# Moving to PH 4-5 years



## stage79 (Nov 26, 2013)

Greetings,

Im curious about some things. Me and my filipina wife will be moving to either Pangasinan or Laguna in about 4-5 years and will have a 3-4 year old with us. On my military retirement ill bring in about $2200 USD a month. I will be roughly 39 or 40 and my wife will be about 29-30 when we do move. 

My questions are:

Is that enough to raise a family?
If i dont get the SRRV visa whats the best way to stay in the Philipines with the different types of visa's?
Is it alot of trouble to stay and live out our livesthere on a tourist visa?


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## expatuk2015 (Jan 12, 2015)

your $2200 is at todays ex rate=97.000 pesos
which is a lot of money between us my wife and I get approx 75.000 pesos a month
and we live well and and we eat out often espec maxs restaurants and we save approx 20,000 pesos a month or will do once we have finished rebuilding our home. I would advise you to get an ACR card as soon as possible once you arrive as the Police can be very funny sometimes if you dont have the right Visa. I have been stopped in Manila and in Legazpi for my id.
My late brother in Law was policeman and then an army SAF man and he advised me to get the ACR card. We are in Los Banos 2 hours from manila and its a lovely place 30 mins away from SM city in Calamba . depending how you intend to live when you get here and where you live
will depend on how much you spend.
welcome to the Philippines


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

stage79 said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Im curious about some things. Me and my filipina wife will be moving to either Pangasinan or Laguna in about 4-5 years and will have a 3-4 year old with us. On my military retirement ill bring in about $2200 USD a month. I will be roughly 39 or 40 and my wife will be about 29-30 when we do move.
> 
> ...


First off welcome to the forum.

If she hasn't already, I would have your wife get her dual citizenship before you come here.

$2200/mo is a good chunk of change per month. You would have wiggle room left over which is good. It really depends on where you plan on staying. 

You also need to think about schools. The public system costs about $200/year. Private about $2000/year. International $12000/year. I haven't heard anything good about any of them.

The cheapest way for you to stay is get a Balikbayan stamp for you and your child upon arrival. Bring your marriage certificate when you fly over. When you go thru immigration at the airport, have your wife ask for the BB stamp for you and your child (if the child isn't dual citizen). That will give you one year free. No visits to Immigration required. You have to leave at the end of the year or convert to a Tourist or 13A visa (spouse of a Filipino). Another option is the SRRV Courtesy PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority which you qualify for. The deposit is only $1500 vs the other ones. If you convert to a Tourist visa it will cost you roughly $560/year and you have to get either 2 month or 6 month extensions (6 months offered in Manila, Cebu and Davao). The only hassle is the visits to the BI. The Olongapo BI is really good and I am usually in and out in 15-30 minutes. You also have to get an Exit Clearance Certificate to leave country (if you have been here longer than 6 months) when here on a tourist visa. Tourist visas can be extended up to 36 months before you have to leave country and reset the clock (for a day as a minimum).

I would also try to take some leave and do as many extended visits as possible before you do the final move. Also, people tend to have problems with living close to their in-laws. Most recommend an island or two or a long bus ride away to maintain a stable lifestyle (no drama, etc.).

Read thru the forum here, lots of good info.


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## HondaGuy (Aug 6, 2012)

expatuk2015 said:


> I have been stopped in Manila and in Legazpi for my id.


I dont mean to hijack the thread, but who stopped you and asked for ID? Regular city police on the street as you walked by or what? And why did they say they were asking. Sorry if I'm curious but I never experienced that in the years that I lived in Manila and have never heard it happening to anyone I know.


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## stage79 (Nov 26, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies. I just want to make the transition easy. I know I have a few years till we do this and of course things change. 

I've only been to the Philippines once and stayed for about two weeks and fell in love with the country


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## galactic (Dec 2, 2014)

stage79 said:


> Thanks for all the replies. I just want to make the transition easy. I know I have a few years till we do this and of course things change.
> 
> I've only been to the Philippines once and stayed for about two weeks and fell in love with the country


IMO two weeks is not enough to get a real lay of the land.
Have you been assigned here during your military career? 
If not, better visit and stay for a while before making a decision.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

galactic said:


> IMO two weeks is not enough to get a real lay of the land.
> Have you been assigned here during your military career?
> If not, better visit and stay for a while before making a decision.


Galactic is spot on. A yr isn't long enuff if you are selling property..cars etc to relocate. If you are only renting in other country less to lose.


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

I would try to do a month's stay at a time. Just the jet lag alone should be incentive to make the most of it. 

Also if you do decide that this place is for you, renting is the ideal thing to do initially. That way you can get a feel for the place that you decided on for an extended stay. If it is not the place for you, move on to another. 

Another item to consider is mail service. As a retired US military service member, you can get letter mail (up to 14oz) thru the Retired Activities Offices. These are volunteer organizations that charge around $70/year for a FPO Box. This is convenient for receiving checks and important correspondence. The annual fee covers the cost of the operation.

Here is a list of the RAOs throughout the country;

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/4270658-post13.html


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