Here i go again!!!

[GLEN]

Hello to everyone, i think you know my name now..GLEN...if you missed it. As the title suggests i have been thru this once before, the difference this time is i am going to marry the girl of my dreams and i want to live in phil with her, not in the uk. The 1st girl i met was going to live here in uk with me, until her so called "friend" got involved and twisted her mind.But that is life!!
I met my new girlfriend thru the net, i have since been to meet her and her family, we got on like a house on fire,it was great.Unlike the 1st girl who came from cebu city, my new girlfriend lives near Kabankalan city in the mountians.What a beautiful place to live, so peaceful and relaxed i have decided to live there and to marry her there.I have already purchased a carabou for her father to earn more for the family,and to make his life easier,i am sending a crate with tools in it by sea freight so we can start a sawmill up in there garden, and when i finally go to live there i will purchase a taxi for working up in the mountains.
My problem is now, that i went thru all the redtape of bringing my 1st gf here and now i want to go there!! It seems to me looking thru the forum that it is more difficult moving me there than her here!! So any help and advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks Glen.

[KeithD]

You need a decent wad of cash to ensure you're going to setup and live comfortably..... over £100,000

[GLEN]

Hi Keith,when you say i need a decent wad to live comfortably,i run my own business here,as i said i have met and lived with my future wife. I find the simple unrushed way of life in the mountains suits what i am looking for now.There is no running water or sewage systems there,the only utility is electric, but it is what i am looking for,so i think that i do not need so much money.That is why i am setting up a small sawmill,and purchased a carabou,then just before i move there to live i will be purchasing a 4x4 small taxi to operate in the mountains.I am moving in with her parents and two sisters, i will be running my business over here with the help of my sister who is a director in her own business.
The main reason i joined the site is to seek help about "redtape"..problems getting permission to live there.As i mentioned before Keith,i met a girl in cebu,who should have moved here to the uk in december,but she decided with the help from her "friend" that she wanted to dictate terms all in her favour and i had no say.The only choice i had was to accept what she wanted or she would not come here.The terms were not acceptable for me so it ended.Now i want to move to PR i am looking for the right way to do things,and it seems there is more "redtape" for me to move there than what there was to bring a phil girl here.

[stevewool]

wow it seems you know what you want and going to get it, good luck

[Rosie1958]

You need a decent wad of cash to ensure you're going to setup and live comfortably..... over £100,000

You will also need medical insurance if you intend to live over there too

[blackcatbone]

You need a decent wad of cash to ensure you're going to setup and live comfortably..... over £100,000

and how long would £100,000 last if you didn't want to live like a westerner do you think? once i sel up here thats pretty much what i will have

[joebloggs]

and how long would £100,000 last if you didn't want to live like a westerner do you think? once i sel up here thats pretty much what i will have

probably not as long as you think :NoNo:
fred would have an idea, hes been in the phils for a number of years now, but a few on here have had to come back when they ran out of money :NoNo:

[Tawi2]

if you didn't want to live like a westerner
Could you live like a typical pinoy?What level or standard are you expecting to survive at?

[sars_notd_virus]

My problem is now, that i went thru all the redtape of bringing my 1st gf here and now i want to go there!! It seems to me looking thru the forum that it is more difficult moving me there than her here!! So any help and advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks Glen.

hello Glen welcome back!!
Its not difficult to live in the Philippines especially if u and ur partner wants to live a simple filipino life,a good source of income is very important(business,work,farm)..and dont forget about the health insurance..I've seen a lot of foreigners survived and succeeded in our country with the help of their loving wives...goodluck!!

[Manila_Paul]

Need a business really. Can't really rely on anything coming from back home in the long run. Especially given the way the exchange rate has been heading.

[blackcatbone]

probably not as long as you think :NoNo:
fred would have an idea, hes been in the phils for a number of years now, but a few on here have had to come back when they ran out of money :NoNo:

good question Joe & tawi2 well i'm not looking to live in a squatters camp i will be honest with you i will miss nothing at all about jolly old england (maybe decent toilet roll) so its not like i'm going to want a lot of imported goods and i want to invest in a business there if i can

[stevewool]

spend wise and have a good women behind you and £100,000 will last you a life time, it had better thats all i have

[GLEN]

hello Glen welcome back!!
Its not difficult to live in the Philippines especially if u and ur partner wants to live a simple filipino life,a good source of income is very important(business,work,farm)..and dont forget about the health insurance..I've seen a lot of foreigners survived and succeeded in our country with the help of their loving wives...goodluck!!

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement and support,i have been to my future wifes house,Ging as she is known is a very loving and caring woman,and is very supportive of me now.As are her family!!
The way of life in the mountians is very simplictic,just what i have been looking for.I have looked at what will work there as a business,and the three things i have mentioned will work.I am not looking to live like a king,i will be very happy living as Ging and her family do,but i have to contribute to the household income and this is the way to do it i think!!..as i have already written i have purchased one carabou,and will be looking at purchasing more in the future.
thanx again for your support..Glen.

[GLEN]

Could you live like a typical pinoy?What level or standard are you expecting to survive at?

Hello Tawi2, Yes i can live like a pinoy in the mountains!! I do not need the trappings of most westerners needs,as i have written i have been to stay with my future wife and her family already, so i know what is available,and i am very happy to live with my wife and her family in the mountains,working for a living doing any work available aswell as run a small business from home there.

[GLEN]

spend wise and have a good women behind you and £100,000 will last you a life time, it had better thats all i have

Hello Steve, Thanx for your support,can you just clarify for me one thing... where do you live...derby or phils?

[GLEN]

Hello blackcat, my 1st gf lived in a squatters area in cebu,the hippodromo if you know it?
I found the way of life there was far better than anywhere here in the uk,as everybody helped each other,not like over here where not even your neighbours that have lived next door for 15 years want to speak to you never mind help you!! But as i said her so called "friend" who was jealous of her twisted her mind.So it ended otherwise i was going to live there with her and her family.Now i have met a girl from the province the way of life there is so peaceful apart from the "friggin cockerals":icon_lol: it is what i have really been looking for.So as the saying goes "don't knock it until you try it". The phils is a wonderful place to live if you want it to be.And if you look carefully you will find the right business oppurtunity in any area.

[stevewool]

derby at this and for a few more years hope to be all sorted out before i reach 60

[Sim11UK]

Around 3 years ago? I read on a website & it was discussed here also, that if you had a lump sum, of £100,000 if invested wisely, you could live reasonably comfortably in the Philippines.
It involved spreading your investments around...some in the UK & investing in rural Banks in the Phils.
These Banks, were paying up to 20% interest...If you invested, now I can't remember? whether it was 25,000 or 250,000 pesos in each Bank...if the Banks went phuttt! which quite often they did or do? you were guaranteed to get your money back, up to that limit invested.

(Now for the important bit)...Since then, we've had a world recession, terrible exchange rates etc. etc. So it ain't gonna happen now...That's why many have had to come back....But it's interesting stuff.

The thread was something like 'How much to retire in the Philippines'....It's back in the archives somewhere. :)

[jayzel]

Hi Glen, your right kabankalan is a beautiful place when you drive up the long straight road past the city hall that takes you into the city itself surrounded by the veiws of the mountains,i went there regularly to collect building supplies i lived in sipalay 2 hours by ceres.
To be honest i found the local cuisine hard to adjust to so i ate mostly hometown dishes which were 5 times the price of local foods i dont know what exactly you require to survive but i have some pigs and coconut ground which we harvest but to be honest i spent more than 40k monthly i decided to come back to uk and start the process of bringing Zel my fiance back here i dont know much about living there except you can renew your tourist visa every 59 days an wen you marry you can get another year visa its not easy and the immigration in bacolod or dumaguete city are very helpful good luck to you mate i wish i was on my way back there.
jon & zel

[Tawi2]

Wasnt Kermit in Zambo having difficulties withdrawing his money from a bank or something along those lines when he was intending to return to the UK?Wonder how his story panned-out :Erm:

[Sim11UK]

Wasnt Kermit in Zambo having difficulties withdrawing his money from a bank or something along those lines when he was intending to return to the UK?Wonder how his story panned-out :Erm:

Yeah Kermit was an interesting character, think he had money, from a motorcycle accident payout, in UK...& Yes I think he was having investment problems?

His wife was a bit trigger happy, so I hope she never shot him. :cwm24:

[Terpe]

Hi GLENN,

Firstly I will admit that I admire both your aspiration and your determination.
Unlike many, I think it's perfectly possible to live the kind of life you outline, provided you really want to, that it will make you happy, and you know just what it will be like.

I would guess you already know that the biggest things that can bite you are medical
(you and your extended family) and any emergency needs to return home.
If you feel the need, think about insurance.

Regarding finances, may I very kindly suggest you consider something like HSBC premiere account (offshore). Take a look at the benefits it offers you living abroad.

I believe there are many more experienced members can offer advice about immigration control and requirements in Phils. Please do a search, google it whatever.
Understand, that it is not diificult. Yes, there is red tape, but really not any problem.

Many many people have done it before you. The Phils immigration site has plenty of info.

[blackcatbone]

Hello blackcat, my 1st gf lived in a squatters area in cebu,the hippodromo if you know it?
I found the way of life there was far better than anywhere here in the uk,as everybody helped each other,not like over here where not even your neighbours that have lived next door for 15 years want to speak to you never mind help you!! But as i said her so called "friend" who was jealous of her twisted her mind.So it ended otherwise i was going to live there with her and her family.Now i have met a girl from the province the way of life there is so peaceful apart from the "friggin cockerals":icon_lol: it is what i have really been looking for.So as the saying goes "don't knock it until you try it". The phils is a wonderful place to live if you want it to be.And if you look carefully you will find the right business oppurtunity in any area.

mate i didn't mean to offend but Jane marie kept me away from the squatters areas so i have no real experience of it i was just saying that i dont want to live in total poverty and hopefully i wont need to but while i'm there i just want to help Janes family and friends with employment and the basics of life and i know what you mean about the cockerals it freaked me out the hear them in Manila every morning last thing i expected in a city lol

[Sim11UK]

Hi Glen
As well as getting info from this site, have a look at http://tropicalpenpals.com/blog/ he's a member here.

He's a British expat living in Cebu, who is trying all sorts of Businesses out there...some succesful, some not so?...But trying to live a simpler life & learning as he goes along. Sometimes, he returns to the UK to work for periods of time...Have a look through the archives, it's a good read. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[blackcatbone]

Hi Glen
As well as getting info from this site, have a look at http://tropicalpenpals.com/blog/ he's a member here.

He's a British expat living in Cebu, who is trying all sorts of Businesses out there...some succesful, some not so?...But trying to live a simpler life & learning as he goes along. Sometimes, he returns to the UK to work for periods of time...Have a look through the archives, it's a good read. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

i agree mate i was posted a link to an article by Grahamw48 very interesting site from what i can see

[GLEN]

Sorry blackcat if i sounded offended,i was not offended at all, but there are people who i spoke to before i got there who said bad things about nearly all squatter areas. Filapino people i mean,who were lucky enough not to have been born in a squatter area!! I have worked in many different places over the years, and found that people in different towns and cities have plenty to say about the "rough areas" in there area, when i have worked there and walked into a local pub you tend to find that the "rough pub" i went to is notourious for fighting or something like that.But i can honestly say i have never had any problems and eventually made some good friends there.Just as i did in "the hipodromo".I do think it should be made mandatory that you kill a cockeral aday in phil:icon_lol:..sorry only joking, hope i have not offended anyone saying that.

[GLEN]

Hi Sim11UK, Thanx for the link,i will still be running my small business here in uk,but am setting up business and work there before i move permanantly. Then i will be getting a regular income from the uk until i am happy that i can survive in kabankalan. As i said i can and have lived a simple life before,i do not need running water or a cooker to live, as long as i am happy with my wife and her family that is all i need!! After some researching whilst i was there the three things i am starting make good business sense,so i think it will work, if not i have a truck licence so could work driving a sugarcane truck if need be.

[GLEN]

Trust me Terpe,It is what i really want and i agree with you, it is "perfectly possible" some people want to have all the amenities they have at home.I on the other hand don't want or need them.I have run my own small business on my own now for years, and i have looked after other people most of my life. Now i have found someone who really loves me,and wants to "bury me" in her home, i could not be happier.

[Sim11UK]

Sounds like you are going about it the right way...good to keep the UK income, at least for the time being. I admire you for doing it, we all have our own comfort levels...I'd like a simple life over there too, but I don't really want to cut my ties with the UK...Would like to work here all summer & spend part of the winter over there ideally....Certainly not going to wait for retirement to move out there. :NoNo:

[GLEN]

Hi jon& zel, thanx for your response you say that you spent 40k monthly!! pisos ofcourse?..i have stayed with Ging and her family,i did buy a new roof and a few other things for the house,whilst i was there.Apart from a big party i paid for, i lived exactly the same as them,they ate more than me!! all i did more than them was drink water!! I found the local food fine, but everyone is different about food, on xmas day i made a huge chicken curry,they all said it was lovely but i could see they did not like it:icon_lol:.There are two types of food i do not like in phils,one is "saltedfish with boiled banana"...and the other is "sea urchin" both are yuckk!!!!! Thanx for the info about the 59 day visa, so that is all i need to get married?..Hey ceres!! better than catching a bus here!!! more fun hanging of the side for an hour and a half!!:icon_lol: hehehehe.

[Tawi2]

they all said it was lovely but i could see they did not like it
Just before I came back to UK last december I took someone to Bangkok-wok in Davao,its a thai restaurant,my sis had a thai restaurant in UK so I like a hot Thai curry,my companion couldnt eat,far too hot she said:)
Your right,sea-urchin tastes like crud :icon_lol:
Good luck in your endeavours GLEN.

[Terpe]

GLEN

When you travel to the Philippines from UK you get a free 21 day visa at arrival immigration.
When you arrive you must have an ongoing ticket to either your orgininating country or another country.
Lots of people use what is called a cheap "throw away" ticket.

If you want to stay longer than 21 days you can get a 38 day extension (21days + 38days = 59days) at an
immigration office in the Phils.
Better to do this at least one week before your visa expiration.
I have seen on this forum that some members state that it's possible to purchase the extension at arrival at the airport. But I have no experience of this. Nor do I known how much it would cost.

If it was me, I would get the 59 day visa from the Phils Embassy/Consulate in UK before you leave.
This could be a money saver as the cost is only about £22 (I think the 38 day extension is about £100 in Phils)

If you have all your ducks lined up with your paperwork etc, you should have no problems getting married within the 59 days.

You may need to check the latest info for paperwork needed but in principle

Your Birth certificate

Certificate of No Impediment to Marry from local registry office. Then present these documents to his Embassy/Consulate in the Philippines to be issued a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry. This certificate is needed for the application of a marriage license
BTW some forum members are now reporting that they were also required to obtain a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) from NSO (National Statistics Office) so you might need to do this as well.

Apply for the marriage license in your fiancée's home town at the registry office. (or locality of where marriage will take place) After you apply for the license there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period while the marriage banns are published

Sometimes (sometimes depending on your ages) you might also be requested to attend counseling sessions prior to being allowed to be married.

Anyway there's no reason why you can't accomplish all this in less than 30 days

Staying on beyond the 59 days requires you to extend your visa in two month increments at any immigration office up to 16 months. Beyond that, further extensions require approval by the main office in Manila. This can continue up to a
total of another 8 months (4X two month extensions). Eventually you will have reached 24 months in Phils.
At that point you must then leave the country. Although you can return immediately to start another 24 month process.

Look here for fees of all the above:-

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=282&Itemid=43

You will notice that after 59 days extension you need the Alien Certificate of Registration.
This is now the ACR I-Card and is a microchip-based credit card-sized identification card issued to registered aliens
replacing the paper-based ACR.
It has an embedded computer chip with biometric security features capable of data management and can be updated electronically.
It is fraud and tamper-proof/resistant with the following data:

1.Personal information such as name, age, date of birth, place of birth, etc.
2.Photograph
3.Date and status of admission
4.Visa type granted/date granted/date issued/
expiry date
5.Biometric information (2 digitalized fingerprint templates)
6.Signature
7.ACR and ICR/NBCR/CRTV/CRTT/CRTS and CRPE numbers
8.Travel details
9.Payment of immigration fees details

The ACR I-Card serves as the Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC),
Re-entry Permit (RP) and Special Return Certificate (SRC) of the holder upon payment of the required fees.


Your other long stay options are the 13a visa (PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION VISA) and the SMILE, (was SRRV-Special Resident Retiree's Visa)

PHILIPPINE IMMIGRATION VISA (13a visa)
Non-Quota Philippine Immigration Visa (Section 13(a) of the Philippine Immigration Act)

Info and application form here:-
http://philembassy-uk.org/visaform3.pdf

But I have seen in posts on this forum that it is much easier and simpler to apply and obtain this
visa from within Philippines. However it may help you to understand just what is needed
if you take a look here:-

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=35

All documents to support your application must be properly certified as true copy.
Sworn statements or affidavits should be notarized.
Foreign documents must be duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate at the place where they are issued.

This visa is only available to citizens of a country which grants permanent residence and immigration privileges to Philippine citizens.
This non-quota immigrant visa is a one-year multiple entry visa which should be renewed in the Philippines for three (3) consecutive years. On the fourth year (3rd renewal), the applicant may apply for permanent residency in the Philippines.

SMILE (previously known as Special Resident Retiree's Visa)

For all details on this look here:-
http://www.pra.gov.ph./main/srrv_program?page=1

To be perfectly honest I have never known or known of anyone who ever took this up. Also, I admit I have never really studied
or researched if there are any cost/value benefits.

Finally, don't forget that UK has a Double Taxation Agreement with Philippines so your pensions (incl state pension) could be agreed for taxation purposes to be taxed in Philippines rather than UK. Since the Philippines has a tax rate of zero on pensions, means your pensions will be tax free. (This agreement does not apply to government pensions such as civil service and most other public sector)

Hope this helps

[Tawi2]

(I think the 38 day extension is about £100 in Phils)
Its just over 3000 pesos isnt it including "express service fee" :Erm:

[Terpe]

Its just over 3000 pesos isnt it including "express service fee" :Erm:

Yep, upon checking that's it

[GLEN]

Terpe,thank you so much for such a detailed reply,i am sorry for the late response but i have to catchup with all my paperwork aswell as running my small business.The info you give me will be invaluable in my search for all the documents required for marriage in phils.I really appreciate all that you have written,thanks again!!

Glen..

[Manila_Paul]

GLEN

When you travel to the Philippines from UK you get a free 21 day visa at arrival immigration.
When you arrive you must have an ongoing ticket to either your orgininating country or another country.
Lots of people use what is called a cheap "throw away" ticket.

Just get an amendable and cancelable ticket. Usually to somewhere like Hong Kong, as this will be relatively cheap. I've amended mine on several occasions so I can use the new ticket when I'm heading into the Philippines. I've had no issues with the fact that it is the same ticket over and over. The airline knows what you're doing but just needs to comply with immigration rules that say you must have a return ticket.


If you want to stay longer than 21 days you can get a 38 day extension (21days + 38days = 59days) at an
immigration office in the Phils.
Better to do this at least one week before your visa expiration.
I have seen on this forum that some members state that it's possible to purchase the extension at arrival at the airport. But I have no experience of this. Nor do I known how much it would cost

Agents will do it for you. I know one that charges P3,000 but it can probably be done much cheaper. Don't know which agency this is that is operating at the airport.


If it was me, I would get the 59 day visa from the Phils Embassy/Consulate in UK before you leave.
This could be a money saver as the cost is only about £22 (I think the 38 day extension is about £100 in Phils)

It is about P3,000, about £42, but far less hassle to do it before you go.

[fred]

Hey Glen..
You sound just like me 28 years ago!! Love the enthusiasm and your will to live a simple life in the bukid!!
I did then exactly what you are about to experience and loved every minute of it..And I still am)
Just do what you think is best..We only live once..So lets live it boldly eh!!
Any mistakes will be yours..YOU OWN THEM!! Just dont forget or repeat them..
Regards,
Fred.

[JimOttley]

I met an ex pat Scot a couple of days after new year living right round the corner from where my partner grew up.

He had left the UK donkeys ago and lived in Australia for a long time he had blown all his savings about 10 years back and was living a hand to mouth existence in Western Australia basically just waiting to die, not many friends etc.

Then his mate invited him to go to the Phils for a holiday about 4 years ago, he loved the place and two weeks after he got back to Australia he packed up and headed for the Phils, he is living on his pensions both UK (very small UK pension) and Australian and told me he manages to get by on about 40,000 a month and he is building a house in the South off that at the same time, showed me all the pictures.

Really nice chap 70 years old and still sounded completely Scottish, it was a delight to meet a fellow Scot in such an unexpected place, we shared a few beers in his little rented house in Manila and talked about Scotland and the reasons we love the Phils, I would have stayed longer and had a longer blether but my kids and Ana were with me at the time and it was late.

Anyway old Sammy proves it can be done but you do need a revenue stream to be able to do it.