No need for foreigners staying in PH to secure ACR I-Card but...


Foreigners staying in the Philippines do not need to secure Alien Certificate Registration Identity Card (ACR I-CARD) from the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) announced onTuesday, Aug. 16.

But it was quick to point out that those who would enjoy such privilege must be a member of the PRA, an attached agency to the Department of Tourism (DOT.

In a statement, the PRA said the privilege was exclusively given to foreigners holding a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) and possessing a valid identification card from them.

“All foreign nationals who are staying in the Philippines for more than 3 months must secure the Immigration ACR I-Card. However, SRRV retiree-members are exempted from getting this as long as their PRA ID cards are updated,” says in an advisory posted in PRA’s social media page.

SRRV is a special non-immigrant visa given to foreign nationals who wants to make the Philippines their second home or investment destination.

PRA offers different SRRV options depending on the background and needs of the retiree applicant.

Minimum age as basic requirements for SRRV has been raised to 50 based on PRA Advisory 01-05-21 dated 12 May 2021.

Application fee for SRRV starts at US$1,400 and could vary depending on the number of dependents included. Annual fee of US$360 or US$10 depending on which SRRV type is being applied for will be directed to the treasury of the Philippine government. (Jun Marcos Tadios)