ACR Card Voluntary

Welcome to the forum Kev, research here and google will do you well. Getting a bank account is difficult enough but getting a loan? Good luck as a foreigner. Get a loan in your home country.

ACR1 cards are issued automatically after 2 months here to foreigners on a visitor visa but don't think that will open a bank account for you, beg and beg well is all I can say from experience, good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Thanks for info, same applies here in UK which can be hard to borrow against foreign property so I'm examing chance to borrow there.

Is the ACR card only available after physically staying in the Philippines two months? I have read you can apply for it voluntary so I'm hoping I can apply when I arrive rather than have to remain two months.. But if that's not possible I understand.

Thanks again

@kevintttraynor Hi, advise No. 1: Stay away from the ACR card as long as possible. (This will cause trouble only - if you lose it you cannot leave the country before you have a new one)

Advise No. 2:  Stay less than the free 30 days. These are free of charges.

Advise No. 3: Forget about a loan here. They will not give you any loan without securities. (e.g you own a condo in the Phils) They will give you a passbook (debit account) on your name which you cannot overdraft. But you will get an ATM card

Advise No 4: pay as much as possible with your credit card. Where cash is needed - always take 10.000 PHP from the ATM (BDO, BPI)

Advise No 5: do not send any money to anyone from your bank account in the UK. (the receiver will be asked where the money is coming from, why this is transferred,..,, - this is to avoid money laundering)

Advise No 6: if you manage to have a bank account (what I would avoid), every banktransfer from the UK will cost you 1.000 PHP in fees (does not matter how much you transfer). You cannot go below a minimum amount (usually 2.000 PHP must remain on the bank account)  (This was my experience with the BDO)

@kevintttraynor I don't know about a loan, I assume it would be almost impossible for an alien to get a loan here but a bank account is possible, just might have certain limitations.

@kevintttraynor I know you have to be physically in the Philippines for 59 days before you can apply.....so that may not work for you....2 things you can try ...local Barangy proof of residency and/or a postal ID

however banks are very strict and they normally want that ACR card, your passport and proof of income

Bank account difficult to get. Managed in my case as married to philipino. Minimum maintaining balance 10k. Use xoom, a division of PayPal, to transfer money. Costs £2 per transfer with a limit of 500,000 pesos per transaction. Did not ask for acr, just passport and marriage contract.

Thank you..

I'm just checking out how if possible to obtain a ACR card which I believe you can apply for voluntary if you wish. Can you apply anytime while in the Philippines or have to wait 60 days...

Thanks again

Acr card I received when I applied for my first visa extension. Funnily enough have never been asked for it.

@tphgawn hi so you can apply for it before 60 days being in the Philippines ? You applied when applied for visa extension.. Who long does it take to receive the card do you get it issued on the day?

Many thanks

@kevintttraynor It is very easy to get your ACR card from Cebu....I get mine from Davao....no need to go to Manila. But to get it you have to plan to stay in Phils at least 3 months....to be sure to fly back with the card in your pocket. Forget for a loan....to open a bank account if your are married with a Philippina....you can get a joint account without ACR card. With your ACR card no problem you can get your own bank account.

@attykroll thank you, hard for me because I'm still working in UK and usually max time on one go 35 days.

Aprreciate your thoughts and advise.

you can do a voluntary acr application and can only be done at BI main office. you can check the website.

if you need help for your voluntary acr application you can go to the bldg beside bi main office. it's the chamber of commerce bldg/bdo branch office. behind it there are multiple notary public that can help to check your docs. be prepared to pay but at least your docs are all in order and you wont have any issues once you submit.

some banks will allow you to open an account with your voluntary acr.

but if its for bank loan i dont think you'll be able to get one. we have the same situation and we couldnt even open an account at bpi (according to family and friends, its the most reliable) just because our acr is voluntary and its under balikbayan visa (balikbayan visa is only valid for a year / can be extended but not a long term visa)

fyi i'm a former filipino but now holding a foreign passport and my husband is holding a foreign passport.

hope this helps.

I had no problem with either of those situations, but I do have sizable amount of funds coming in every month from military retirement

@Elmrose Yeo Thank you that's all very helpful!

I'm just wondering can you apply for the Voluntary ACR card anytime or do you have to be in the Philippines for certain amount of time before you can apply?

Many thanks again

you can do a voluntary acr application and can only be done at BI main office. you can check the website.
if you need help for your voluntary acr application you can go to the bldg beside bi main office. it's the chamber of commerce bldg/bdo branch office. behind it there are multiple notary public that can help to check your docs. be prepared to pay but at least your docs are all in order and you wont have any issues once you submit.

some banks will allow you to open an account with your voluntary acr.

but if its for bank loan i dont think you'll be able to get one. we have the same situation and we couldnt even open an account at bpi (according to family and friends, its the most reliable) just because our acr is voluntary and its under balikbayan visa (balikbayan visa is only valid for a year / can be extended but not a long term visa)

fyi i'm a former filipino but now holding a foreign passport and my husband is holding a foreign passport.

hope this helps.
-@Elmrose Yeo

How refreshing to have a female contributor back on the Forum Elmrose. Your Filipina predecessor ( a lovely lady) finally succumbed to the overpowering testosterone presence on this site. Hang in there

@kevintttraynor

Kevin as a Brit if you have an HSBC account in the UK you can open one in the Philippines. The Debit card issued will work in some (but not all) ATM's. HSBC have branches in the major cities.

Welcome to the forum Elmrose and agree with Lotus Eater, hope we hear more from you.

To the OP Kevin, just curious if you have ever been to the Philippines before?

Cheers, Steve.

Hi Steve yes many times and going again this year.. I hope to eventually retire there..

@Lotus Eater Hi I can open account here in UK, would that then help if I wanted to perhaps get a loan or wanted to open account there with HSBC.

Good to hear Kevin. Can we ask as I'm sure many are curious? Will the loan be for a condo and where are you looking at settling here? How long before you retire to here?

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl Hi Steve, sure we'll I'm aware can't own land so it's a condo likely although I wouldn't rule out a house if came to it..

I do actually have a place in Makati and trying to sell it. Cebu area where I would lie to retire may be 5 to 6 years down the line of finances permit.

Many thanks for welcome.

Voluntary ACR Card?

I never volunteered, BI never volunteered, I did the paperwork and paid my fee, BI looked at my paperwork and accepted the fee.

Neither myself or BI volunteered anything.

To the OP Kevin, only an observation, you have many years until you retire, why not sell your property in Makati, put that money aside and save like sh1t for the next 4 or 5 years then pay cash when you retire, cash is king here and gives bargaining power. No loans you are just making others wealthy.

Every thing I have done here in the last 12 years was with Johnny Cash and saved me lots of dollars, like the house we purchased for 3M pesos under asking, that already dropped 4M pesos over 3 years. There's the cash, take it or leave it, plenty of other fish in the sea. Watch the market big time where you want to retire.

Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Hi Steve,

Yes that's what I'm doing it's already for sale and yes your right! Cash is king and I'm likely to do what you say, put away for 5 to 6 years then with my retirement lump sum and savings I could be in good position.. I was just exploring options..

Many thanks again!

Voluntary ACR Card?
I never volunteered, BI never volunteered, I did the paperwork and paid my fee, BI looked at my paperwork and accepted the fee.

Neither myself or BI volunteered anything.
-@Enzyte Bob

I think the point by the OP was gaining an ACR1 and hoping to open a bank account and borrow money. After some discussions here with the OP that owns or has a stake in property in Makati one wonders why such questions as he should be ofay with protocols here and who in their right mind would borrow money from any PH. institution.

OMO. (there it is again Bob, lol)

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl
Hi Steve,

Yes that's what I'm doing it's already for sale and yes your right! Cash is king and I'm likely to do what you say, put away for 5 to 6 years then with my retirement lump sum and savings I could be in good position.. I was just exploring options..

Many thanks again!
-@kevintttraynor

Borrowing money in retirement is not a good idea unless you can support the habit and the sharks taking your interest.

Cheers, Steve.

Value of ACR-1 or 13A

When you arrive in the Philippines whether as a visitor (30 days) or balikbayan (married to a Filipina, good for one year). You can progress up as your needs may be.

Besides of what you are entitled to or obtaining with the ACR-1 or 13A card, a second importance is you don't have to carry your passport around with you, you can lock it up for safekeeping.

Losing your passport can be more of a problem than opening up a bank account, transfering money, getting an annulment, buying land, being swindled by some Filipina or buying fake Viagra, take your pick.

Not that you ever have to present your card for some unfortunate situation, but the passport is your most important/valued document.

Sorry American Express, don't leave home with it.

@Enzyte Bob Hi Bob thanks for the Info I'm getting conflicting info or I'm nit understanding everyone.

My question to make clear is when I arrive on a 30 day visa I can obtain the ACR Card Voluntary at any time? I don't have to wait 60 days before I can apply?

Many thanks again

@Lotus Eater Hi I can open account here in UK, would that then help if I wanted to perhaps get a loan or wanted to open account there with HSBC.
-@kevintttraynor

With HSBC you can open an account in the Philippines here in the UK ready for you to bank once you arrive. Contact HSBC overseas account opening. In terms of loan facilities I really don't know but like with all banks there will be various criteria you have to meet before this can be processed.

Back in 2010 I opened an HSBC account in Makati (Enterprise Centre) by just walking into the branch. I basically just wanted a Peso account as I was spending alot of time in the country and wanted to take advantage of preferential exchange rates as and when. Have since closed it and just use my HSBC debit card for drawing PHP from an ATM. That said I opened up an account with Chase UK ( part of the American outfit JP Morgan Chase) two years ago and their debit card attracts zero withdrawal charges and has worked in every single ATM I have used in Asia so far. Named best British bank of the year in 2023 and best newcomer in 2022. Plug over.

An ACR1 card has to be renewed every 12 months, voluntary or mandatory and usually for those that live here. An ACR1 might open a bank account with a little persuasion but getting a loan here from a bank as a foreigner is a totally different kettle of fish, an/some tangible assets, proof of income, tax statements for several years and probably more knowing how the system works here,,,,, or doesn't work.

Be a bunny and buy from a developer that will finance and promise you the world, plenty of horror stories there.

Good luck Kevin  but as they say patience is a virtue.

Cheers, Steve.

@Enzyte Bob Hi Bob thanks for the Info I'm getting conflicting info or I'm nit understanding everyone.
My question to make clear is when I arrive on a 30 day visa I can obtain the ACR Card Voluntary at any time? I don't have to wait 60 days before I can apply?

Many thanks again
-@kevintttraynor

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After 59 days you are eligible. I don't know if you can apply earlier and be put into a queue.

Opo, after 59 days it's mandatory if you stay and pay your 50 US bucks plus the express lane fee to gain your ACR1 card, that may well or not open a bank account and pushing for a voluntary ACR card to borrow money?

No ties here, no wife, no tangible assets and only here 30 to 35 days a year is alarm bells to prospective lenders even the conglomerates selling overpriced crap that will promise the world but never deliver but willingly take your deposit for a project that runs 2 or 4 years over schedule or gets scrapped.

Sorry Kevin, our OP but given you already have property here in Makati you should know the ropes and have experience with laws here as well as a simple ACR1 requirement and what that enables you to do and not do.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.