Philippines grows as foreign retirement ‘haven’ with affordable healthcare, living costs
MANILA: The Philippines is seeing an increase in the number of foreigners choosing it as a retirement destination, the Philippine Retirement Authority said on Thursday, after recent industry awards recognized its accessibility, affordable cost of living and healthcare quality.
The Philippines was named as the world’s top retirement destination in the Retirement Abroad Index 2026 published earlier this month, following the country’s recognition as Asia’s Best Retirement Destination last year by the travel media platform TripZilla.
The nation’s Special Resident Retiree’s Visa, or SRRV, was cited as one of the most accessible retirement programs among the countries assessed in the 2026 index.
“We target approximately 4,000 new retirees every year … This year our year-to-date figures show we’re 54 percent ahead of the same period last year,” the PRA’s General Manager Roberto Zozobrado told Arab News on Thursday.
