Marrying a Filipino citizen gives you a direct route to permanent residency in the Philippines through the 13(a) immigrant visa by marriage. Living in the Philippines after marrying a Filipina means starting with a one-year probationary visa, converting to permanent status after that year, and then settling into a set of ongoing rules on reporting, property, and taxes that shape the rest of your stay. The marriage is the legal basis for everything, so the visa lives and dies with the marriage itself.
The 13(a) Visa Is the Foundation
Section 13(a) of Commonwealth Act No. 613, the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, lists “the wife or the husband or the unmarried child under twenty-one years of age of a Philippine citizen” as eligible for an immigrant visa, provided the foreign spouse is accompanying or following to join their Filipino spouse in the Philippines.1Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Commonwealth Act No. 613 – Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 The Bureau of Immigration calls it the Immigrant Visa by Marriage.
It comes in two stages. The first year is probationary. If the BI is satisfied at the end of that year that the marriage is genuine and you have kept your obligations, you convert to full permanent resident status. The permanent visa does not expire so long as the marriage remains intact, though you will have annual and periodic upkeep to attend to.2Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Immigrant Visa by Marriage (13A)
What the Visa Actually Gets You
The 13(a) is one of the more useful immigration statuses in the Philippines. You can work or run a business without needing the Alien Employment Permit that most foreign nationals require. You can leave and re-enter the country without applying for a re-entry permit, as long as your ACR I-Card is current. And you can stay indefinitely rather than juggling tourist visa extensions the way many foreign spouses do while waiting for the 13(a) to come through.
How to Apply
You can file in one of two places. If you are already in the Philippines, submit the application to the Bureau of Immigration main office in Intramuros, Manila, or at a designated BI field office. If you are still abroad, file through the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.
Both spouses are expected to attend an interview at the BI. The interview is where officers test whether the marriage is real, so personal questions come with the territory. Processing generally runs from several weeks to a few months depending on how clean your paperwork is and how backed up the BI happens to be. There is no official expedited track, so file well before any existing status expires.
After the probationary year, you file a second application to convert your status to permanent residency. The BI reviews whether you kept the marriage and residence requirements before it grants the upgrade.
Documents to Prepare
The documentation package is substantial. Gathering everything before you file saves weeks of back-and-forth. Based on official embassy and BI guidance, expect to prepare the following:3Philippine Embassy in Paris. 13(a) Non-Quota Immigrant Visa Requirements and Procedures
- Four completed and originally signed copies of FA Form No. 3.
- An original PSA-issued marriage certificate, plus photocopies. A marriage celebrated abroad needs an authenticated or apostilled copy.
- Your Filipino spouse’s PSA birth certificate and a photocopy of their Philippine passport.
- Your passport, original and copies, valid for at least one year from the date of filing.
- A medical examination on FA Form No. 11, signed by a licensed physician with the signature notarized, including a chest X-ray. The report must be less than six months old.
- A police clearance. If applying from abroad, an apostilled clearance from your home country no older than six months. If you have already been in the Philippines for six months or more, an NBI clearance instead.
- Proof of financial capacity through bank statements, pay slips, or similar documents.
- Eight passport-size photos.
The BI may ask for more depending on your situation, such as proof of a prior divorce. Having the right number of copies of each item is one of those small details that decides whether you leave the counter with a filed application or a list of missing documents.
Fees
The Bureau of Immigration publishes this fee schedule for the 13(a):2Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Immigrant Visa by Marriage (13A)
- Visa processing fee for the principal applicant: PHP 8,620.
- ACR I-Card, one-year probationary: US $50.
- NBI clearance if filing within the Philippines: about PHP 155.
The same processing fee applies again when you convert from probationary to permanent status. Fees at a Philippine Embassy abroad may differ and may be collected in local currency. The BI’s published schedule has not been formally updated since 2014, so confirm current amounts with the office where you plan to file before you show up.
Staying Legally While the Visa Processes
If your Filipino spouse has been living outside the Philippines for at least one year, or is a former Filipino citizen who naturalized abroad, you may enter visa-free under Republic Act No. 6768, the Balikbayan law. The law defines a balikbayan’s family to include their spouse and children, and grants visa-free entry for up to one year.4Supreme Court E-Library. Republic Act No. 6768 – An Act Instituting a Balikbayan Program
This is a useful bridge if you plan to file your 13(a) application after arriving together. The Balikbayan year keeps you legal while the visa processes. It only applies when you enter with or following your qualifying Filipino spouse, and it does not include the work rights the 13(a) does.
Keeping Your Residency Current
The Annual Report
Every registered foreign national in the Philippines must report in person to the Bureau of Immigration during the first 60 days of each calendar year. For 2026 the reporting window runs from January 1 through March 1.5Bureau of Immigration Philippines. 2026 Annual Report Advisory This applies to 13(a) holders alongside every other category of registered alien.
Missing the deadline triggers a fine of PHP 200 per month, up to PHP 2,000 per year.6Philippine Embassy in Bangkok. Bureau of Immigration Clarifies Procedure for Payment of Annual Report Fees of Foreign Nationals If you happen to be outside the Philippines during the window, you will not be fined, but you must complete the report within one month of returning.
ACR I-Card Renewal
The Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card is the ID document issued to foreign nationals in the Philippines. Your initial card is issued with the probationary visa. It has a set validity period and must be renewed at the BI main office or authorized field offices. The re-issuance fee is US $20 plus a PHP 500 express processing fee.7Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Re-Issuance of ACR I-Card A lapsed card complicates everything from banking to travel, so treat the renewal date seriously.
Property: What You Can and Cannot Own
Where you actually live is where many foreign spouses get caught off guard, because the property rules are stricter than most people expect.
Land Ownership Is Prohibited
The 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits foreign nationals from owning land. Article XII, Section 7 states that private lands cannot be transferred or conveyed to anyone not qualified to hold public domain lands, with one narrow exception: hereditary succession.8Official Gazette of the Philippines. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines – Article XII In practice, your Filipino spouse can own the house and lot; you cannot have land titled in your name.
Condominiums Are the Exception
The Condominium Act, Republic Act No. 4726, allows foreign nationals to buy condominium units, as long as foreign ownership in the project does not exceed the limits Philippine law sets on foreign equity in corporations, generally 40%.9LawPhil. Republic Act No. 4726 – The Condominium Act That makes condominiums the usual choice for foreign spouses who want real estate in their own name.
Inheriting Land
Hereditary succession is the constitution’s explicit exception. If your Filipino spouse dies without a will, you can inherit land through intestate succession. The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled, however, that inheriting land through a will is unconstitutional for foreign nationals, on the reasoning that allowing it would make the ownership prohibition meaningless.8Official Gazette of the Philippines. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines – Article XII For estate planning this matters: a well-meaning will leaving land to a foreign spouse can backfire.
Taxes as a Resident Alien
Once you hold a 13(a) visa the Bureau of Internal Revenue treats you as a resident alien. Resident aliens are taxed on income from Philippine sources, not on worldwide income. Filipino citizens, by contrast, are taxed on income earned anywhere.
Philippine income follows a graduated schedule. The first PHP 250,000 of taxable income each year is tax-free. Rates then climb from 15% to a top bracket of 35% on income above PHP 8 million. Self-employed filers with gross receipts under PHP 3 million can opt for a flat 8% on gross income above PHP 250,000 instead of the graduated rates.
Register with the BIR and obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number. Employed individuals file using BIR Form 1700; self-employed individuals use BIR Form 1701. The annual return is due April 15. If you also remain a tax resident of your home country, check whether a treaty exists to prevent the same income being taxed twice.
If the Marriage Ends
The 13(a) visa is tied directly to the marriage. If the marriage ends, the legal basis for your residency changes.
Annulment or Legal Separation
The Philippines does not have divorce for Filipino citizens, but marriages can be dissolved through annulment or declaration of nullity. Any of these, along with legal separation or even separation in fact, is a ground for revoking the foreign spouse’s 13(a) visa.10Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Memorandum Circular No. SBM-2014-009
Foreign Divorce
If the foreign spouse obtains a divorce abroad, Philippine courts can recognize it under Article 26(2) of the Family Code, regardless of whether the divorce came through a court or an administrative process.11Supreme Court of the Philippines. Recognition of Divorce Not Limited to Those Decreed by Foreign Courts Once recognized, the Filipino spouse can remarry and the foreign spouse’s 13(a) basis is gone.
Death of the Filipino Spouse
The default rule is that the 13(a) visa is revoked when the Filipino spouse dies. There is an important exception: if there are surviving children from the marriage, the foreign spouse can petition to retain or adjust status, either personally or with a child as petitioner, filing for a new 13(a) or another appropriate visa.10Bureau of Immigration Philippines. Memorandum Circular No. SBM-2014-009
If there are no children, the practical options narrow to converting to a temporary visitor status, qualifying for a work-based visa, or applying under a retirement visa program if you meet the age and financial requirements. Talking to an immigration lawyer before a crisis develops is well worth the cost.