5 Ways To Own Property in The Philippines as a Foreigner - A How To Guide 

If you were to build a house or a buy a condo in the Philippines, where would you buy and why? Comment down below! Savvy Guides - FULL Guide on BGC, Philippines www.thesavvyexpat.com/

I advise any foreigner to rent , I have been through most of these options and I can assure you , you will never own land in the Philippines,at the time you might think you do ( or sort of ) but if you ever encounter a problem later on the odds are stacked against you I am married to a filipina and have learnt so much about this topic Another piece of advice , never invest what you can't afford to lose

You missed 1 important option, leasing the land. For example, you have land for sale. As a foreigner I can lease the land from you for 25 or 50 years for the amount you are selling the land. That gives me control of the land for that period of time. I can then build on that land, etc. A long term lease is a very legitimate way to control property without actual ownership.

Great info. Thanks for this.

Clear, precise and no bs vlog. Great info for us foreigners. In short just rent, its the safest..

Dear Savvy Expat, one way to maintain control over a real estate transaction -though not ownership, is with a "sale-leaseback." contract. If a foreigner expat wanted to build a new home for their Philippine spouse -for example- what the expat could do is provide the funds for the purchase and put the title to the property in the name of the Philippine spouse -as you mentioned- but then, lease back the property from their Philippine spouse for one peso. The sale and leaseback are two sections of the same contract and are executed at the same time. Philippine law permits long-term leases of property, up to 50 years, with a one time option of renewal, for an additional 25 years. (Which is likely to outlive the foreigner expat.) The foreigner expat gives up ownership to their Philippine spouse but, that doesn't necessarily matter so long as the expat can maintain control over the property for the rest of their life. -So that the expat always has a home in their old age, in the event of a divorce for example. (All though there is no divorce in the Philippines, it is certainly possible that the Philippine spouse could seek a divorce in the expats home country. Citizenship and/or residency in the expats home country is often not required. The Philippine spouse just needs to hire a lawyer in the expats home country and a process server in the Philippines -for the expat to get a rude awakening. The sale-leaseback contract can contain provisions to restrict or prohibit any rights held by the Philippine property owner, such as the right to sell or lease the property, the right to mortgage the property, the right to will or transfer ownership of the property, or the right to exclude/include others from the use of the property -such a children or parents, so that not everyone moves in and, that others always have a home. And so on... You could even include a sale-leaseback contract (for the provision of a family home) as part of prenuptial agreement. Prenups are legal in the Philippines. Though some people may not find them romantic, prenups can be important not just to protect assets but also for the provision of care for children and for ageing parents. You don't always need to own the property but, sometimes you really need to be able to control it. -Yeah, I went to law school. Sue me.

Amen Brother! Thanks for your valuation information.

Good video! Thanks

Good info brotha 👊

This video covers a great topic, 'cuz there's so much confusion out there in reference to foreigners owning land and property in the Philippines. Well done, Evan. 👌

Great information !!

Foreigners can only own land in the Philippines if they become a citizen of the Philippines. If your married to a Filipino and lived in the Philippines for at least 5 years as a resident you can apply for citizenship and once approved you can buy as much land as you want in your own name and you can doe everything as any Filipino can doe even vote.

Great Topic Evan and Savvy Expat Crew!

Nice, I was unaware that foreigners could own condos...Thank you 🙏

Do you have a video covering the SRRV? I would love to see one from you on this subject because you cover things so incredibly well.

Great video

Great information Evan! I like how you led with the fact that foreigners can't own land in the PI. Your 5 ways to own property are spot on. Especially the risk associated with the 5 ways. Keep up the great work! I especially like your discussion on "Natural Born Philippine Citizens". As someone whose mother was born in the Philippines, I've done extensive research into that question (I'm under the 1973 constitution). Your video is very concise and well written!

Thanks Evan . Good to know. 👍

Thanks for the informative videos, they are very well produced. Can you share the video system you are using? Thanks

Great video...

There’s a exception; the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone is a special economic zone and freeport area covering portions of the city of Olongapo and the town of Subic in Zambales, and the towns of Hermosa and Morong in Bataan. Foreigners are permitted to purchase freehold land rights, uniquely in the Philippines. There’s alot to offer in terms of geography (mountains, beaches, parks, recreation ) & the fenced in area, known as Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) is uncrowded & very safe. For those looking to start a business, there are many advantages.

yes make a video about incorporating a business in the Philippines.

omg great info. May mga loopholes pala para maka own mga foreginer ng properties. well i guess condo units in ph target market are foreigners.

This is interesting I appreciate the info Evan I definitely need to contact you and your team when I touchdown in the Philippines 🇵🇭

Thank you for your content as always, my question if I may? I have heard about townhouses with condo designation, how does that work?

Especially like how you ended your video 👍 👍 (Please let me know if you have any tip on finding two separate quality units to rent for low 20s php total all inclusive) if its even possible.

Good info, if you buy multiple Condo's like let's say 4 to rent them out does this need to be registered as a company too ?

Super useful video! I also love the verse at then end!

How does closing on a condo work? Does it go through escrow? When would you get the title?

Thanks Evan, learnt something new with this episode as a natural born Filipino. It answered 2 very important questions for me: 1) I am a natural born Filipino but am a naturalised Australian citizen, thinking I must reacquire my Filipino citizenship to become be a dual citizen and thereby purchase land there. 2) My kids are in Australia, it's good to know they can inherit my assets here when the time comes provided it is on my will. Great start to my Saturday morning, keep up the great work!

Amen brother thank you for your hard work. i was reading that condos can be horizontal or vertical,is this true ? i would like to buy a condo that has a garden unit if this is true. also do certain villas fall under the catergory of condos ?

God bless you always brother 🙏 ❤

I know you get bashed, but I do love the high end condo tours.

God bless you abundantly!

The ministry at the end got my like, subscribe and engagement comment brother thanks and I look forward to learning more from your channel. May The LORD JESUS CHRIST bless you

Actually, I learned the other day there's also a new law for a One Person Corporation (OPC), and under the new law, a foreigner can have 100% ownership.

Praise the Lord my friend that verse that you said at the very end... Made my day I will subscribe to your channel a thousand thumbs up🎉

Great info here. My wife owns the land we are building our Beach Resort on. I’m not worried as we met in USA it was my idea for a hotel and she has never cared about money and gives me her money. Thanks

You're quite an actor with a gift of gab, you know.

In your example, are those 40 units sold at a skin tax price? I wonder if there is a price difference if a Condo unit is sold to a local vs foreigner or are they usually the same price regardless of who buys?

Great video,very professional and great information, can you tell me the best apartments to rent in the best locations, i guess on high street or forbes street i want to walk across to the restaurants and malls right in the center of everything i would appreciate it ,moving to bgc in nov ,thanks to you,you convince me thank you very much and God bless you and your family 😊

How can you know for sure if the Condos are abiding to the 40% foreign owner ship laws. Since corruption is rampant in some parts of the country?

I fall into number 3. Glad that my mother listened to my advice to hold on to our properties (all paid off). The cost of living here in the USA 🇺🇸 will make you homeless in no time. To be honest its NOT WORTH IT for a FOREIGNER to invest in REAL State in the Philippines

Are town homes titled & considered the same as Condos with the same ownership rules?

Nice

What about a property/land trust? Are those a thing in the Philippines?

What about forming a OPC one person corporation or my son was born here in the Philippines

Hello, It's me Matti. Julio gave me your youtube Channel name and I subscribed! ^^

wow Im Sorry to rain on your parade but you are mistaken and passing inaccurate info. For SRRV its $50k deposit if 35 or older $20k if over 50 and have proof of foreign income . deposit not cost this deposit can be in a filipino bank or can be pledged to buy a condo there . actual cost of SRRV is about $1600 plus an annual renewal fee if you avail of buying the condo . If not theres only the card renewal fee . Having an SRRV visa is akin to a green card in the US and u are exempt from needing an ACR card ( foreign registration) also the government will show you how to easily acquire Philippine property thru a Philippine corp. you just need 3 Filipino citizens and up to 2 foreigners . they suggest you use your atty , your acct , and your close friend , for the flip side , then have a document in the corp . limiting the bank acct and all $$$ to only go to the registered foreigner . Im a SRRV visa holder for more than 10 yrs and i can assure u this works Please correct your post. Also for inheritance purposes many of my rich Chinoy & pinoy friends prefer to keep their properties in Corp as u can avoid alot of taxes by just transferring the corp vs almost 10% vat and tax and also to avoid the strange Spain laws where any of your blood relatives can cloud title and make a claim . Remember people Philippines is a former US colony and is currently hosting more than 9 US public bases . Assert your rights .

You can also get a citizenship for the Philippines. You can buy straight out if you want.

Thanks for the video. As you where born after your father became and American citizen. Are you allowed to become a dual PH citizen and own land? I am in the scenario where my mother lost Ph citizen ship before my birth.

👍🏻TY🙏🏻great concise information❗️ As a possible expat retiree, considering relocation from USA🇺🇸. My biggest issue I have to consider🤔if relocation comes to fruition. Much appreciate the word of God scripture📕& Christ center video posting. May God 👼🏼continue to bless you & yours💗

You make everything so clear. I have been researching and listening to all these vlogs and I just always have questions. Yes,I would like to know more about setting up a corporation. I've been acquiring a lot of property in the Philippines but it's going to the girlfriend but I'm okay because she's the mother of my daughter. I wouldn't mind doing the corporation thing but what are the tax implications?

Just to clarify, SRRV visa holders CAN buy condos, it's just LAND that they CANNOT buy...correct?

Misleading title - but educational. Thanks

Wow my brother ,I'm proud of you ! You are witnessing my lords and saver Jesus Christ ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

One question. I have seen some gated communities that are advertising that foreigners can own units, which will be a house in the ground of the closed community. Is that true? And if so, it’s considered a condo? Thank you in advance

What about a long term land lease and then building a house? I know your don't own the land. But if you are say 55 and get a 20 year land lease with the option to renew its the same in effect. Except for the spouse. Is that a doable idea? Thanks

I am a former filipino. I have inherited a lot in the Philippines, how can I transfer title of the lot to my relatives? Thank you so much!

Thank you for information, is it true even if I become a filipino citizinship by marraige I can't own land

What about Subic Bay?

Get any Filipino to sign a real estate power of attorney, allowing you to buy and sell real estate in their name. They will own the property , but you having power of attorney can sell the property at any time and pocket the money.

What if a American has Duel Citizenship in America and Philippines. Can they own land??

Most asian countries are like this. I think by historical trauma of being invaded by Chinese entities. Also, because it easier for foreginers to buy condos versus any other type of RE, condos are more expensive than a house of same area size.

Don’t forget to mention multi decade land leases. I’ve seen 50 or 75 year land leases.

If I'm married to a Filipino prior to arrival, do I need to purchase a $20,000 Visa. Thanks for the scripture. 🙏

Could've shortened this video by basically saying... No, you can't buy land without substantial risk. 💯

Can a foreigner hold a 1st mortgage on a spousal property ? Does this give additional security or control over long term ownership? Thanks, James

40% max. Smart!

My wife was born to natural Filipino parents but does not have a Filipino passport. They no longer have Filipino passports neither. They all have Canadian passports. Does the case at 5:59 apply to my wife?

Can a foreigner get a long term land lease (25-50 years) and build a home on the leased land ?

SRRV over 50 and your income is 1,000 or more, you have to put 10,000 in a account

Do the corp video

That was great advice that I have been looking to find for a few years now, I am an Aussie Citizen married to a Filipina and we have 2 sons born here on Luzon Island, my sons both have Filipino passports and I am told by DFA this makes them Filipino/Australian citizens ? , So my question is, can I buy land and put the title/deed in their names instead of my wife's name or is there an age limit in order to own land here. ? My sons have never left the Philippines since birth and are now aged 3 and 5 years old. I hope someone can answer this question. Thanks in advance.

Why didn't you talk about land lease?

AMEN!!!

What if I wanted to buy land with a close friend co signer

Wife & I left the Phil in the 90s & became US citizens. Do we need to apply for dual citizenship to be able to buy land in the Philippines?

I really admire the Philippines government for not allowing foreigners to buy land unlike Australia where the best farm land and real estate are sold freely to foreigners without any restrictions

Can blood Filipino who are born outside of Philippines buy land? My grandfather is Filipino and unsure if I qualify (I'm a 90s baby) I would love to return to my root.

I'd be like get a job I work hard for my money you should to foreigners are not rich things are cheaper here in the Philippines but you need to set a budget to cause it can go away quickly which I still need to learn poverty is so heartbreaking here I wish the government would help these people and and places

What if I have phillipino blood in me from 5 generations back ? But it’s not traceable anymore…? 😭

Can foreigner own 40% through a corporation, then split the remaining 60% between a Philippine born person (30%) and another Philippine corporation (30%) giving the foreign corporation controlling interest?

If me and my Filipina bought property how would we find out if the property is free and clear of any debts

Condo apartments are tiny, ridiculously priced, and taxes are too high. Just keep renting and move for your freedom. When you want to sell, you'll lose money if you bought it brand new from the builder. Only buy preloved properties at a bargain price. Don't get stuck in a poorly maintained condo.

Can I buy property and put it in my 8 year old step daughters name? Can I build a pole building home? How big a lot can My step daughter 8 years old own? (living in the U.S.

If your a foreigner and have a child (child would have dual citizenship ) with a Filipina could I put property in the kids name and not the wife or girlfriends name?

Amen 🙏

I hear that a 50 year lease is legal to a foreigner. I’ve never heard anyone address it. Or a success story.

I have to correct you, owning a condo is a lease hold, be it 20, 50 or 100 years.. you never legally own it, you are just renting it for the length of the lease, it's also difficult to sell when the years on the lease drop, as many mortgage companies won't lend if the lease is as low as 85 years

The Philippines needs to allow dual citizenship say you are a American but want to retire in the Philippines and after sometime thry allow you to become a citizen of the Philippines so you can own property because you would be a dual citizen of the Philippines and the US.

Warning. Do not buy or sell property or land using Terence and Beth Martin from A Foreigner in the Philippines youtube channel. You will regret it. Buy or sell from a reputable, licensed real estate broker only.

A foreigner cannot inherit land if it was per a last will and testament. The foreigner can only inherently inherit, meaning no will. My adoptive American father inherited from my Filipino citizen mother their house and lot in Angeles when she passed. He would not have been able to inherit the land if my mother left a will.

Trying to learn about buying land, and I get a bible study on the back end. LOL JK.

Hi Evan, I fall under the category of "Natural Born Filipino" who became US citizen. If I am allowed to purchase a land, do I need to have dual citizenship? By the way, I am not certain if you already have a video regarding tax topic, like for example tax for dual citizenship. Thank you!

I wish real estate ownership were the same in the USA

Stop trying to be “witty” and all “youtuby “ just get to the point and tell us what your title suggests But wow, the unexpected ending was amazing, good work.

Can a foreigner own an apartment in the Philippines??

You need to learn more about what's possible. The easiest being having your gf buy the property and giving you a permanent special power of attorney on the property. You then control the property.

Well I was enjoying your video but as I listened carefully I detected several major errors. First of all in my reading from the Philippines website it appears that those with an srrv Visa can actually buy a condominium and can obtain a long-term lease. Contrary to your statement. Another error is that you said that those over 50 have to invest $20,000. The actual amount is $10,000 as long as they have a pension of at least $800 for a single person or $1,000 for a spouse. Finally that investment can actually be used to make payments on the condominium purchased or the long-term lease. I would request that you go back and do a little bit of homework and reissue this video. Otherwise you speak clearly and in a very organized way. Hope you continue to make content but more careful and accurate. Thank you.