Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau: Choosing Among the Long-Stay Routes in the Philippines

First, Are You Staying Longer or Actually Staying Long-Term?

A Taiwan passport's current visa-free entry is around 14 days, non-extendable and non-convertible; both HKSAR and Macao SAR passports get visa-free entry around 14 days for a first stay too (Macao SAR additionally requires a return or onward ticket). Visa-free entry solves short tourism, not long-term residence — it cannot be converted into long-term residency from within the country, nor turned into de facto long-term residence through repeated extensions. Hong Kong and Macau residents can extend up to a cap; see Hong Kong residents in the Philippines and Macau residents in the Philippines. Taiwan's situation is in Taiwanese residents in the Philippines. If you actually want to settle rather than stay a few extra weeks, skip the extension route and go straight to the formal long-stay routes below.

Three Underlying Logics for a Long Stay: Marriage, Employment, Capital

The common long-stay routes in the Philippines ultimately rest on three different justifications for letting you stay:

Figuring out which logic fits you gets you to the right answer faster than searching visa codes. Each is expanded below without going into documents or fees — that's left to each route's dedicated guide.

13A: Built on Marriage, But Taiwan's Eligibility Needs Confirming Separately

A foreigner legally married to a Filipino citizen can apply for 13A residency, typically probationary at first and converting to permanent once the marriage's genuineness and continuity are established; holders generally may work or run a business without a separate work permit. The full mechanism, document direction and common pitfalls are in the full 13A visa guide.

One point has to be stated clearly here: 13A is only available to nationals of countries/territories with reciprocity with the Philippines. Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR are on that list; where a Taiwan passport falls is subject to the Bureau of Immigration's current determination, and this article does not assert an answer. For the specific arrangement for Hong Kong/Macau readers marrying a Filipino citizen, see Hong Kong/Macau residents marrying a Filipino citizen and 13A; for Taiwan readers' marriage-based residency question, see Taiwan residents marrying a Filipino citizen: status options. This route assumes the marriage is already legally in place; it doesn't apply if you haven't married yet.

9G: Built on Local Employment, Tied to the Employer

Filed by a Philippine employer, this route starts with an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from DOLE, followed by a 9G work visa from the Bureau of Immigration. The core of this route is the employment relationship — the visa follows the job, and changing employers generally means transferring or refiling, unlike 13A, whose status stands independent of any single contract. The full rules are in the full 9G work visa and AEP guide.

Who it fits: Taiwanese, Hong Kong or Macau residents employed by a Philippine company, or employed by their own registered company. For bringing family along, a minor child can generally apply for a dependent visa — see the full guide to Philippine dependent visas.

Investor-Class Residency: Built on Capital, No Specifics Given Here

A third route, resting neither on marriage nor an employer, is capital: the BOI-administered SIRV for qualifying investors, or the PRA-administered SRRV for retirees, both trading funds or a deposit arrangement for long-term residence eligibility. The specific age thresholds, deposit or investment tiers, annual fees, and whether either counts as permanent residency are not given here — check current PRA and BOI announcements. These figures change frequently, and older numbers circulating online are likely outdated; verify with the current official source or an adviser before planning around them.

Who it fits: Taiwanese, Hong Kong or Macau residents with a clear capital or retirement deposit arrangement, but no Filipino spouse and no plan to be locally employed.

How to Work Out Which Route to Research

Three questions to narrow down direction quickly:

• Do you have a Filipino spouse, in a genuine, ongoing marriage? Yes — look at 13A; no — skip it.
• Will you be employed by a Philippine company (including your own)? Yes — look at 9G; no — skip it.
• Do you have a clear capital or retirement deposit arrangement, with neither employment nor marriage as a basis? Yes — look at investor-class residency; check PRA/BOI's current thresholds.

If none of the three fit clearly, or your situation is more complicated — married but passport eligibility unclear, or weighing more than one route at once — it's worth a direct assessment from Yixing's visa and HR advisers rather than comparing guides on your own.

Not confident judging which route's logic actually fits your situation? Have Yixing assess whether 13A, 9G or investor-class residency fits you →

In Short: This Doesn't Decide for You

The point of this article is to help you understand which route's underlying logic fits you, not to tell you which visa to file for — the answer changes with your nationality, marital status, employment situation and capital structure. Document checklists, processing time and common pitfalls for each route live in their own dedicated guides. This article gives no amounts, no eligibility figures, and no guarantee of outcome — everything is subject to current announcements from the Bureau of Immigration, DOLE, BOI and PRA.