SRRV. The financial and red tape hassles of SRRV may turn out more than I bargained for. It could make sense if I weren't married to a Filipina.

I am a US citizen married to a Filipina for 16 years. I am moving to the Philippines permanently. I will go for the 13 A versus SRRV mainly due to the large cash deposit that SRRV requires for non service personnel. We own a home in Southern Cebu and have a 11 year old daughter.聽

I have a question however. Would it be better to apply in the US or wait till I get to the PI.聽 I will permanently relocate in the next 18 months.聽 I usually go to the PI 2x per year.

@alwish1 Thank you for your question as I have been wondering this exact same thing. I may have an answer for you that I found out only recently. The reason one poster is paying P19000/yr and a different one is only paying P500/yr is because that latter one is a US military Veteran and they are given a special status within the SRRV program. If you aren't a military veteran then I strongly suggest you either stick with your 13A or downgrade it and start availing of the Balikbayan program. I did this because I am always traveling and get a year every time I enter the country with my wife. Hope this helps.

@Morgacj2004 My suggestion is to do everything you can in the US. If you were married in the US at least get your US marriage certificate registered with your local Philippine embassy. I was not able to do any of that due to Covid and it is much more difficult here.

I was well prepared in the US. I had the complete physical including stool samples and chest x-rays copied to CDs and papers signed by doctors but then the consulate in DC shut down. I can do it all here without the physical but having my US marriage certificate registered with the PSA is not easy here in the Philippines.

@danfinn聽 Hi Dan, are you a veteran?聽 If so does it matter if officer or enlisted?聽 What is confusing me is the 鈥漚nnual鈥� fee of $360.聽 Is this your situation?聽 Thanks

聽 聽 @danfinn聽 Hi Dan, are you a veteran?聽 If so does it matter if officer or enlisted?聽 What is confusing me is the 鈥漚nnual鈥� fee of $360.聽 Is this your situation?聽 Thanks
聽 聽

聽 聽 -@TEXTOMEX

No, not a veteran. We use courtesy SRRV where spouse is former Philippine citizen. Veterans have extended courtesy SRRV. Costs are the same. We only pay 500 peso per year each and had low bank deposit, I believe $1500.00.

@danfinn聽 Thanks for the quick response.聽 So I鈥檓 a US veteran married to a Filipina.聽 聽 Newly married in August and hear about guy having to jump through hoops for their 13A鈥檚.聽 Gracias from Texas 馃�狆煈嶐煆�

I finally completed the SRRV visa process at the oath taking ceremony yesterday afternoon. There were around 20 men and women taking the oath. Most were US citizens but there was at lease one man from India and several Chinese men and women. Snacks and drinks were provided and the atmosphere had a festive note. We lined up in聽 two groups and took some kind of oath. We all received a nice folder and bag to keep it in. Inside the folder is the "Certificate of Affirmation" for the SRRV and "Certificate of Retiree's Deposit" from PNB. One page of my passport now has the SRRV visa pasted on it.

The boss lady was there. She is an elderly woman with abnormally white teeth and blond hair. There were dozens of pictures taken and she was in every one of them. When I asked her why she couldn't just mail everything to people living in the provinces she replied "You have to get out of the province once in a while and come to Manila". No I don't!

Traffic in Manila was very slow yesterday. It took 4 hours to go about 8 miles surpassing walking as the slowest means of transportation. Our plane landed about 7:30am so we decided to Grab a cab to Rizal Park and kill time until the malls opened. The mall doesn't open until 10 so watching the clock we realized that at the pace we were traveling we could redirect the cab to the mall and it would be open by the time we got there, and it was. We spent the night, or some of it, in the City Park hotel not far from the airport and caught the 4am flight back to Leyte.

@TEXTOMEX. If your wife is in tx.聽 Do the 13a at the consulate. If she is in phils.

@Moon Dog Congratulations on receiving your SRRV.

聽 聽 SRRV holders can apply for Philhealth, but it's not for free. On the contrary, the fees are higher than for Filipinos.Contagious diseases and dementia are disqualificants.聽 聽 聽 聽 -@emvaningen

I know this is an older Post but I wanted to express to readers that the SRRV Phil Health yearly rate of 15k php is way overpriced for what you get. It is for less coverage than Filipinos receive at their much lower annual rate. Effectively, SRRV and 13a holders who buy it are subsidizing the people here which is a nice thought for those who wish to contribute. After 5 years paying in at 15k, we had a hospital claim for 300k.聽 Phil Health contributed 10k php. I had expected to get about 20% coverage at a private hospital but I got only 3.3%, so obviously being less than a poor discount card, we feel ripped off and are dropping our "coverage" if you want to call it that. Self insure; you don't need a Phil Health card to gain admittance to a normal, private hospital, a good US credit card will be fine of you don't walk around with a lot of cash. The two of us wasted 5 years of 600 dollars total per year which is $3000 for a $200 payout. I have no idea where people get the idea that you get 20% coverage at a private hospital. We assumed wrong. Caveat emptor.

Thanks Dan and sorry to hear of your experience, first cab of the rank for me now given what happened to you.

I based what I have said in the past with what Filipinos get back and never been to hospital myself.

Cheers, Steve.