Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
Frequently asked questions relating to Filipinos planning to acquire a Singapore citizenship
Generally, no. Under the Philippine Constitution, foreigners are prohibited from acquiring or owning land or real property in the Philippines.
However, foreigners are allowed to own condominium units, provided that foreign ownership within the condominium does not exceed 40%.
That said, former Filipino citizens are permitted to own land with specific restrictions:
Residential Property
– Up to 1,000 square meters in urban areas, or;
– Up to 1 hectare in rural areas
Commercial/Business Property
– Up to 5,000 square meters in urban areas, or;
– Up to 3 hectares in rural areas.
Ownership must not exceed the limits outlined above.
A former Filipino does not need to transfer property.
A former Filipino may choose to avail of the privileges granted by the Balikbayan Law (Republic Act 9174), which allows former Filipinos to stay in the Philippines visa-free for up to one year. The privilege may also be afforded to the spouse and dependent children, provided they travel together with the Balikbayan (former Filipino) spouse.
If a person is not employed in the Philippines or is not residing there long-term, they are not required to make contributions unless they choose to do so voluntarily. This is commonly referred to as voluntary contributions.
Yes, Filipinos will continue to enjoy all the rights and privileges as a citizen.
Yes. As long as a person holds a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (also known as the SRRV), they may retire and reside in the Philippines as a Singapore/foreign citizen.
The SRRV is issued by the Department of Tourism, which has specific requirements that must be met in order to successfully apply for and obtain it. For more information, please refer to the SRRV website at https://pra.gov.ph/SRRVisa.