SRRV some basic questions

My experience with Pensions is:-
UK State pension can be payed into a Bank in the Philippines. But my other Pensions can only be payed into a UK Bank account.
There are some good online sites for transfering Money from a European Bank to the Philippines. I use World Remit. a UK company. It's very quick, and not as expensive as a Bank transfer.

Hi,

I have a lot of experience with this VISA.

First thing I can tell you is under no circumstances use the online SRRV aplication... Where you recieve a SRRV #. You might get assigned to a totally incompetent associate who will make your life miserable. They will be useless by email and when you make it in to the office they will duck you... Making you take unnecessary trips. I had to demand to be released from an assigned agent directly to the supervisor... they wouldn't volunteer releasing our account even though I had a recommended agent offering to take it.

Instead use the information you find online to help you collect all the documentation you need before you arrive in the Philippines, police reports, wedding certificate etc. You can also find the application online for download, even though it may be outdated before you arrive... But at least you will be prepared.

Go into the SRRV office in Makati and get an assigned a representative or request a specific representative if you have the name of someone recommended by someone you trust.
Message me personally for specific questions.
Best Regards.

Thanks for your reply. It would suit me best to have it paid into my UK bank. World Remit to transfer to a BDO account in minutes often. So no problems on that, I was just worried whether I had to commit to having it paid into a PI Bank directly

San Armando. Thank you for your speedy reply. I will take you up on that offer and PM with a couple of specific questions later.

Thanks

I am started on the process, there do seem to be one or two catch 22s at the moment. As the process continues I will be clearer about these and ask more specific questions. A lot of the info I am getting on the web seems to be contradictory though. I expect to fly out in April to do the actual application. Therein lies one of the catch 22 situations. It asks for an address NOT a hotel, but until the visa is in my hands as it were, I will not be able to get a more permanent address than a hotel room, but how to get the visa without the more permanent address... grrr confusion

Buzzardman wrote:

I am started on the process, there do seem to be one or two catch 22s at the moment. As the process continues I will be clearer about these and ask more specific questions. A lot of the info I am getting on the web seems to be contradictory though. I expect to fly out in April to do the actual application. Therein lies one of the catch 22 situations. It asks for an address NOT a hotel, but until the visa is in my hands as it were, I will not be able to get a more permanent address than a hotel room, but how to get the visa without the more permanent address... grrr confusion

Hi Buzzardman,

I was able to rent a unit with no problems, while I was still only in the Philippines as a tourist.

Ahh OK. It is my intention to get into the srrv application as soon as I arrive. First day sleep off journey, next day get medical done - or started, day after get going with the application. So I could even do a sort of airbnb rental I guess. Set it up before I even leave

Where to start?  Uhh...are you temporarily out of your mind? Why waste the money and tie up 500,000 piso when you don't even know if you will like it here?

If you do like it here you, you will probably have a wife in which case you can get a marriage visa then you can spend your $10,000 on something worthwhile like maybe an emergency fund for when you are desperate for some real tea and crumpets back in merry ole England.  You cannot get crumpets here and even if you taught some Philippino to make your crumpets they would screw it up because the Philippino does not know what a real crumpet tastes like.  And that, foregoing, silly diatribe pretty much sums up what is wrong with the Philippines.  That is:  this is a real foreign country and though someone may try to tell you otherwise with words like paradise and cheap women and warm weather, you will learn soon enough that this is a very strange land with very strange people.  And every one of the words used to sell you on this country has a serious downside.

Mmmm your diatribe does seem to suggest that you are very bitter and unhappy. It is also based on a number of very false assumptions. So just to put you right on one or two of them.

I have visited The Philippines many many times. Usually on tourist visas and for limited times (usually a month at a time, but upto 59 days)
On those visits I have spent time in many areas from the biggest cities to very tiny townships. This last holiday period, for example I was in a small barangay in a very rural area of Mindanao where I was the only foreigner for miles around, and from there to Manila. A couple of months previously I was mainly in Cebu (not expat Ayala but more downtown Lapu-lapu) I have travelled around quite a bit have some very dear and close Filipino friends. So I do know something about living there, and not just tourist living and certainly not related to sexpat activities.
Yes I do know quite a lot about living in foreign lands especially in South East Asia. Way back in the 70's I lived for a number of years in a small bush town in central Africa and have lived for varying amounts of time in Indonesia (Java) and Thailand (Northern Thailand) I have quite an understanding of cultural differences in many of these countries and how these differ from my own home culture. I also have a good understanding of how "culture shock" works and how an expat will tend to go through many phases of cultural adjustment from rose-tinted glasses to final acceptance, though some do appear to get rather stuck in a disgruntled intermediate phase.
No one has "sold it to me" with honeyed words. The decision is based on careful 1st hand research, visiting a number of places, spending time in them (not 2 weeks at a beach resort or as a sex-tourist or whatever else you were hinting at.
No I don't have a pinay wife, nor will I be seeking one. 11 years of widowhood following on from 36 years of very happy marriage has made me a confirmed and very happy batchelor with a wide range of good friends who have proven that friendship over and again.
You say that SRRV is expensive. Is it? Do you consider it to be more expensive than marriage? Yes one has to make a deposit of $10,000 or $20,000 but that is not a payment. After a period of 6 months that money can be used to invest in a property. I know one can not own a property outright, but that is the same in many countries. At the moment I have that money sitting in an account here earning less than 0.1% So depositing it in a SRRV account at present rates would be a more than 10-fold increase. Then later investing in purchase of a condo will be an investment not outright expenditure.
Finally, I don't think I have eaten a crumpet for nigh on 50 years, and as for beverages Bos Benguet beans make a very nice coffee. I always bring a good supply back with me when I return to UK

I started posting on this thread because I was getting very bogged down in the intricacies of the visa process and what appeared to be Catch-22 situations. Thanks to the people who have helped and who have offered to help.
I have discovered that there is a very simple solution to the difficulties that I seemed to be meeting up with, and that was to contact a PRA Marketer. Hopefully all will now go smoothly!

Hi,

My partner from Netherlands is staying here in Coron, Palawan on an SRRV. I helped him in completing and submitting his application for SRRV at PRA. Afterwards, I helped a Dutch friend of him get his SRRV also, then I applied and was accepted as PRA Marketer.
Getting an SRRV is not a complicated matter. The required deposit of US$10,000-20,000 can be converted into investment like purchase of condo unit or long-term lease of property.
Per our experience, having an SRRV is a very convenient way of staying indefinitely in the Philippines. Easy for a non-Filipino to get in and out of the Philippines
The SRRV is stamped on your passport, and you will also be issued an ID from PRA. This ID you need to renew every year. If you live far from Manila like us, you only need to deposit the US$360 annual fee in any Landbank branch, scan the deposit slip, then send it via email to PRA. PRA will send to you your new ID via LBC or any courier.


Pops

The PRA receive commission on the investment you make in the Philippines. We walked in with the dollars and it won't work like that. The money has to arrive from outside the Philippines via a swift method to a bank that participates with the PRA for its commission. (open a dollar account)The large banks won't do it.  when you live in the Philippines and withdraw the money for a house or something the PRA loose its commission and make you pay a fee (maintenance charge they call  it). If you need to prove your pension income then its simple enough to show statements from your pension managers. we find the PRA staff very helpful and arrive early to beat the crowds and have a "breakfast tray" in the French cafe across the road.

Well, Buzzardman:  It seem the devil is in the details,I.e. $ 360 yearly fee (well, maybe he meant piso).
          Anywho, I didn't mean to rain on your parade.  As foreign digs go, Philippines is about par.  Heck, I live here and the main attraction for me is the weather (especially when I think of February in most of US)..   The other good thing is a wife, 20 years my junior.  Aside from that....uhh... other pluses....hmm...wala and that means "nothing" in Tagalog.  But those two are enough for I've learned that most times a compromise for happiness is nearer than you think and to use a quite tired cliche--the grass is not always greener on the other siide of the world.
          But good luck in your transplant--just do not burn all your bridges (or money) behind you.   After truly living here with naught but a Filipino gravestone on your horizon you may find yourself longing for fish, chips. and your disappeared
$ 10,000.    Can you hear the echo in the distance, "I told you so."

i have the ssrv but i received it some time ago so my advice may not be current

1. i believe you merely have to show evidence of having the pension - it is not a requirement to remit it all to a philippine bank

2. you should wait until you are here and have made progress in your application before you open a bank account in your name at an approved bank with the required deposit - it does not matter how the funds get into the bank, only that the bank has the ssrv account in your name - i use Landbank which is a government bank

hope this helps

isnt paying high non residence tax from your pension country a turn off

Not sure what you mean there. I already pay tax in UK, but all my remitted pension will be tax free in PI.

From UK government website "You usually have to pay tax on your UK income even if you're not a UK resident. Income includes things like:

pension
rental income
savings interest
wages
If you're eligible for a Personal Allowance you pay Income Tax on your income above that amount. Otherwise, you pay tax on all your income."

@ dok49

Can you explain what you mean by the statement about paying tax?

As far as I can tell, non-resident tax is for income earned in the Philippines and for someone who is NOT resident in Philippines, not for someone who is resident as part of the SRRV. Am I incorrect?

Thank you!

Private pensions u can avoid the UK tax but anything from the UK gov ie military or civil service will be taxed as an income I've tried all to avoid it but over you allowance the tax is taken at source...sorry. Oh yes to get that tax removed you need to become a Philippine citizen ... fancy that? No allowance on income here but they leave pensions alone so maybe its the way to go <

So maybe I'll keep going on tourist visas. A bit of a hassle, but maybe worth it.

Perhaps someone will suggest marrying a Filipino as an option but then I lose 25% of my Australian pension!

The rose tinted brigade will give you a hard time for saying that but you're absolutely 100 percent correct. I've been here nine months now. If you have a steady good woman or a wife let her do the day to day things like paying bills. Things are staggeringly backward here & even the things that you take for granted as simple in the west will give you chest pains here. Add the low education, low IQ's & TOTAL lack of logic & it's magnified by ten. Like the Spanish the one thing Filipinos have is TIME. In spades!! They just don't give a flying about anything. Being two hours late is normal. They are not to be relied on generally. Think naughty children.
I'd give it a year before you hand over 10-20k dollars.
I lived in Spain for twenty years. This is where they get their ways from. It was good training but it still didn't completely prepare me. A number of one month visits & endless research & forums does open your eyes a little but being here in the system is so different ha ha. That's ha ha slightly hysterical😂
In Spain I refused to lower my standards & generally got the service I paid for.......in the end.
Here if you refuse to lower the bar you are going to be miserable. Assume the worst & expect a shoddy service. Then you will be pleasantly surprised when things go right.
Take it slowly mate. Good luck!

I've met & continue to meet a lot of guys like Buzzarrdman whatever his handle is. He's been here on a few trips & is an expert:) Living here full time & in the system is completely different.
I've been trying to get 10k pesos back from BDO bank whose ATM failed to pay out. This has happened four times in nine months. The last time was 14th February & im still spending a few hours a week trying to get it back.
Good luck trying to get 10-20k dollars back. You'll find that they are masters of ineptitude, incompetence & making people jump through rings.
My wife deals with it. She's used to being treated like trash. She's an angel or a saint I think.
We signed up for GLOBE internet. With a free SKYPE phone, a chromcast dongle & free 6 months NETFLIX. Where's my phone & chromcast?? No stock Siiiiiiir!
So they're happy to take the money now try customer services. Ha ha Good luck with that too. I just bought my own chromecast for 1500 pesos. Life is too short to waste time on these retards.

Oh few people like me? How on earth do you know what I am like? Oh great wise one? I have lived in many countries mostly 3rd world. I am not a starry eyed optimist as you seem to assume.

Dont make assumptions about people you do not know and about whom you know nothing at all. Your arrogance in the way that you referred to me "...or whatever his name is." speaks volumes about you.

SteveTheHeave. Thank you for wishing me good luck at getting the 10K USD. I have just received written confirmation that it has arrived in my account. 3 whole working days it took - and to think they promised me 6 working days delay.
Guess it might be something to do with me dealing with everyone involved in a polite and courteous manner and following procedures exactly.

Just say wow, a good response. Why do you call yourself Buzzardman, is it because you have an interest in the birds? I am also keen on them and their are some beautiful types around here...ie the beeeaters.

Peter,

Nothing as exciting as that. I come from a small English market town called Leighton Buzzard

Dear Buzzardman,   ok  soreee   and we lived in Buckingham for some years which is not that far away.

Much nicer climate here, the locals at our beach house thought I was mad out on the balcony drinking tea during the typhoons ...  bending coconut palms and waves over our sea wall.

LOL! Perhaps we can enjoy a nice cuppa together

Steavetheheave , You are absolutely right on all counts , I have been here 8 years now bought and own a house and lot , still not married , took a lease on my own house in case of trouble , and have stayed on a tourist Visa each 6 months to renew , when 6 or 12 months are up I holiday in Thailand or Vietnam , to upgrade lifestyle for awhile , then start the Visa again , I could or possibly should get a SRRV, but haven't bothered yet the I Q here gives me a laugh wherever in the Philippines, but basically there is allways a smile . If you go anywhere to any islands , it can be a hassle it's either a flight , boat or bus trip or mostly all 3 .i am still in Northern Samar .

Can anyone recommend a good PRA Marketer?

Hi . Yes Living on the Australian Pension is easy if you are Single  , but if you have GF or wife , you also have family and cousins thinking you are rich and want everything , so many friends you  have to feed until You put your foot down  . And that has to happen , if she leaves , life becomes easy .
  I wished sometimes that I had just Leased not buy and build . But I have a home and that's where I will live and at least no Government and other  pressures from Australia .  . I have friends there Retired with nothing to do bored with life . Sure not boring in the Philippines . Lots of fun and new adventures available to reach out to here many islands to explore different ways of life 
      Ha something to say !!

Hi I am from Melbourne my self, I have build house in 2016, have rices farms for small income, most of that money go to workers who are as slow as shee. but any way way of life here, you right about having one foot in some ones ass, any way she is here did not leave yet, but they expect way more then any one can give, i think they will take blood too if you give, not sure where they get this from but not hard to know as they are decedents of Spanish, that will tell you every thing then, they act as who they are just gypsies, is what we call them in Europe.  I wish too I did not build or bought farms, but that is just to late, I am ok really but must say can not wait till i get my pension that will make big differences to my life and family i have here , by the way my family is Wife and my Son, that is it the rest is her family, I really have nothing to do with them any more, they have own life i do not ask or say any thing to them, I feel i am here only temporarily, any way said that they called me for New Year haha I will go but I will cook and contribute to some expenses not all, there will be no presents as in money is what they expect, there will be no presents at all from me, did that few years, and every time i give some little presets they will ask where is money, well now they will ask me for both, simple sorry no job for me here and means no money to give or to feed my self, I say if you can not beat them just as well join them, be the same as they are, respect as much as they do which is nil, do what they do NIL again, go where they go NIL, haha it may sound I hate them, but I do not it is only they like to be treated as children, but yet they are adults,  we say grow up to this kind of people but what do you say to 100.000.000 of them ??? HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERY ONE HERE

Anyone know if its possible to change a non pension SRRV deposit  of $20, 000 to a pension  deposit of $10,000 once i start receiving a pension?

Dear Kilgore99, we lived in Leisure Farms for 4 years down the road towards Lemery and then moved to San Pablo Laguna where we've lived for 8 years. SRRV is the way to go but some rules are modified over time and its best to go and see them in Makati. Travel early and enjoy a Tray breakfast in "Petite France" place across the road from the tower block. Nice people and best to hear from the horses mouth. We did all the docs and medical here in San Pablo really easy and the staff in the SRRV were great at helping us with the clearing.

I just got my SRRV resident card but I am unable to open any bank account. Banks here try to avoid SRRV holders like a killing illness. I went to all banks including metro bank, BPI, RCBC and NONE accepted to open a basic bank account despite that I have my SRRV car and a TIN. Unless you can bribe a bank manager, forget to have a bank account here.

I thought that I could live like anybody in this country by having this unlimited stay SRRV card but my efforts are wasted. How they want me to live here without a bank account? The deposit to qualify for
SRRV payment is done to a nominee  bank account that belongs to the immigration so the holder of the SRRV ends up without any bank account. One of the banks even recommended to open a company here and to visit their branch again when the company is operating. However SRRV is for retirees. Why should I open a company? Another bank requested tons of documents related to my pas jobs. Not copies, they requested translated originals! They ask for anything just not to open a basic saving account. What a shame.

Jack you have posted exactly the same comment on 3 different threads. I just went to the branch with my SRRV card, passport and copy of lease to prove address and opened an account in minutes

Jack, its possible to open a Sterling account with HSBC and deposit a cheque from your UK account that will take about a month to clear, we did this on arrival 10 years ago, also a few thousand cash. The bank will then give you the exchange rate in Pesos.  Because of money laundering I had to prove the origin of the money and the lady clerk allowed me to login to my Barclays account and show the amount.  Any expat can open one of these accounts just by proving id and proving funds. The bank will provide internet banking and give u a "dongle" that is a "one time" password use that enables u to log on even with people round you!

HSBC in Manila is very central and 10 mins walk from the city Bank Towers of the PRA office.  When u r settled, u can change banks to wherever.   We would recommend BPI.

Why not become a Philippine citizen then you'd not pay tax on your gov pension!

Hello Peter and thanks for the feedback. I will check with HSBC. Local banks don't like foreigners according to what I experienced so far