Foreign spouses of Filipinos/Filipinas can now work and live in the Philippines

Foreign Spouses of Filipino Nationals Can Now Live and Work in the Philippines
The Philippine Embassy notes an increasing number of foreign nationals married to Filipinos wishing to take up permanent residency in the Philippines. Primary considerations include the relatively cheap cost of living in the Philippines, including education of children, and potential investment opportunities particularly in the provinces outside Metro Manila and other regions.

In response to numerous queries it regularly receives from British nationals married to Filipinos if they could permanently live and work in the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy confirms that foreign spouses of Filipinos nationals can now permanently live and work in the Philippines by applying for non-quota immigrant visa.

Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu explains that a foreign national married to a Filipino national may apply for the visa provided that he is able to prove that:

* He contracted a valid marriage with a Filipino citizen;
* The marriage is recognized under existing Philippine laws;
* There is no record of any derogatory information against the applicant from relevant law enforcement agencies;
* He/she is of good physical and mental health; and
* He/she has sufficient funds to support his/her family

"Former Filipino citizens married to foreign nationals first have to take an oath of allegiance before a consul at a Philippine Embassy/Consulate nearest to their place of residence to reacquire their Philippine citizenship before their foreign spouses could qualify for the non-quota immigrant visa," adds Ambassador Espiritu.

For further information on the non-quota immigrant visa and retention/reacquisition of Philippine citizenship, interested parties may contact the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy at telephone numbers 020 7451 1814 and 020 7451 1815