Specialist

Hi, looking for help and tips for when completing an SRRV Application. I started to complete one online a while ago but then left it when it started asking question about forms and proofs I'd never seen let alone heard of. They did email me so someone must have looked at what I'd done so far and even gave me an application reference number but when I tried to access it, their website is undergoing reconstruction. Wondering how others carried out this application process, is it worth my time going to the embassy in London to get help, would they even want to know.

mikemike

Back in the day I did mine here, arrived just before the xmas break and had it done before the then 3 week tourism deadline. This all over the holiday period when most offices are shut. I remember being dragged around to clinics for test and NBI for finger printing etc etc. Opening bank accounts for the deposit Hectic but completed. Now it is easier as you can on arrival extend your tourism visa to 59 days at no costs and this should be sufficient to do the process here.

I did arrive with a statement saying I was not insane, despite wanting to live here. Plus a police clearance all done two weeks prior to departure.

You can use the accredited agents to get this done it does not cost anymore as the up front fee covers their commissions. There used to be the Euro forum which was on the PRA web site and they would assist with the process.

Specialist

Thank you for your help which is most gratefully received. That's really interesting, so I could actually carry out most of the work whilst in the Philippines, that would certainly make things a great deal easier. Do I have to provide health details from my UK doctor and how does one go about getting a police clearance. I've certainly got more than enough to meet their monthly pension requirements to support myself and my Filipino partner but not sure if I also have to have a sizable lump sum sitting in my bank. Unfortunately it looks as if the PRA site is still down so unable to get any information from there.

codermonkey

You can get a ACRO certificate.
https://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

Normally you look at the visa class to determine the rules.

From my understanding there are two basic classes :

1. Pension based, you must have pension income of say $800 pm, plus a $10,000 deposit.
2. Funds based, you must have say $20,000 in a government account and not touch it.

Its slightly more involved than that, but that is the basics. They explain it here.
http://www.philembassy.no/consular-s...rees-visa-srrv

The embassy can help you but if you live a long way from London its probably unnecessary. Probably easier to email them.
They have some rules about UK documents being stamped and authenticated, so best to ask them before you depart.

Its probably easier to do the heath check in the Philippines, they do a basic inspection and an xray I expect.

tropicofcancer

I did my health check, many years ago. There are many accredited places that do these. Blood, urine, faeces are given. Then there is a chest X-Ray. These results were then taken to the Quarantine center. In Cebu it is a stone's throw, from White Gold. The police check, you go to the NBI office, in Cebu it is near to Fuente Osmena. You fill in a form, and have your dabs taken. It is sent for checking (Interpol) and results are usually within forty-eight hours. If that. Neither is expensive by UK standards. Perhaps someone can advise current cost. It was well under £50 when I did mine.

quiltman

The important item is to get your ACRO certificate and then send the ORIGINAL to the Home Office in Milton Keynes to be apostiled - legalised. We also had to get our marriage certificate apostiled plus IIRC we had to get our last DWP pension statement notarised as it's just a letter. Our old UK solicitor did this for us free! When you contact either the Embassy or the PRA here, ask them which documents need to be apostiled and/or certified. Get the medical done here - it's cheap and quick. We needed bloods and x- Ray plus a "breathe in, breathe out" exam from a GP here. Paid an agent to do all the processing and as said, that was free since they get a commision from the PRA. you need $1000 a month single and $1200 if married plus, $10,000 as deposit - depends on age mainly and type of SRRV. The NBI took an hour for fingerprints etc and we collected the certificate 48 hrs later.
Here's a contact at the PRA here. Mariel is good at responding, ask her your questions. [email protected]
any other queries just post here.

Specialist

Plenty of advice and information there for me to mull over, thank you very much to all of you. I will let you know how I've got on once the ball starts rolling.

David Mashael

I am still undecided on the SRRV. Right now I'm on 12 month BB, it seems OK for the minute, will consider SRRV if I can see any benefits for me.

mikemike

david a BB is good to go if you leave annualy. I should have done that, yet started at SRRV then migrated to 13A. I could have happily left here once a year for a few days R & R far cheaper than any of the permanent arrangements.

The annual fees for the SRRV are expensive. I used to pay 30$ for a 3 year ACR, with $20,000 in the deposit scheme. I left because it was too risky to hold $20,000 in a scheme that in the event of my death would take huge costs and perhaps year to pass to my spouse, assuming there was any left after the BIR and Legal guys had ripped what they could out of it.

Andy_16296

Hi
I when down to the philippine embassy London last week as that thr time the SRRV web site was down. Thinks its about up now and yoy can download forms. Anyway They do not deal with the SRRV Visa.. at the Embassy, They had one copy of how to do it which we took...If you go on to the Philippine Retirement Authority Facebook page,you can message them and they do rely next day. with the answer. I ask them how to start the SRRV process and next day i had all info and forms from start to finish..Another good place to look is utube.

Andy_16296

Check out Utube Channel
My Pi Dream . SRRV visa
How to retire in thr philippes part 1 and 2

Andy_16296

This is the info the PRA send me. if like me you are flying into Philippi es.

Upon arrival at the Philippines, immediately proceed to PRA Office located 29/F Citibank Tower, Paseo De Roxas, Makati City and bring the required documents plus the application fees of USD1,400 (Principal) and USD300 (dependent). Please take note that if the applicant will select the Development Bank of the Philippines - DBP (a Philippine government bank) as the depository bank, the applicant doesn't need to personally open the account. Once they received the remittance, DBP will forward the Bank Certificate, while the rest of PRA Accredited bank, the applicant needs to open the account personally.
(Kindly refer to the above pdf file (accredited banks-2018)

Specialist

All great help and information, the only bit where I might fall down is having to keep $10,000 in a bank or towards buying/renting a property. My pension more than meets the monthly criteria but I don't like the idea of putting virtually all my savings into an account I can't draw from unless its to buy or rent a property when I might need it for emergencies or health cover.

salgoud

The monthly pension requirement. Is it enough to have a document from the UK Pension office confirming a pension or must it be paid monthly to a Philippine bank?

Thanks for any details experience you have on this

liam_neeson

If you qualify for BB, why not go 13a? SRRV is garbage. It is only good for single people. And even then, that statement is debatable...