# ACR-I card type and benefits



## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

I'm British and thinking about entering as a tourist to check out the Phils as a place to stay. I will not be employed or married to a citizen/resident.

Will an ACR-I permit me to lease land, own and register a vehicle, and import pets?


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Short answer is yes to all your questions but on a SRRV visa, you're going to have problems trying to live here as a tourist.

So you'd be working with the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).


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## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

M.C.A. said:


> Short answer is yes to all your questions but on a SRRV visa, you're going to have problems trying to live here as a tourist.
> 
> So you'd be working with the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA).


Thanks for the swift response (and happy holidays, btw  ).

To clarify, I already checked out the terms of the SRRV administrated by the PRA, and that's not a deal I want to do.

I'm interested only in whether it's possible to enter as a non-visa tourist, step up to an ACR-I card, and then to lease land, own and register a vehicle, and import pets. Is it permissible with that immigration status?


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Welcome to the forum MoMeans, enjoy.

Short answer as M.C.A. said is yes even on a visitor visa which entitles you to a 3 year stay if you are a good lad and don't get into any trouble, then a visa run and start again. Long answer.
My first suggestion though would be to spend some time here and taste the flavours before making any serious decisions that may cost you a lot of heart ache and money down the track if you end up not liking the place. The Philippines is certainly an acquired taste.

Onward: I moved here 10 years ago on a visitor visa and leased a condo before I had an ACR 1 card, no problems. Opening a bank account shortly after I got my ACR card and held a I year lease was a nightmare but 4 banks later success. After that year I we went back to Australia.

Some 4 years ago on a visitor visa (we holiday here for 3 to 4 weeks every year for family etc) we purchased a property, after years of research and looking both online and while in PH. Well the better half purchased the land and I purchased the buildings and improvements and set up a 25+25 year lease all without an ACR card. Passport and drivers licence only.
Been living here over 2 years now on a visitor visa and no problems but and the but is that most of the menial things like internet and sat tv, insurances, registration etc are accomplished by my better half as I don't have the patience to deal with the antiquated bureaucracy here, another thing you will learn.

Shipping stuff? Be careful, there is plenty of info within this forum on that subject.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

I will add also that as a visitor an ACR 1 card is mandatory and not a choice if you want to stay longer than from memory 4 months and has to be renewed every year that you are here.

Personally for me I will go the SRRV route in about a year but more for convenience.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

A quota visa is another option but they only issue 50 per country per year so unless you come from a remote island getting one can take some time.


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## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

bigpearl said:


> I will add also that as a visitor an ACR 1 card is mandatory and not a choice if you want to stay longer than from memory 4 months and has to be renewed every year that you are here.
> 
> Personally for me I will go the SRRV route in about a year but more for convenience.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Thanks for the useful info and comments, Steve.
My understanding from what I read at the Immigration website is that, as a tourist on a passport whose issuing country does not require visas, I get 30 days on entry and can extend for another 29 days. Anytime during that period I can apply for an ACR-I card that should give me a year first time, and then can be renewed possibly for longer periods. Holding the card negates the need for more exit/entry visas plus other benefits. Does that all seem right to you?
Where it got a little grey and fuzzy was when I tried to figure out if I will be able to own and operate a vehicle and lease land etc while holding that ACR-I. It looked like there are various statuses such as permanent resident, spouse, employment etc, all the way down to what I will be: A lowly tourist who may decide to stay on indefinitely.
If I am understanding you correctly, on this status I will be able to do and buy those things I'll need legally and with little trouble, so that's good to know. Let me know if I have this wrong, please, as it's a crucial point for me to decide whether or not I'll take the next step.

Take care,
T


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

MoMeans said:


> Thanks for the useful info and comments, Steve.
> My understanding from what I read at the Immigration website is that, as a tourist on a passport whose issuing country does not require visas, I get 30 days on entry and can extend for another 29 days. Anytime during that period I can apply for an ACR-I card that should give me a year first time, and then can be renewed possibly for longer periods. Holding the card negates the need for more exit/entry visas plus other benefits. Does that all seem right to you?
> Where it got a little grey and fuzzy was when I tried to figure out if I will be able to own and operate a vehicle and lease land etc while holding that ACR-I. It looked like there are various statuses such as permanent resident, spouse, employment etc, all the way down to what I will be: A lowly tourist who may decide to stay on indefinitely.
> If I am understanding you correctly, on this status I will be able to do and buy those things I'll need legally and with little trouble, so that's good to know. Let me know if I have this wrong, please, as it's a crucial point for me to decide whether or not I'll take the next step.
> ...


You'll be able to get the ACR card but the trouble you could run into is continuing to live here on a tourist Visa, they could call you out on that and it's discouraged, some of our fellow Expats had difficulties, it depends in the immigration officer.

The loop hole is there after 3 year's of renewing your Visa where you fly out for a day but things are always changing, jt looks like the Government would like to keep out those that are under 50 for many reasons.


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## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

M.C.A. said:


> You'll be able to get the ACR card but the trouble you could run into is continuing to live here on a tourist Visa, they could call you out on that and it's discouraged, some of our fellow Expats had difficulties, it depends in the immigration officer.
> 
> The loop hole is there after 3 year's of renewing your Visa where you fly out for a day but things are always changing, jt looks like the Government would like to keep out those that are under 50 for many reasons.


It's beginning to sound like it's not going to work smoothly. I don't like the idea of committing to stay anywhere when I could be ejected on the whims of the authorities. I'll explore a little further, but my other options are looking like a better match for my criteria now.
I'm over 50, btw.
Cheers.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

In the Philippines there is a complete disconnect between theory and reality. As a touring you can drive for 90 days on your home driving license. You cannot qualify for a Philippines drivers license because you need to after being in country for 1 month show a further 6 months visa, you can't do that as a tourist. In practise many do obtain a license, some have been turned away.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Good point Gary and that is the law here but I thought it was 12 months for the visa. In saying that I have driven on and off here for 10 years, 2 years permanently (visitor visa) on an Aussie drivers licence, in the last 2 years I have been stopped at police roadblocks, presented my foreign drivers licence and never a problem, I was once asked for my ACR card that was issued some 8 months earlier (so out of the 90 day rule) and no questions, thank you sir. I will add that I keep my passport in the safe and never carry it as that has my entry date in it.

MoMeans. Your post #9. OMO but I believe you are overthinking coming and successfully staying here, as said it is an acquired taste and once here that's it. Assimilating into an entirely different culture will be the hurdles I have found.

Cheers, Steve.


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## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

bigpearl said:


> Good point Gary and that is the law here but I thought it was 12 months for the visa. In saying that I have driven on and off here for 10 years, 2 years permanently (visitor visa) on an Aussie drivers licence, in the last 2 years I have been stopped at police roadblocks, presented my foreign drivers licence and never a problem, I was once asked for my ACR card that was issued some 8 months earlier (so out of the 90 day rule) and no questions, thank you sir. I will add that I keep my passport in the safe and never carry it as that has my entry date in it.
> 
> MoMeans. Your post #9. OMO but I believe you are overthinking coming and successfully staying here, as said it is an acquired taste and once here that's it. Assimilating into an entirely different culture will be the hurdles I have found.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Thanks again, Steve.
I should have mentioned I've lived and worked in Asia for more than 30 years, including eight years in Thailand. Someone I know lives in the Phils and mostly rants about it, and it was uncanny how many points he complained about that matched Thailand perfectly. I've never lived in the Phils, but I have visited four times. I deem none of this adequate to make a final decision on parking myself in the Phils long term, but this combined with some additional insight gleaned from expats such as yourself who are there now should be enough to tell me whether to take a first step or not. I am now leaning a little more toward not, but I will spend more time on it before deciding. Meanwhile, I have plans B and C.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

bigpearl said:


> Good point Gary and that is the law here but I thought it was 12 months for the visa. In saying that I have driven on and off here for 10 years, 2 years permanently (visitor visa) on an Aussie drivers licence, in the last 2 years I have been stopped at police roadblocks, presented my foreign drivers licence and never a problem, I was once asked for my ACR card that was issued some 8 months earlier (so out of the 90 day rule) and no questions, thank you sir. I will add that I keep my passport in the safe and never carry it as that has my entry date in it.
> 
> MoMeans. Your post #9. OMO but I believe you are overthinking coming and successfully staying here, as said it is an acquired taste and once here that's it. Assimilating into an entirely different culture will be the hurdles I have found.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


It was 12 months for a time, it changed to 6 months around Sept 2019.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

MoMeans said:


> Someone I know lives in the Phils and mostly rants about it, and it was uncanny how many points he complained about that matched Thailand perfectly.


 Many years ago I aimed at and reseaerched only Thailand, but there are things I want to do, which are not allowed in Thailand (except for HUGE investors) concerning business and land owning, which are allowed in the Philippines so I switched to the Philippines (after I had checked and skiped some other countries in between). 
And Visa possibilities are much better in the Philippines than in Thailand.


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## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

Lunkan said:


> Many years ago I aimed at and reseaerched only Thailand, but there are things I want to do, which are not allowed in Thailand (except for HUGE investors) concerning business and land owning, which are allowed in the Philippines so I switched to the Philippines (after I had checked and skiped some other countries in between).
> And Visa possibilities are much better in the Philippines than in Thailand.


Definitely interesting.
What I was really getting at is that I'm already familiar and forearmed for many of the negatives that an expat might encounter in the Phils.
My chief concern now is that I would not feel secure with my immigration status on what is open to me, considering I do not want to go for the retirement program.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

MoMeans said:


> Definitely interesting.
> What I was really getting at is that I'm already familiar and forearmed for many of the negatives that an expat might encounter in the Phils.
> My chief concern now is that I would not feel secure with my immigration status on what is open to me, considering I do not want to go for the retirement program.


 Beside covid make problems to get in, there are such:
/SIRV (="investors visa). Money need to be deposited, but can be invested after being there to check..
/(old) "Tourist" can be extended IF being in. 
/Marriage  related Visas. 

And I dont know what Visa, but the Philippines let in business people foreigners for visits too, at least if they visit department people of business reason when being there. I know of three such foreigners.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

MoMeans said:


> Definitely interesting.
> What I was really getting at is that I'm already familiar and forearmed for many of the negatives that an expat might encounter in the Phils.
> My chief concern now is that I would not feel secure with my immigration status on what is open to me, considering I do not want to go for the retirement program.


Go with that MoMeans, especially if you begin to put some real money down. But like BigPearl mentioned this could be a very wonderful and affordable place to live. If you won't marry or? I guess we don't need to go there other than you'll find somebody and you won't want to leave that'll be your hard learning lesson so then you'd want to secure an SRRV visa and also you'd have to modify your home requirement to a Condo and you could use your Condo as your SRRV deposit.

But wouldn't you think that every country will have some sort of issue you'd have to work around eventually? but in the Philippines, you should always worry about your Visa status first, many Expats have been deported on simple overstay issues (major headline Lol), or trying to live here on a tourist Visa is a very costly way to live here by the way.

I sort of went on the negative initially as a warning but I just want to say this is a very nice place to live in and formally we had our bases here, I was actually temporarily assigned off an on at Subic Bay. This was the port I didn't want to hit for my food cravings, but it sure was the port that I wanted our ship to anchor in and meet up with the ladies because the other ports weren't as good, I leave it right there.


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## KatanaDV20 (Mar 27, 2020)

MoMeans said:


> Thanks again, Steve.
> I should have mentioned I've lived and worked in Asia for more than 30 years, including eight years in Thailand. Someone I know lives in the Phils and mostly rants about it, and it was uncanny how many points he complained about that matched Thailand perfectly.....


Hope you dont mind me asking but what is Thailand like to live in? Daily life, renting/buying property, the people, general safety, working there....all that sort of thing?

UK here also and starting to think that I want outta here and Asia is where I'd like to settle next, just unsure where. The pandemic obliterated my plans of scouting out and getting a feel for Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam etc.


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## MoMeans (Dec 25, 2021)

KatanaDV20 said:


> Hope you dont mind me asking but what is Thailand like to live in? Daily life, renting/buying property, the people, general safety, working there....all that sort of thing?
> 
> UK here also and starting to think that I want outta here and Asia is where I'd like to settle next, just unsure where. The pandemic obliterated my plans of scouting out and getting a feel for Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam etc.


Thailand: I lived upcountry, on the east coast, and in Bangkok when I was in my 30s. I arrived there when Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan was living in exile in the UK, soon after he was removed from power in one of Thailand's frequent military coups. I learned to speak and read the language well enough to live and travel alone in rural areas. (It's not the easiest language to speak as it's tonal, like Chinese.) I was able to get employment and a work permit when I wanted to only as I have a skill that is/was in demand.
Daily life will depend on your location. Bangkok is hot, polluted and noisy, with no shortage of nightlife. Rural life is a lot quieter, of course. Islands and resort areas a mix of the two. 
Renting property was never an issue, even for a tourist. Buying was similar to the Phils: You can own a condo/leasehold apartment. You cannot buy land. You can have a lawyer set up a Thai company with you as a 49% owner and a collection of Thais holding the other 51%, then the company can own a house and land outright. 
You cannot own a vehicle, but the company can. You cannot drive on most foreign licences, so you need an international driving permit. You will not be able to get a Thai licence while on a tourist visa.
You could open a bank account at the time I was there.
Some new regs are likely in place now.
By and large, people upcountry will be interested in you mainly because they will perceive you as having money from which you can be separated. That will also apply to most of the regular population in cities. I met folks along the way who were pleasant and jolly enough, of course, but I did not stay in contact with any of the locals after I quit my job and left for greener pastures during the Asian financial crisis (which started in Thailand).
Corruption is rife, btw, and business disputes are often settled by engaging assassins.
Safety: I often wandered (staggered) around alone at night in some dodgy places without serious incident. I once even had a drunken sleep on a bench at the front of someone's house near the Cambodian border. (Maybe I was just lucky.) A police officer did once "show me his gun" upcountry when he took umbrage at a suspicion I mentioned about the theft of a motorcycle in our village. There was no anger, yelling, or verbal threats, but his actions were understood by me and others in the vicinity to be a death threat.
All that said, there's a chance I might still be there now if it had not been for the Asian financial crisis. (I might even still be breathing.😁) Koh Chang was my favourite island.
That about covers it, I reckon. Hope this helps.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Until the old king died Thailand - Sweden had good contacts, but it changed when he died. After the change it seem Thailand even more only want tourists by they made it worse for foreigners to renew tourist Visas by Visa runs. But later someone said - I dont know - Thailand had made it some less hard - for a cost - to get long stay Visa.

A Swedish friend of mine told prices have got up much in Thailand before covid too, but he checked only tourist beaches and Bangkok, so he think of move to beach in the Phillipines inspite of his gf is Thai... He had planned to go to Palawan to check beaches and diving there but covid stoped him.


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