Can a US citizen move to the Philippines?
Contents
- 1 If You Want To Move To The Philippines You Can.
- 2 Let’s Look At Some Common Misconceptions:
- 3 I Need All Sorts of Confusing (and Expensive) Visas and Permissions From The Philippine Government.
- 4 I Need Permission From The US Government, I Might Even Lose My US Citizenship If I Move.
- 5 I Don’t Know The Language, I’ll Be So Isolated I Won’t Be Able To Function.
- 6 The USA does not have an official language.
- 7 I Have To Make a Long-term Commitment
- 8 Maybe I’ll Stay 13 More Years
(Updated 16 June 2019)
The answer to that question is a resounding YES.
I’ve been reading about, writing about and actually living a move to the Philippines for nearly 13 years now.
It only struck as strange very recently how complicated and obscure my writing and most others writing on this subject have been, I apologize right now for all those years of making it seem so darn hard. It isn’t.
If You Want To Move To The Philippines You Can.
Tomorrow if you would like and if an airline has an empty seat to sell you.
“But Dave”, I hear you saying, “my head is swimming with all these details of visas, permissions, planning and all sorts of complicated issues people continually write about. It can’t really be that simple, can it”?
Well, The Bottom Line Is, It Absolutely CAN Be that Simple.
Let’s Look At Some Common Misconceptions:
I Need All Sorts of Confusing (and Expensive) Visas and Permissions From The Philippine Government.
Absolutely not true. There is a whole family of different visas you might want to get to live permanently in the Philippines, but an American citizen needs NONE of them.
If you want to move here tomorrow, just DO IT.
Unlike almost any other country in the world, the Philippines will grant you a free, 30-day stay by just stamping your passport on arrival. You can easily extend those first 30 days, up to a maximum of three full years without any problem.
As a matter of fact, I highly recommend those who have not lived here before to do things this way, because you never know, once you’re here for a month or two or a year or two, you might decide it is not for you.
Why spend money, time and energy on a visa you might decide you don’t want to use after all?
I Need Permission From The US Government, I Might Even Lose My US Citizenship If I Move.
Again, absolutely untrue. As a US citizen, you have the right to live wherever you want to for as long as you want to. You don’t have to return to the USA after any specific period of time (you can even renew your passport easily right here in the Philippines).
Many people spend their lives waiting for someone to give them permission to do something they want to do.
Well, you already have permission to move here if you want to.
Get a passport, get on an airplane and go. It’s your right.
I Don’t Know The Language, I’ll Be So Isolated I Won’t Be Able To Function.
Let me ask you a question. What is the official language of the USA?
If you said English, BZZzt. Wrong.
The USA does not have an official language.
But the Republic of the Philippines does. In fact, it has two of them.
Filipino and English.
One of the greatest things for a “monolingual” American living here in the Philippines is, a huge percentage of the population speaks English.
Trust me, you spend a little time in remote areas of, say China or Thailand, and you’ll know a lot about how isolation feels. In the Philippines, almost everyone knows English and a lot of people are eager to talk with you and practice their own English.
At Least You Can Read What Not To Do
And, more important in many ways, the laws are written and published in English.
Even when things are written in Filipino or one of the other Philippine languages, the alphabet used is the familiar one we learned as little children … no Chinese ideograms or Thai/Khmer “squiggles” to give you headaches.
I Have To Make a Long-term Commitment
This is nother old wive’s tale which a lot of people parrot is 100% untrue.
Come and stay as long (or short) a time as you like.
In fact, based on my years of experience here, I counsel everyone I can reach to NOT make long-term commitments.
You may love it here and decide to stay forever.
If so, great.
Every type of visa you can qualify for can be applied for tight here in the Philippines. No need to leave the country and apply from the “outside.
If you stay here in the Philippines a few months or a few years and then decide you have all your debts paid off and all your other goals accomplished, you don’t really need to do anything to make a move back to the USA (or to some other country which catches your eye).
Just buy a plane ticket and don’t miss your flight. You’ll be home in 12 to 14 hours flying time.
It has worked really well for me … I’ve been here nearly 13 years and I’ve never had to mess about with applying for a visa yet.
Maybe I’ll Stay 13 More Years
Or maybe I won’t.
But one thing is for sure, a US citizen certainly CAN move to the Philippines?
My soon to be ex husband 63 met a younger filapina woman living in Bangkok with 18yo son thru online game. He’s sending her thousands USD each month wire for direct p/up while married, They never met. Convinced they are in love he will send her ten thousand + to come to US.
Believes visas and green card easy Pre nup will save him from losing $$ if doesnt work out then she will go back. She tells him she knows secret process..
Is there a way to bypass what you wrote?
@ Disne
Thanks for contributing. Sorry to hear of your situation.
To the best of my knowledge, there’s nothing he can do to bring her to the USA until his divorce is final and he marries her or petitions her for a Fiancee (K-1) visa. He can’t just “buy her a Green Card”, she can only get a Green Card after she is legally entered into the USA … they don’t give them out overseas.
Sending her $10k USD “for a visa” is a ludicrous waste of money, in fact, you and he should read also my Can My Philippine Friend Visit Me in the USA? article, because this “sending money for a visa” is one of the oldest scams in the book.
Do you not have a lawyer representing you in the divi=orce? You should contact hi/her ASAP because one spouse cannot throw marital assets away like this before the court has divided them in finality. Seek competent legal guidance and protect what is left of you marital property.
Godspeed.
Best regards.
lol visa waiver on arrival is NOT permission to live here, dummy.
And very few people here speak English. I speak Filipino, Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Cebuano, and Waray Waray, and can barely talk to the majority of the people that speak on of the other 200 languages.
@ Bill,
Thanks for contributing.
If you bothered to read the article, instead of thinking of names to call me, I advocate getting one of the several permanent visas that are available later.
But extending the Vias on Arrival up to 36 months total certainly is legal and it’s all the permission the average guy or gal needs. I wrote this article to help demystify things for the average reader whose mind is cluttered by the “Let’s Make It Sound Difficult Guys”, because it was hard for me soI’m gonna make it hard for them too.
An impressive list of languages there, I salute you, but I’ve been here 13 years now and have had no real trouble getting by on basically English alone. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Dave StarrCan I send you a private email? I know most everything about this family in Dumaguete City, Hotel, Anyone familiar with what I saw would know of its a scam. Need to know asap thanks
@ Dusne
Sure if you send me a message through the “Contact Us” page right up in the top left corner, it will be private.
Did you ever try to send me a private message? Ii have 1 important question
I’m really kind of confused by this. I told you how to send me a private message … go to the top of the web page and use the “Contact Us” tab. I have received nothing from you. Be sure to tell what your request is all about in the first email, because I don’t like playing guessing games,
Contact Us
When my husband moved to the Philippines, all he had in hand was a passport and an out-bound (throw-away) ticket to Malaysia. US Citizens do not need visas to enter the Philippines. As you said, all they need to do is extend their stay. If later on they find a Filipina they truly love and want to marry then they file a 13-A. Or if they have enough money they can also apply for a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV).
For all they want they can just keep extending their stay ad-infinitum or re-enter ad-infinitum, The only deterrent as in most things is the cost. But if cost were no object the option is limitless.
Hi Claudette
As always, thanks for contributing.
Exactly as you say, it’s so very simple for a US citizen to start living in retirement in the Philippines. For some reason there us a sort of Internet culture or clique that has grown up that seems dedicated to making the whole process seem difficult. It seems to me sort of like the attitude of “well I went through this or that difficulty, so by heavens, you will too”.
That whole attitude is so wrong, in my view. I always say “apply the KISS principle”. We know that your husband went on to gain is Philippine permanent residency visa and lived here in the Philippines for quite some time, but there was no could reason to complicate his life and fill up forms and submit fees etc. in order to come here and _start_ living here … which is my whole point.
All the best and Godspeed to you.
I am going to move to the Philippines .What do I have to do? Cebu area
@ Richard Petty
Hi Richard, thanks for contributing.
What do you have to do to move to the Philippines? Did you read the article? Get a passport (apply at our local post office), get on an airplane and come. I’ve outlined it all there as simply as I can. What part of the equation are you “stuck” on?
Now the one thing many people are “stuck” on is what will you do to support yourself here in the Philippines. You can pretty much give up the idea of getting a job here. See: 10 Reasons You Don’t Want A Job In The Philippines
You can also read the “Related Articles” at the end of the article you have commented on. Pretty much everything is covered there, for free. Some people charge money for less information than I provide here fo free.
Do your reading and then write me back with any specific questions. But questions like “What do I have to do”? are indications that you haven’t bothered to read anything … you probably can’t move her with that attitude.
Very good information–Will be moving back to the Philippines soon.
Hi James,
Thanks for coming by. I’m still in the Philippines but very inactive with writing on this site. If ghdrd is anything I can do to help you out, feel free to write direct at dave(at)gmail(dot)com.
Two words of warning for you:
1. Do NOT come here without a secure source of income. Millions are totally out of work,hundreds of thousands pf businesses have failed and are failing and there is NO control of the virus in sight!
2. Do not come here without reliable health insurance. Hospitals in most cites are overcrowded to the point of bursting and there is a distinct lack of medial care for Filipinos and foreigners alike.
Didn’t mean to sound so grim, but I tell the truth rather than rose-colored nice-nice toriam talk.
Be well
I am a retired USA Citizen and I want to live as a Permanent Resident in Cebu in the Philippines as a retired USA Citizen in December 2021 and was wondering is that possible with the COVID Situation?
I receive a a good pension and social security so money should not be an issue
Hi Roger,
Here’s the thing about answering your question … anyone who thinks they know the answer is just whistling Dixie, IMO. December 2021 is only 3 months away but it is impossible to tell what the COVID situation will be at that time. Right now the Philipines has a BIG problem with the Delta variant and simple entry to the country is very difficult for any foreigners. Will the situation be much improved by then? My guess is it will be much worse by then … but I could be wrong … I pray that I am.
If you can get in the country and you wish to be a Permanent Resident there are several routes open to you. I wrote a primer on them here:
https://philfaqs.com/ways-to-stay-long-term-in-the-philippines-part-2#more-810
It’s good that you have considered finances and plan to bring an income with you. That eliminates the biggest problem that many “starry-eyed” would-be foreigner-residents have … thinking they can get a job or start a business here.
The thing you don’t mention though is health care. What will you do to cover your medical expenses? Remember US Medicare does not offer any coverage outside the USA.
Good luck with your plans and feel free to write me directly (davestarr(at)gmail.com) if I can help in any other way.
Dave, thank yiu for the extensive articles about how to live in the Phillipines.
I hope you have come through Covid ok and that all is calming down there as it is now in the US.
Kind regards,
Diana in Texas
Pro.techwriter(at) gmail
Thanks, Diana. Your comment makes me feel a bit guilty, though. I should put out an article on why I am leaving the Philippines (for Florida) and shutting down my bogs for good. It’s been a wild ride but it is time for new adaventure. Be well.