What is dual citizenship and who are eligible to apply for it?
Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention Act of 2003 (more popularity known as the Dual Citizenship Law) enables natural-born Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of another country to reacquire their Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. Upon reacquiring their Philippine citizenship, they shall enjoy full civil and political rights as Filipinos, subject to certain conditions.
According to Section 4 of RA 9225 (Derivative Citizenship), the unmarried child, whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted, below eighteen (18) years of age, of those who re-acquire Philippine citizenship under this Act may also acquire Philippine citizenship provided they are included in the original petition of their parents.
A married child, although a minor, cannot therefore be included in the petition of his/her parent.
A child who is 18 years of age or older at the time of the parent's reacquisition of Philippine citizenship, but was born when either parent was still a Filipino citizen, shall be considered to have been a natural-born Filipino and may apply for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
How can I apply for the reacquisition of my Philippine citizenship?
Submit to the Embassy the required documents to apply for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
After the application is processed and approved, you should be able to take your oath of allegiance before a consular officer.
You may also submit and process your applications with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration in Manila, should you be in the Philippines.
What documents should I submit when applying for the reacquisition of my Philippine citizenship?
You should submit the following requirements when applying for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship:
- Original and four (4) photocopies of Philippine Birth Certificate, duly authenticated by the National Statistics office and DFA-Manila
- Original and four (4) copies of Philippine Passport
- Original and four (4) copies of Foreign Passport
- Original and four (4) copies of Marriage Certificate/Contract (with English translation), duly authenticated by the Foreign Ministry of the country where the marriage took place (IMPORTANT: valid only for marriages solemnized in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. If marriage has taken place in a country other than the four stated above, the marriage contract should be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy in that country)
- Four (4) original duly-accomplished Application Forms download
- Four (4) copies of the proof of acquisition of foreign citizenship (with English translation) and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country from where the document was issued
- Six (6) pieces of latest photograph in royal blue background (2" x 2") - USD50.00 processing fee for the applicant and USD25 for each additional beneficiary or minor children (all fees are payable only in cash)
If you wish to have your unmarried minor (below 18 years of age) children acquire Philippine citizenship, you should also submit their duly-authenticated [by the Foreign Ministry if born in México,Costa Rica,El Salvador,Guatemala,Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela or by the Philippine Embassy in the country of birth (if born in other countries)] original birth certificate (with English translation) of your children and their foreign passports.
If the applicant is a Bureau of Immigration registered alien, he shall surrender the original ACR and ICR/CRTV, or in its absence, an affidavit explaining the loss of said documents for transmittal to the BI.
After payment, the Consulate will process the applicant's application. The applicant is required to sign the Oath of Allegiance prepared by the Consulate and will receive a notice of the date and time for taking the Oath of Allegiance before a Consular Officer.
After the applicant takes oath, he will receive the original copy of his notarized Oath of Allegiance together with an Order of Approval issued by the Consulate, and the corresponding Identification Certificate, if available.
What rights and privileges am I entitled to once I reacquire my Philippine citizenship?
Once you reacquire your Philippine citizenship, you will once again enjoy full civil, economic and political rights under existing Philippine laws.
Among these rights are:
- The right to travel with a Philippine passport - The right to own real property in the Philippines - The right to engage in business and commerce as a Filipino, and - The right to practice one's profession, provided that a license or permit to engage in such practice is obtained from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), or the Supreme Court in the case of lawyers
You may also vote overseas in Philippine national elections (for President, Vice President, Senators and party-list representatives) in accordance with the provisions of the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003.
What effect does reacquiring my Filipino citizenship have on my taxes?
Submit to the Embassy the required documents to apply for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
Under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program of 1997, incomes earned abroad by Filipinos from 1998 are no longer taxable. Hence, all Filipinos abroad, including those who have reacquired their Philippine citizenship, have been exempted by the Philippine Government from paying Philippine income tax on incomes earned abroad.
Incomes earned in the Philippines, however, will still be subject to Philippine income tax.
Do I need to reside in the Philippines if I reacquire my Philippine citizenship?
Residency in the Philippines is NOT a requirement for those who reacquire Philippine citizenship.
Does my foreign spouse and/or children need a visa to travel to the Philippines?
As long as the foreign spouse and children travel with the balikbayan, they will be entitled to a visa-free entry to the Philippines for a period of one (1) year.
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