Blog
Stay updated with our latest articles, insights, tips, and comprehensive guides designed primarily for expats planning to settle in the Philippines.
Building a Real 'Plan B' -- Why Many Westerners Choose the Philippines
For a growing number of Westerners, 'Plan B' no longer means a vacation home or a retirement fantasy. It means something more practical. The Philippines can be part of that plan.
expats 04-02-2026
Philippines Spousal Visa (13A) -- 2026 Edition
If you’re married to a Filipino citizen and planning to live in the Philippines long-term, the 13A Non-Quota Immigrant Visa (commonly called the spousal visa) is the path that turns you from “perpetual tourist” into a legal resident.
expats 02-02-2026
Philippines SIRV Visa -- 2026 Edition
If you want Philippine residency without being married to a Filipino and without renewing tourist visas forever, the SIRV is one of the cleanest legal paths available.
expats 01-02-2026
Extending Your Tourist Visa While Living in the Rural Philippines
So, during my first long-term stay in the Philippines on a regular tourist visa, I wanted to stay about three months. To do that I needed to extend my tourist visa. I was at the house in the rural Philippines. So, the closest BI office is a few hours drive away. This was a while ago before I had learned aboout how the Filipino immigration system works. So, I hired an immigration firm to take care of it for me.
expat 29-01-2026
VPN Usage for Expats -- What You Need to Know
For expats living abroad, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is less about secrecy and more about functionality, access, and stability. Whether you’re dealing with government portals, banks, streaming services, or everyday browsing on questionable Wi-Fi, a VPN often becomes part of your digital survival kit.
privacy 28-01-2026
ACR I-Card as an Acceptable Form of Identification for Boarding (Philippines) Domestic Flights
Can an Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) I-Card be used by an expat to board a domestic flight in the Philippines?
expats 26-01-2026
Visa Services -- 2026 Edition
A collection of blog posts describing various visa options for the Philippines.
expats 25-01-2026
Rural Philippines Infrastructure
When you think about the Philippines, images of powder-white beaches and high-rise skylines might come to mind first. But for millions of Filipinos—and for the growing community of expats living outside the major cities—the backbone of life is in the rural provinces. Here, infrastructure isn’t just about convenience; it’s about access to education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and basic dignity.
culture 25-01-2026
Digital Privacy for Expats
Living abroad is freeing. New country, new routines, new systems. But, here's the part most expats don't realize until it's too late--you become more digitally exposed the moment you leave your home country.
expats 25-01-2026
Technology and Services for Expats Series
This is a collection of blog posts describing how to use common technologies and services while abroad
expats 24-01-2026
Extending a Tourist Visa -- 2026 Edition
US passport holders can typically enter the Philippines for 30-days, visa-free on arrival. From a practical perspective, you are issued a 30-day tourist visa with minimal requirements. The tourist visa extensions are fairly straightforward. Many people opt to do the renewal themselves, but our firm can assist with it as well if you are more comfortable with that approach.
expats 24-01-2026
The Special Retiree's Resident Visa -- 2026 Edition
The SRRV is a long-term residency visa issued by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA). Despite the name, it’s not strictly limited to “retirees” in the traditional sense—many holders are under 50 and still actively managing businesses or investments abroad.
expats 24-01-2026