25 years Long lease of a lot

I think you would need SRRV.   Building a house is a major financial expense and you would not want to risk it with having to fly in and out of the country a way to renew your tourist visa.    I know such flying in and out phenomenon is common among South Koreans who bought condos in Metro Manila but the risk is mitigated in that, if there comes a time they could not secure a visa, their condos can be sold easier than houses, and even be rented out (I heard of many Chinese and Koreans bought multiple condos, 1 to live into and the other/s, to rent out as their income while staying in Pinas).

Gardo,  thank you for your feedback, have already built the house and completed it 2 years ago..I sayed using it 3 times only then I was faced with covid 19 visa problems...thank you for your response..Dodi

dodi1000 wrote:

I am a British citizen who leased a lot for 25 years and I built a house.. I enter philippines as a tourist..I get one month visa as a tourist...I pay building tax, Meralco and Maynilad bills under my name.    As the owner of a lease for a lot and a house for 25 years can I stay longer and have a longer visa issued ?  Would I be allowed also to open a bank account in philippines?
Thank you for your response. Dodi

Visa: 
No differene.

Bank acount:
Basicly no difference because you own buildings at leased land, although perhaps it add some chance at a flexible bank manager to get a bank acount some earlier.

If you dont know, the lease can be extended additional 25 years when it expire.  Then ends.
Politicians discussed if skiping that max rule but I havent seen any result.

Foreigners can always extend their visa up to 36 months ( in pre Covid times - now of course not possible and hopefully possible again soon ). This is regardless of you leasing land or Not.
As for bank account… most banks require foreigners to have a permanent residence under a visa such as marriage , work or retirement .
Once u are 50 u can apply for SRRV visa (retirement ). It used to be 35 but that has been suspended .
Bear in mind that the above rule (extension till 36 months for tourists in pre Covid times ) might be reviewed . A new law has been voted to reform immigration here . Although that law does not say anything about visa , it is expected that changes to migration rules will be following later .

Depending on what visa you have you should be able to extend it.
The 9a can be extended right now, multiple times. You can extend up to 6 months. I am here now and in the process. I extended my 9a and applied for 13a.

I'm thinking that in order to be able to open a bank acct, that one would have to have a long term visa, such as a 9a, 13a marriage visa, or the SRRV. I don't believe tourists without a long term visa can open a bank acct in PH.

You’re wrong. I have always been a tourist only without any fancy visas and was able to get a BDO account without any trouble at all.

Harbred6051 wrote:

I'm thinking that in order to be able to open a bank acct, that one would have to have a long term visa, such as a 9a, 13a marriage visa, or the SRRV. I don't believe tourists without a long term visa can open a bank acct in PH.

You’re wrong. I have always been a tourist only without any fancy visas and was able to get a BDO account without any trouble at all.

onefogarty wrote:

You’re wrong. I have always been a tourist only without any fancy visas and was able to get a BDO account without any trouble at all.

You are lucky, most are not. Try depositing a US government check into that account, see if your luck still holds out.

Many people with all their ducks aligned in a row still have some "trouble" trying to opening an account at BDO.

I do think you may already qualify then for an SRRV as you have the investment already done?  Worth talking to somebody as the office is very good her in Makati for sure also introducers, etc., are FREE and paid by PRA.

I am an SRRV, still have cash all in BDO for it - a lot as pre-50 when did it and have 3 kids & expat wife: to DATE, i.e. 6+ years I have never found anything worth the risk of investing in R.E. given the laws and I need to be in Makati so not about to pay for what I can rent.

If anybody has managed to a workable deal for local to own land and do lease as part of buying land/house so that can claim a valid long term lease, assuming trusted local owns land,:  the house "all improvements" lease item makes all value in the lease and the land basically little value.  I am all ears. I just can't make it work - even with friends see a double tax as have to pay the "rent" maybe only if ALREADY for sale willing to risk ONLY negotiating a lease?  If owner is some developer/Co. not sure how much I'd trust it - would have to have option for follow-on owner to buy out, etc., etc.,

Again, I have worked this periodically and never found anything worthwhile - cert. things marketed to SRRV holders as to me not worth it at all as would want to be able to rent it out/AirBnB/etc.   This not such  common problem given many marry locals

PhilRes wrote:

If anybody has managed to a workable deal for local to own land and do lease as part of buying land/house so that can claim a valid long term lease, assuming trusted local owns land,:  the house "all improvements" lease item makes all value in the lease and the land basically little value.  I am all ears. I just can't make it work - even with friends see a double tax as have to pay the "rent" maybe only if ALREADY for sale willing to risk ONLY negotiating a lease?  If owner is some developer/Co. not sure how much I'd trust it - would have to have option for follow-on owner to buy out, etc., etc.,

Again, I have worked this periodically and never found anything worthwhile - cert. things marketed to SRRV holders as to me not worth it at all as would want to be able to rent it out/AirBnB/etc.   This not such  common problem given many marry locals

Concerning legalities there are some different possibilities for foreigners.  You mensioned leasing yourself.
A common missunderstanding -  Foreigners CAN own land through having max 40 % of the shares in a company which own land.  (If the business fullfil some demands e g NOT ok to have a "business" ONLY to lease land to the foreigner himself.)

Concerning investment possibilities.
Well. I started with a list of 184 business ideas   possible to be rural, because I like to live rural far from people.  But many at that list can be located "anywhere".  Some got skiped because of needing good internet. After years of researches there are around 10 favorites left (of which some need more research/tests in place) plus additional around 10 which can be good but some less good than the favorites.
/One of the favorites I have even started without being in place after years of searching I found a suiting very good reliable business partner.  (Although he forget to look at his "To do" lists sometimes    forgeting to check some things when he is in place.)  We buy a type of wrong handled businesses and correct the errors.  In 5-6 years 4 - 10 times my money can be cashed in.  Its some slow to get such permits.   (What it is I keep some secret    because I want to get chance to reinvest future profits buying more such wrong handled businesses without others come at raise the asked prices. As it is now there are (almost) no buyers of such before covid neither.)
/A second business type I can tell what it is because its "common knowledge" anyway. We are thinking of buying a property, which a part of is a big pond at allready. This can be made to suit tilapia fatening. Such type of business is growing.  I have found only two calculations of profesional such business (and perhaps one had looked at the other because they are very similar.)  They make the calculation  some odd, but as I understand it, they expect 2 harvests per year a' 14 % profit to the owner after workers are paid.  We will probably start such if we buy that property. 

/And there are other high potential projects, but better be there to see better to chose any of them.

onefogarty wrote:

You’re wrong. I have always been a tourist only without any fancy visas and was able to get a BDO account without any trouble at all.

You are silly