First, the reframe that makes everything below make sense: the SRRV deposit is not a fee. It's your money, held in your name at a PRA-accredited Philippine bank, earning interest, and refundable when you surrender the visa. What the visa actually costs you is the fees, the opportunity cost of the parked capital, and the annual PRA membership. Here are all three, post-restructure.
The deposit tiers (since September 2025)
The 2025 restructure left two categories; for ordinary applicants that means SRRV Classic, with the deposit set by age and pension status:
| Your situation | Required deposit |
|---|---|
| 50 or older, with a qualifying pension (from USD 800/month for a single applicant) | USD 15,000 |
| 50 or older, no pension | USD 30,000 |
| 40–49, with a qualifying pension | USD 25,000 |
| 40–49, no pension | USD 50,000 |
No pension? Build one. The gap between the tiers is pure capital: USD 25,000 between 40 and 49, USD 15,000 from 50. Without a pension statement you still don't have to take the expensive tier. Your own US LLC can award you a documented company pension, lawyer-drafted and apostilled, and the same pension later opens Panama, the UAE or Turkey. Allow three to six months of lead time. → The pension-plan LLC
The deposit is remitted from abroad via telegraphic transfer into a PRA-accredited bank and stays there for the life of the visa. SRRV Courtesy (former Filipinos and certain officials) runs far cheaper at USD 1,500; if that's you, it's the obvious track.
The fees
- •One-time PRA application fee: USD 1,400 for the principal and USD 300 per dependent under the current schedule; confirm the exact figure at filing, as the PRA has been revising its schedules since the restructure.
- •Annual PRA fee: USD 360, covering the principal and up to two dependents.
- •Incidentals: medical clearance, police/NBI clearance, document authentication, photos; budget a few hundred dollars, more if apostilles must travel.
There is no yearly visa renewal fee in the ordinary sense: the visa lives on the deposit, and since the restructure the PRA ID runs on a two-year cycle. SRRV holders are also exempt from the Bureau of Immigration's Annual Report that every other foreign resident queues for each January.
The honest part: deposit safety
The part most agencies skip: your deposit sits in a Philippine bank, and PDIC deposit insurance covers only ₱1,000,000 (roughly USD 17,000). Everything above that ceiling rides on the bank, not on a government guarantee. Two rational responses: choose the accredited bank deliberately (we advise on this as part of the application), and know that Classic deposits can, under PRA rules, be converted into qualifying investments such as a condominium purchase, moving the money from a bank balance into title on real property; the PRA's post-restructure circular governs thresholds and process, and we walk clients through it case by case.
The real total, year one
For the most common profile (50+, pensioner): USD 15,000 parked and refundable + USD 1,400 one-time + USD 360/year + incidentals. Compare that honestly with the Quota Visa's USD 100,000 capacity requirement, and the SRRV remains what it has always been: the cheapest credible entry to lifetime Philippine residency, if you're 40 or older.
FAQ
Do I ever get the SRRV deposit back?
Yes: it's refundable when you cancel the visa, released through the PRA process after clearances. It also earns bank interest while parked.
Is the SRRV cheaper than the Quota Visa?
In parked capital, dramatically: from USD 15,000 vs a USD 100,000 capacity showing. The trade-off: the SRRV's money stays locked while you hold the visa; the Quota Visa's doesn't, and it delivers full immigrant status. Different tools for different profiles.
What does the USD 360 per year cover?
The annual PRA membership fee for the principal and up to two dependents. It replaces the Bureau of Immigration Annual Report obligation, which SRRV holders don't have.
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