Philippines

The Philippines is an attractive destination for high-net-worth individuals due to its strategic location, burgeoning economy, and diverse investment opportunities across various sectors. The Southeast Asian country is located in the western Pacific Ocean and is an archipelago consisting of 7,641 islands, with a diverse landscape ranging from mountains, rainforests, and volcanic regions to beaches and coral reefs. The Philippines has a mixed economy with agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors contributing to its economic activities.

Philippines Citizenship By Investment

The Philippines does not have a specific citizenship by investment programme that allows individuals to acquire citizenship solely through making a financial investment in the country. The process for acquiring citizenship in the Philippines typically involves naturalisation, which has residency requirements, good moral character criteria, and other conditions set by the government.

Philippines Residency By investment

Whilst the Philippines does not have a traditional citizenship by investment programme, the Philippines does offer a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa to anyone over 50 years old with a pension starting from $800 per month or a capital deposit starting from $1,500 and the applicant can apply for citizenship after ten years. There are more appropriate citizenship and residency by investment routes for high-net-worth investors offering greater visa-free travel access. They include popular choices, such as the CBI programmes in the Caribbean, which offer real estate investment and donation programmes.

Philippines Digital Nomad Visa

The Philippines Digital Nomad Visa offers remote professionals the chance to live and work in the country for up to two years. Applicants must earn a minimum of €24,000.  While this initiative provides flexibility for digital workers, it does not offer a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. It is also not available to applicants who do not have a reciprocal visa agreement with the Philippines for examples those from Afghanistan or China.

For investors seeking long-term benefits and greater global mobility, alternative Golden Visa programs may be more suitable. For instance, Nauru’s Citizenship by Investment program grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 102 countries, including the Philippines as well the UK, Ireland, Singapore, and Hong Kong . Similarly, the UAE’s Golden Visa offers long-term residency benefits with a minimal investment of $50,000.

Philippines Passport and Strength Ranking

The Philippines passport ranks 128th in La Vida’s comprehensive Global Passport Ranking. The Philippines passport has a low mobility score and offers visa-free access to 76 countries, accounting for 20.8% of worldwide travel and 13.5% of world wealth (measured in GDP). Other countries offering citizenship and residency by investment programmes, such as Portugal’s Golden Visa offering and Grenada’s CBI programme have much stronger passports.