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Retiring in the Philippines as a US veteran: the visa, VA and TRICARE

Rules and fees as of July 2026 Last updated: October 27, 2026

US veterans get the cheapest way into the Philippines' retirement visa. Under the SRRV Courtesy track, a retired US service member aged 50 or over deposits a flat $1,500, against $15,000 to $30,000 for everyone else on the standard SRRV. VA disability compensation is paid in full here, and both it and military retired pay can go straight to a Philippine bank. Health care is the hard part. VA care abroad covers only service-connected conditions, and the reimbursement program is slow. A military retiree on TRICARE For Life must also keep paying Medicare Part B, though Medicare pays nothing here. Below is each piece, with the official sources.

The SRRV Courtesy: the $1,500 retirement visa

The SRRV (Special Resident Retiree's Visa) lets you live in the Philippines without visa runs or extensions. Its Courtesy track covers retired military of countries that gave the Philippines military aid under a defense treaty. The US qualifies through the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (Philippine Retirement Authority). Since the September 2025 reform the numbers are:

SRRV Courtesy (US military) against SRRV Classic — since September 2025

Item	Courtesy, US military	Classic
Deposit, age 50+	$1,500	$15,000 with a pension, $30,000 without
Deposit, age 40–49	$3,000 with a $1,000+ pension, $6,000 without	$25,000 with a pension, $50,000 without
Application fee	$1,500, plus $300 per dependent	$1,500, plus $300 per dependent
Annual fee	$100	$360

Sources: PRA, Processing of SRRV Application (Sep 2025), PRA SRRV page. The Courtesy deposit covers you and up to two dependents. Older guides that show a $10,000 or $20,000 deposit, or a separate veteran tier, are from before the reform or wrong.

So a veteran of 50 or over starts with about $3,000 in hand ($1,500 deposit, $1,500 fee), then $100 a year. The proof PRA asks for is a certificate of employment and proof of military service; in practice the DD-214 is that proof (PRA). The written rule sets no minimum years of service. People who apply report approvals for veterans who served as little as four years and left with an honorable discharge, not a 20-year retirement. That is reported practice, not a written rule, so confirm your own case with PRA before you count on it.

How the SRRV compares with simply extending a tourist visa every few months is on the visa page.

Your VA and military pay, in full

VA disability compensation is paid in full wherever you live. The Philippines takes part in the Treasury's International Direct Deposit, so the money can go straight to a Philippine bank. It usually lands one to two business days after the payment date. The VA and the Treasury charge no conversion fee, though your bank may (VA).

Military retired pay can also go straight to a Philippine bank, through DFAS. Enroll by mail with the International Direct Deposit form (SF 1199-I) and allow 45 to 60 days. DFAS Retired and Annuitant Pay is at 800-321-1080 (DFAS).

Social Security is paid in full in the Philippines too; the Social Security page covers the deposit routes and the proof-of-life form that can pause it.

The VA Regional Office in Manila, at 1501 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, handles claims, pensions and survivor benefits, by appointment only (VA Manila).

VA health care: service-connected only

The Manila VA Clinic, in the US Embassy Seafront Compound in Pasay City, is the only VA facility in a foreign country. It treats only your VA-rated service-connected disabilities and conditions linked to them, and you register first with VA Form 10-10EZ (VA).

In Cebu you do not have to fly to Manila. The Foreign Medical Program (FMP) lets you use any licensed provider abroad for service-connected care, and the VA pays it back (VA FMP). Three things to know before you rely on it:

It is slow. A 2025 government audit found only 37 percent of FMP claims paid within the 45-day goal in 2024 (the goal is 90 percent) (GAO). Providers here often want payment up front, so you carry the bill until the money arrives.

How you are paid back depends on your bank. Direct deposit works only to a US account. With only a Philippine account on file, the VA still mails a Treasury check, as of mid-2026 (VA). Keeping a US account for FMP is worth it. Claims can be filed online since March 2026.

It covers nothing else. FMP pays only for service-connected conditions, and dental only when the dental problem is itself service-connected (VA). Everything else needs its own plan; the healthcare page lays out local insurance, international plans and Cebu hospital prices.

TRICARE For Life and Medicare Part B

Civilians abroad have a real choice about dropping Medicare Part B, since Medicare pays nothing in the Philippines. Military retirees on TRICARE For Life do not: TRICARE requires Part A and Part B even if you live overseas (TRICARE). Drop Part B and you lose TRICARE. In 2026 the standard premium is $202.90 a month, so budget it as the price of keeping TRICARE.

Veterans in Cebu

Cebu has an active VFW Post 12130 at 301 F. Ramos Street, Cebu City, meeting on the second Saturday of the month at 10 a.m., with dues of $45 a year (VFW Post 12130). There is no American Legion post on Cebu; the nearest are in Davao, Manila and Angeles City. For military retirees, the Retiree Activities Office at Subic Bay is active. It helps with TRICARE, FMP and Social Security questions, and dues are $120 a year (RAO Subic Bay).

If you are in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line directly at +1 844-702-5493 or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Texting 838255 works only from a US carrier with an international plan (Veterans Crisis Line).

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