Philippines Spouse of a citizen

Permanent resident visa for the foreign husband or wife of a Philippine citizen, available to nationals of countries that grant Filipinos permanent residence; issued first as a probationary resident visa. ^{1 2}

What you must show and pay

• A fee of PHP 8,620 (≈ $140) · Principal applicant visa application fee listed by the Bureau of Immigration; an ACR I-Card fee is charged in addition. ^{1 2}

Requirements

• Applicant is a foreign national validly married to a Philippine citizen, and the marriage is recognised as valid under Philippine law. ^{1 2}
• Applicant's country grants permanent residence and immigration privileges to Philippine citizens. ^{1 2}
• Malta nationals qualify only if married before 24 April 2001 or for at least five years. ^{1 2}
• For nationals of Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman and Saudi Arabia the route is limited to foreign husbands of Filipinas. ^{1 2}
• Applicant has no derogatory record with any local or foreign law enforcement agency. ^{1 2}
• Applicant has no dangerous, contagious or loathsome disease. ^{1 2}
• Applicant was admitted to the Philippines and authorised by immigration to stay. ^{1 2}
• Applicant has the financial capacity to support a family and will not become a public burden. ^{1 2}
• Fee: PHP 8,620 (≈ $140) for the principal applicant and for a dependent spouse, plus the ACR I-Card fee. ¹
• Authenticated marriage certificate with English translation, and birth certificates of children if included. ^{1 2}
• Completed application form and the Bureau of Immigration checklist of documents. ¹
• Submit documents for pre-screening, pay the fees, attend the hearing and then image and fingerprint capture for the ACR I-Card. ¹
• The visa is first issued as a probationary resident (13(a) probationary) visa and then converted to non-quota immigrant status. ^{1 2}

Stay

• Issued first as a probationary resident visa, then converted to a non-quota immigrant (permanent resident) visa.

Nationality

Only nationals of countries that grant permanent residence and immigration privileges to Filipinos, listed by the Bureau of Immigration. Open to: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iraq, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, MO, Malta, MH, Mexico, FM, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, MP, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela, Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia.

Family

Dependent unmarried children under 21 may be included on proof of relationship.

Fine print

The Bureau of Immigration page says its fees are "updated as of 06 March 2014 and may change without prior notice", so the peso amounts shown here are indicative.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. Immigrant Visa by Marriage (13A) · Bureau of Immigration, Philippines · checked 2026-10-11
2. Frequently Asked Questions · Bureau of Immigration, Philippines · checked 2026-10-12
3. Commonwealth Act No. 473 (Revised Naturalization Law) · Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines · checked 2026-10-11