Moving from Japan to the Philippines: SRRV, Work & Island Living

The Philippines offers English as an official language, a retirement visa open from age 40 and treaty rules that generally keep a Japanese pension outside Philippine income tax. Retirement deposits changed in 2025, the digital nomad visa still has no application route, and property limits are often misdescribed. This guide summarises visa routes, tax, property, healthcare, regions and safety for people moving from Japan, and names the detailed guides on each topic.

Japan-side exit steps have their own guides: the moving-out notification (Tenshutsu-todoke 転出届), health insurance and pension exit, resident tax (Juminzei 住民税) and appointing a tax representative (Nohzei Kanrinin 納税管理人).

Why the Philippines Attracts Budget-Conscious Movers from Japan

The Japanese Community in Numbers

MOFA counted 13,342 Japanese nationals living in the Philippines as of 1 October 2025: 8,750 long-term residents and 4,592 permanent residents (as of October 2026).¹ That was 5.5% more than a year earlier but about 15.2% fewer than the 15,728 counted in 2021 (derived).¹

Metro Manila had 6,513 Japanese residents, 29th among cities worldwide; Cebu, Dumaguete and Davao are not in MOFA’s top-50 city table, and MOFA publishes no age bands, so there is no official count for those cities or for retirees (as of October 2026).¹

English, Climate and Distance

English is an official language under the 1987 Constitution. Article XIV Section 6 makes Filipino the national language, and Section 7 makes Filipino and, “until otherwise provided by law, English” the official languages for communication and instruction.²

Japanese nationals can enter visa-free for 30 days for tourism or business; MOFA notes that eTravel registration and an onward ticket are required at entry (as of October 2026).³ The Bureau of Immigration (BI) grants a 29-day visa waiver extension that completes a “59-day maximum initial stay”, and further extensions are possible up to a maximum allowable stay of 36 months for non-visa-required nationals (as of October 2026).⁴ MOFA ties the 36-month figure to obtaining an Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card), which most visitors staying beyond 59 days must obtain.³

Which Route Fits You: A Quick Eligibility Map

Most moves from Japan fall into one of five situations (as of October 2026).

Your situation	Main route	Who decides	Key point
Retiree aged 40 or over	Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)⁵⁶	PRA recommends, BI issues⁴	Filed in person in the Philippines
Employee with a Philippine job offer	Alien Employment Permit (AEP), then 9(G) visa⁴⁷	DOLE, then BI	Employer files; AEP (or exemption) comes first
Employee of certain registered enterprises	47(a)(2) visa⁴⁸	DOJ approves, BI implements	Narrow, employer-linked route
Spouse of a Filipino citizen	13(a) immigrant visa, or one-year Balikbayan entry with the spouse⁴³	BI or a Philippine consulate	Probationary year, then permanent
Remote worker for Japanese clients	No digital nomad visa route found⁹¹⁰	DFA (once implemented)	Tourist status does not authorise local employment

Investors: MOFA mentions the Board of Investments’ Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV).³

flowchart TD
    A["Arrive visa-free (30 days, eTravel, onward ticket)"] --> B{"Main purpose of the stay?"}
    B -->|"Retirement, age 40+"| C["File SRRV in person with PRA (30 to 45 working days)"]
    B -->|"Job with a Philippine employer"| D["Employer obtains AEP or exemption from DOLE"]
    D --> E["Employer petitions BI for 9(G) conversion"]
    B -->|"Married to a Filipino citizen"| F["Apply to BI for 13(a) probationary visa"]
    F --> G["Amend to 13(a) permanent after one year"]
    B -->|"Longer visit only"| H["29-day visa waiver extension (59 days)"]
    H --> I["Further BI extensions with ACR I-Card (up to 36 months)"]

The SRRV Retirement Visa: Deposit Tiers and Property Conversion Options

The SRRV is a special non-immigrant visa with multiple entry privileges, recommended by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) and issued by BI.⁴ Documents, deposit withdrawal and cancellation are covered in the guide to Southeast Asian retirement visas.

2025 Expanded SRRV: Age 40 and New Deposit Tiers

PRA’s Expanded SRRV Program sheet (issued August 2025) sets the minimum principal age at 40 and the deposit tiers below (as of October 2026).⁵⁶

SRRV option	Age 40 to 49	Age 50+
Classic, non-pensioner	USD 50,000	USD 30,000
Classic, pensioner	USD 25,000	USD 15,000
Courtesy (foreign nationals), non-pensioner	USD 6,000	USD 1,500
Courtesy (foreign nationals), pensioner	USD 3,000	USD 1,500
Courtesy (former Filipinos)	USD 3,000	USD 1,500

The deposit covers the principal and two dependants, with USD 15,000 for each additional dependant (except for former Filipinos). The processing fee is USD 1,500 plus USD 300 per dependant, and the Classic annual fee is USD 360 (as of October 2026).⁵⁶ Courtesy (foreign nationals) is limited to groups such as retired diplomats, so most Japanese retirees will apply under Classic.⁶

Can a Japanese Pension Meet the Pensioner Test?

The pensioner tiers require a “lifetime pension” of at least USD 800 a month (single) or USD 1,000 (with dependants), with apostilled or authenticated proof (as of October 2026).⁶⁵ The Japan Pension Service (JPS) pays pensions to the Philippines in US dollars, so the dollar value of a yen pension moves with the exchange rate.¹¹

Retirees relying on the basic pension alone should check carefully. The full Old-age Basic Pension for FY2026 is ¥70,608 a month (as of October 2026); compare your own pension against USD 800 at the rate current when you apply.¹² PRA’s pages do not say which Japanese document it accepts as pension proof, so ask PRA first.⁶

Converting the Deposit Into a Condominium or Lease

PRA’s Citizen’s Charter 2025 lets the deposit be converted into property: a condominium unit worth at least USD 50,000 in the principal’s name, or a lease of at least 25 years over a ready-for-occupancy condominium unit, townhouse or house and lot worth at least USD 50,000, for residential or family use.¹³ Whether the expanded program changed these amounts could not be confirmed, so check with PRA (as of October 2026); any purchase remains subject to the condominium rules below.¹⁴

Filing in the Philippines and Options Not Offered to New Applicants

All SRRV applicants file in person in the Philippines, at PRA’s head office in Makati or a satellite office (Baguio, Clark/Subic, Cebu, Davao), and stay in the country throughout; PRA cites 30 to 45 working days (as of October 2026).⁶ BI’s checklist asks for “proof of authorized stay as temporary visitor/tourist”, a medical clearance valid six months from a PRA-accredited hospital or clinic, and a police clearance.⁴

Do not enter on a 9(a) e-Visa if you plan to convert. The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo states that 9(a) e-Visas are not convertible to other Philippine visas and cannot be extended, and it handles separate, non-e-Visa 9(a) applications for people who will need a conversion or extension (as of October 2026).¹⁵ PRA’s sheet asks for a convertible tourist visa valid for at least 30 days and says a 9A visa with “No Conversion” remarks cannot be used to apply directly, so confirm with PRA before travelling that visa-free entry is accepted in your case.⁶

The SMILE and Human Touch options are not in PRA’s current list for new applicants.⁵⁶ SRRV holders are exempt from the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) and, per PRA’s benefits list, from the ACR I-Card, the BI annual report and exit and re-entry permits (as of October 2026).³⁵

Employment and Business Visas: 9(G) and Alien Employment Permits (AEP)

Working in the Philippines normally needs two approvals: a work permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and a visa from BI.

The AEP From DOLE: Department Order 248 (2025)

An Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from DOLE is required before BI will process a 9(G) employment visa; BI’s checklist asks for the AEP “or Certificate of Exclusion or Exemption with validity” (as of October 2026).⁴ DOLE’s current rules are Department Order 248 (2025) and supplemental Department Order 248-A (2025); check filing steps, timing and any exemption with DOLE directly.⁷

SRRV holders should not assume they are exempt. PRA lists “exemption from separate work/student visa or permits” among holder benefits; ask DOLE and PRA how that applies to the AEP (as of October 2026).⁵

The 9(g) Pre-Arranged Employment Visa From the Bureau of Immigration

The 9(G) commercial visa is for “foreign nationals with confirmed employment in a Philippine-based commercial enterprise”, and the employer files the petition (as of October 2026).⁴ BI’s checklist includes at least 30 days of authorised stay, the employment contract and the AEP or exemption certificate; dependants file with the principal.⁴

9(G) holders must file the BI Annual Report within the first 60 days of every calendar year.⁴ When the job ends, MOFA explains that you surrender the ACR I-Card, downgrade the visa (for example to 9(a)) and then obtain an ECC, which can take several months (as of October 2026).³

Special Non-Immigrant Visa 47(a)(2) and Other Employer-Linked Routes

Section 47(a)(2) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 lets the President admit as non-immigrants aliens “not otherwise provided for by this Act, who are coming for temporary period only”.⁸ BI’s charter shows these visas are approved by the Department of Justice and implemented by BI, and MOFA describes the visa as one for people connected with PEZA-registered enterprises, so it is a narrow, employer-linked route.⁴³

Remote Work and the Announced Digital Nomad Visa

Executive Order No. 86, signed on 24 April 2025, authorises the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to issue digital nomad visas (DNVs) to foreigners staying temporarily and working remotely for clients or employers outside the Philippines.⁹ Conditions include age 18 or over, proof of remote work and of “sufficient income which is generated outside the Philippines”, no criminal record, health insurance, and “Must not be employed in the Philippines”; the visa allows a stay of up to one year, renewable, and guidelines were due within 30 days of effectivity.⁹ As of October 2026, no application route was found on official DFA pages: a DFA embassy page restates the conditions without a fee, form or procedure, and the Tokyo embassy’s visa list has no DNV entry.¹⁶¹⁰

Section 2(f) adds a reciprocity condition: the applicant must be “a national of a country that offers DNVs to Filipinos and where the Philippines has a Foreign Service Post”.⁹ Japan’s own digital nomad status does not list the Philippines among eligible nationalities (as of October 2026), and no official statement explains how the DFA will apply this condition to Japanese nationals.¹⁷

BI has published no statement on remote work for foreign clients during a visa-free stay, so this guide makes no claim that it is permitted; such work can also create Philippine tax exposure (see below), and general principles are in the guide to digital nomad visas.¹⁸

Spouses of Filipino Citizens: The 13(a) Visa

The 13(a) non-quota immigrant visa is for the spouse, or unmarried child under 21, of a Philippine citizen, and Japan is on BI’s list of eligible nationalities (as of October 2026).⁴ It starts as a one-year probationary visa, then holders apply from inside the country for permanent status; the Tokyo embassy also handles 13(A) applications.⁴¹⁰

A Japanese spouse travelling with the Filipino spouse can enter visa-free for up to one year (the Balikbayan program), once per entry.³ MOFA says that to stay on, you convert to 9(a) (up to 36 months including the first year) or apply for 13(a), at least two months before the authorised stay ends (as of October 2026).³

Taxes, Pensions and Money: What Changes When You Live in the Philippines

Resident Aliens and Philippine-Source Income

Under Section 23(D) of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), “an alien individual, whether a resident or not of the Philippines, is taxable only on income derived from sources within the Philippines”.¹⁹¹⁸ Section 32(B)(6)(c) also excludes foreign pensions received by “aliens who come to reside permanently in the Philippines”, while Section 42(A)(3) treats pay for services performed in the Philippines, which can include remote work, as Philippine-source.¹⁸

Residence turns on facts, not a single day count. Section 22(F) defines a resident alien by residence within the Philippines, and Section 25(A)(1) treats a non-resident alien staying more than 180 days in a calendar year as “doing business in the Philippines”, taxed like a resident on Philippine-source income.¹⁸ Graduated rates for resident aliens start at 0% up to PHP 250,000 and reach 35% on income over PHP 8,000,000 (as of October 2026); confirm your status with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).²⁰

The Japan-Philippines Tax Treaty and Your Pension

Article 18 of the Japan-Philippines tax treaty provides that pensions paid to a resident of one country in consideration of past employment “shall be taxable only in that Contracting State”, subject to Article 19, which covers government service pensions differently.²¹ Together these rules generally keep a Japanese public pension outside Philippine income tax for a Japanese national living there; confirm with the BIR if your pension is unusual.¹⁹²¹

On the Japanese side, JPS lists the Philippines among treaty countries where the pension can be relieved from Japanese withholding by filing the treaty form, as covered in the guide to receiving a Japanese pension abroad (as of October 2026).²²

The Japan-Philippines Social Security Agreement was signed on 19 November 2015 and took effect on 1 August 2018.²³ On the Japanese side it covers pensions only, not health insurance; it totalizes pension periods and lets detached workers stay in the home scheme for up to five years, as explained in the guide to bilateral social security agreements (as of October 2026).²³

Banking, Transfers and Reporting

The SRRV deposit must arrive as an inward remittance to a PRA-accredited bank, and PRA says that opening the account at an accredited private bank requires a Letter of Introduction from PRA (as of October 2026).⁵ No official page on general bank account requirements for foreigners was found, so ask the bank directly.

The OECD lists the Philippines among developing jurisdictions without a first date for automatic exchange of financial account information (CRS) (as of October 2026).²⁴ Japanese overseas remittance reports and offshore asset reporting are covered in the guides to international money transfers and to managing Japanese accounts from abroad.

Owning or Renting a Home: Land, Condominiums and Leases

No Private Land Ownership for Foreigners

The land ban comes from the 1987 Constitution, not from the Anti-Dummy Law. Article XII Section 7 provides that, “save in cases of hereditary succession”, private lands may be transferred only to those qualified to hold lands of the public domain, which excludes foreigners.²⁵ The Anti-Dummy Law (Commonwealth Act No. 108) instead punishes nominee schemes: under its original text, a citizen who lends their name to evade a nationality requirement, and any alien profiting from it, face imprisonment and a fine.²⁶

Former natural-born Filipinos are the exception. Article XII Section 8 lets them acquire private land “subject to limitations provided by law”: up to 1,000 m² urban or 1 hectare rural for a residence (Batas Pambansa 185), or 5,000 m² urban or 3 hectares rural for business or other purposes (Republic Act 8179).²⁵²⁷²⁸ No more than two lots in different municipalities or cities are allowed, and a married couple shares one cap.²⁷²⁸

Condominium Units and the 40% Rule

Foreigners can own condominium units, within a limit. The Condominium Act (Republic Act 4726) Section 5 invalidates transfers that would make “the alien interest in such corporation” exceed the limits imposed by existing laws, and bars direct conveyance to foreigners where common areas are co-owned.¹⁴ Because the Constitution keeps land-holding entities at least 60% Filipino-owned, a 40% foreign cap is commonly cited (derived).²⁵¹⁴

Long-Term Leases

Foreign individuals can lease private land for up to 25 years, renewable for another 25 by mutual agreement, under Presidential Decree No. 471; contracts that break the limit are void, and the parties face a fine, imprisonment or both.²⁹

The 99-year lease law is for registered investors, not homes. Republic Act 12252 (approved 3 September 2025) allows leases of up to 99 years for an “approved and registered investment”, with the land used solely for that investment, and requires at least USD 5,000,000 for tourism projects.³⁰ The amended Section 5(1) of the Investors’ Lease Act keeps other foreigners under Presidential Decree No. 471; Japanese tax on overseas property is covered in the guide to buying property abroad.³⁰

Regional Comparison: Metro Manila (BGC/Makati) vs. Cebu vs. Dumaguete

Japanese Missions and Coverage

Three Japanese missions serve the country. MOFA lists the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (Manila) for Luzon and the Consulate-General of Japan in Cebu for the Visayas, and Cebu’s jurisdiction expressly includes the Negros Island Region, so Dumaguete is served from Cebu.³¹³² A Consulate-General of Japan in Davao also operates, but its jurisdiction was not stated on the pages checked.³³

Cebu has no resident medical officer; the Embassy’s medical officer covers it.³⁴

Comparison Table

These figures describe the area, not an expatriate budget. PSA’s Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) figures are averages for local families of all sizes; the monthly column divides by 12 (as of October 2026).³⁵¹³⁶³⁴³⁷

Area	Nearest Japanese mission	Japanese-language medical help listed by MOFA	Average annual family expenditure, FIES 2023 (monthly, derived)	Japanese residents (MOFA)	MOFA danger level
Philippines (national)	n/a	n/a	PHP 258,050 (about PHP 21,500)	13,342	Varies by area
National Capital Region	Embassy, Manila	Japanese Association Manila clinic; fee-based Japanese help desks at Makati Medical Center, St. Luke’s (Taguig) and Asian Hospital	PHP 385,050 (about PHP 32,090)	6,513 (Metro Manila)	Level 1
City of Makati	Embassy, Manila	As above	PHP 506,900 (about PHP 42,240)	No official figure	Level 1
City of Taguig	Embassy, Manila	As above	PHP 372,210 (about PHP 31,020)	No official figure	Level 1
Region VII Central Visayas	Consulate-General, Cebu	Fee-based help desks at Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital and Chong Hua Mandaue; clinic-company counter at three hospitals	PHP 218,030 (about PHP 18,170)	No official figure	Level 1
City of Cebu	Consulate-General, Cebu	As above	PHP 260,130 (about PHP 21,680)	No official figure	Level 1
Negros Island Region	Consulate-General, Cebu	None listed	PHP 203,840 (about PHP 16,990)	No official figure	Level 1
Negros Oriental (province; includes Dumaguete, derived)	Consulate-General, Cebu	None listed	PHP 168,820 (about PHP 14,070)	No official figure	Level 1

The Dumaguete row is an inference: other PSA provincial rows state which cities are excluded, the Negros Oriental row does not, and Dumaguete is not listed separately.³⁵

Cost of Living Breakdown: Maximizing Value on a Basic Nenkin Budget

What Official Statistics Show

The World Bank’s International Comparison Program (ICP) 2021 put the Philippines’ price level for household consumption at 62.13, against 142.81 for Japan (World = 100) (as of October 2026).³⁸ Those figures predate most of the yen’s fall: OECD data show Japan’s relative price level dropping to 59.2 in 2024 from 70.8 in 2022 (USA = 100), so the gap for yen earners is now narrower.³⁹

Treat the FIES figures above as a local benchmark only, not a forecast for a household from Japan; the budgeting method, including a yen stress test, is in the guide to retiring abroad on a Japanese pension.

Budget Lines That Are Easy to Miss

BI extension fees: visa-free visitors pay BI fees on each extension (as of October 2026).⁴
Recurring US dollar costs: the SRRV Classic annual fee of USD 360, with deposits and fees all in US dollars (as of October 2026).⁵⁶

Healthcare Standards: Navigating Metro Manila Hospitals vs. Provincial Care

Payment Up Front and Japanese-Language Help

MOFA warns that “当地では医療機関受診の際、診療費の前払いや支払能力の提示を求められます”: hospitals ask for prepayment or proof that you can pay (as of October 2026).³⁶ Insurance, the Kaigai Ryoyohi 海外療養費 refund and evacuation cover are explained in the guide to senior healthcare and medical insurance abroad.

Japanese-language support exists mainly in Metro Manila and Cebu and may be fee-based, according to MOFA (as of October 2026).³⁶³⁴ The hospitals in the comparison table are named as MOFA lists them, not as a recommendation; care services are covered in the guide to Japanese-language support for retirees abroad.

PhilHealth for Foreign Residents

The Universal Health Care Act automatically includes “every Filipino citizen” in the national health insurance program; it does not extend automatic inclusion to foreign nationals.⁴⁰ PhilHealth Circular 2017-0003 lets SRRV holders (enrolled through PRA) and other foreigners with a valid ACR I-Card join voluntarily under the Informal Economy program, while foreigners with formal employment contracts are covered as employees (as of October 2026).⁴¹ Its premium figures could not be confirmed as current, so ask PhilHealth or PRA.⁴¹

Safety, Security, and Practical Daily Living Advice

MOFA Travel Advisories and Tabi-Reg / Zairyu Todoke

MOFA’s danger information (危険情報) for the Philippines dated 19 December 2024 was still current in October 2026.³⁷ It sets levels by area:

Level 3 (渡航中止勧告, avoid all travel): Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, western Sarangani, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.³⁷
Level 2 (不要不急の渡航中止, avoid non-essential travel): southern Palawan (south of Puerto Princesa), eastern Sarangani and parts of Mindanao including Bukidnon and South Cotabato.³⁷
Level 1 (十分注意, exercise caution): Metro Manila and all other areas, including Cebu and Negros, plus parts of Mindanao.³⁷

MOFA notes that the national state of emergency was lifted in July 2023 but terrorism and kidnapping still occur; check the live page before travelling.³⁷

Under Article 16 of the Passport Act, Japanese nationals living abroad for three months or more must file a residence registration (Zairyu Todoke 在留届).⁴² MOFA says it can be filed online (ORRnet) with the Embassy, the Consulate-General in Cebu or the Consulate-General in Davao, up to three months before leaving Japan, and that shorter trips use Tabi-Reg (as of October 2026).³⁴³ Consular services are covered in the guide to Japanese embassies and Tabi-Reg.

Staying beyond 59 days brings BI duties. MOFA states that such foreigners must obtain an ACR I-Card (Balikbayan entrants and holders of visas with special ID cards excepted), with the annual report and exit clearance steps set out in the timeline below (as of October 2026).³⁴

Natural Hazards

MOFA notes that typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic activity cause natural disasters fairly often, sometimes disrupting transport and communications.³

Practical Setup: Electricity, Driving, Pets, Schools

Driving: the Philippines is on the National Police Agency’s list of 1949 Geneva Convention parties, so a Japanese International Driving Permit is usable; the Philippine Embassy in Bern states that a foreign licence may be used for 90 days from arrival (as of October 2026).⁴⁴⁴⁵ Driving abroad has its own guide.

Schools: the Manila Japanese School (マニラ日本人学校), founded by the Japanese Association Manila, is the only MEXT-certified Japanese school in the Philippines on the list dated 1 April 2026.⁴⁶ School choice and supplementary Japanese schools (hoshuko) have their own guides, as do electrical appliances and pet relocation.

Step-by-Step Administrative Procedure & Timeline

This timeline is illustrative; adjust it to your route (as of October 2026).

T-12 months: Choose your route. For the SRRV, check your age band, deposit tier and pension figure.⁵⁶
T-6 to T-3 months: Arrange the medical clearance and, last, the Japanese police certificate, applied for in person at prefectural police headquarters (each valid six months for the SRRV).⁶⁴⁷ The Philippines has been an Apostille Convention party since 14 May 2019.⁴⁸
T-3 months: Handle Japan-side exits (pension payment abroad, health insurance, tax representative, resident tax, moving-out notification, re-entry permit for foreign residents) and file the Zairyu Todoke.³
Arrival: Register on eTravel and carry an onward ticket; enter visa-free (not on a 9(a) e-Visa if converting). File the SRRV in person (30 to 45 working days) or start the AEP and 9(G) through the employer.³¹⁵⁶⁴
Beyond 59 days on visitor status: Obtain the ACR I-Card.³
Every year: ACR I-Card holders, including 9(G) holders, file the BI Annual Report within the first 60 days of the year; SRRV holders pay the PRA annual fee.⁴³⁵
Departure: Obtain an ECC after six months or more (SRRV, SIRV and 47(a)(2) holders are exempt); 9(G) holders surrender the ACR I-Card and downgrade first.³⁴

Japanese Citizens vs. Foreign Residents: Critical Distinctions

Philippine entry rules depend on nationality; Japan-side consequences depend on your status in Japan (as of October 2026).

Issue	Japanese citizens	Foreign residents of Japan
Entry	Visa-free 30 days, extendable to 59 days and beyond with BI⁴³	Depends on nationality; visa-required nationals living in Japan can use the Tokyo embassy’s 9(a) e-Visa⁴¹⁵
SRRV	Classic (or Courtesy if eligible)⁶	Same; former Filipinos have the Courtesy (former Filipinos) option⁶
Police certificate for SRRV	Japanese certificate	From the country of origin or last residence, per PRA⁶
Land ownership	Not allowed²⁵	Not allowed, except former natural-born Filipinos within statutory caps²⁵²⁷²⁸
Returning to Japan	Always possible	Status may lapse without a (special) re-entry permit

Japanese nationals of Filipino origin need care with citizenship. Re-acquiring Philippine citizenship by oath under Republic Act 9225 may engage Article 11(1) of Japan’s Nationality Act, under which a Japanese national who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Japanese nationality, so read the dual nationality guide before taking the oath.⁴⁹⁵⁰

Foreign permanent residents of Japan should check whether their status survives the absence (see the guide to departure rules for Japanese citizens and foreign residents); the lump-sum withdrawal has its own guide.

Common Pitfalls & Regulatory Compliance Risks

Using pre-2025 SRRV figures (age 50, USD 10,000/20,000 deposits, USD 1,400 fee). Fix: use PRA’s Expanded SRRV sheet.⁶¹³
Treating the digital nomad visa as open before DFA guidelines exist.⁹¹⁰
Starting work before the AEP (or exemption) and 9(G) are in place.⁴
Buying land through a Filipino nominee, or assuming the 99-year lease law covers a home.²⁶³⁰²⁹
Entering on a 9(a) e-Visa when planning the SRRV. Fix: confirm a convertible entry route with PRA.¹⁵⁶
Overstaying the authorised stay. Fix: extend in time; MOFA warns of fines and possible detention.⁴³
Leaving without an ECC after six months on an ACR I-Card.³

References & Official Sources

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Consular Affairs Bureau Policy Division, 「海外在留邦人数調査統計令和７年（2025年）10月１日現在」, PDF (published 25 December 2025), https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100957047.pdf (archived copy: http://web.archive.org/web/20260421192127id_/https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100957047.pdf) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, 1987 Constitution, Article XIV, Sections 6 and 7, web.archive.org snapshot of 3 October 2023: http://web.archive.org/web/20231003133215/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-article-xiv/ ↩
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 海外安全ホームページ, 「フィリピン安全対策基礎データ」, updated 21 October 2025, accessed October 2026, https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pcsafetymeasure_013.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰
Bureau of Immigration (Philippines), Citizen’s Charter 2026, Main Office, 1st Edition (PDF modified 15 September 2026), sections on visa waiver extensions, 9(G), 13(A), SRRV conversion, ECC, ACR I-Card and 47(a)(2) implementation, accessed October 2026, https://immigration.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Main-Office-2026-1st-Edition.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³
Philippine Retirement Authority, “SRRVisa” (options, requirements, fees, benefits), accessed October 2026, https://pra.gov.ph/srrvisa ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹
Philippine Retirement Authority, “Expanded SRRV Program” (PRA-PD-LORQ-0010, issue date August 2025), https://www.pra.gov.ph/Uploads/Files/Expanded%20SRRV%20Program.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸
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