Becoming a Filipino citizen, part 2
I’ve been getting a lot of questions from our readers about becoming a Filipino citizen. Instead of posting my replies from the comments one by one, I will summarize the answers as posted on the FAQ of the Philippine Government. I strongly suggest you go to the link and read the FAQ yourself.
Dual Citizenship. One of the frequently asked questions is regarding dual citizenship. Natural-born Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of another country can re-acquire/retain their Philippine citizenship, by taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. You have to provide proof that you are a natural-born Filipino by presenting an authorized copy of your birth certificate.
1. Who are eligible for dual citizenships?
- Those persons who have previously been Filipino citizens by birth and became naturalized citizens of another country.
- A child born of parents who are both Filipino citizens (living in a country such as the US) at the time of the child’s birth is a dual citizen. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Cruz are immigrants or have working visa in the US, you have a child born in the US. The child has dual citizenship under Philippine laws.
- A child born of one parent who is a Filipino citizen and another parent who is a foreign national, and was born in the foreign state, is a dual citizen and entitled to apply for both Philippine and that foreign state’s passport.
2. Can my foreign spouse become a Filipino citizen without losing his/her foreign citizenship?
No, the law does not apply to the foreign spouse. He/she has the following option if he/she wishes to reside permanently in the Philippines: (a) apply for naturalization; (b) apply for a permanent resident visa.
3. Can my children be eligible for dual citizenship?
Only the unmarried child under 18 years of age, of parents who apply for dual citizenship, are themselves considered citizens of the Philippines. The parent adds the child’s name in his/her petition.
Married children, although minor, can not be included in the petition. Children above 18 years old are also not eligible for dual citizenships. Instead these children have the same option available to the foreign spouse (see question #2).
The Frequently Asked Questions here have more detail, including where to apply for a petition, how much is the cost, and downloadable application forms. Please consult that page and/or an immigrations lawyer. My replies above should not to be substituted for the advice of a lawyer.
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September 10th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Greetings,
I am a US born citizen, I desire to move to out of the US and attend college in the Philippines at a major university; though I am a US citizen with no ties to the Philippines, I no longer wish to live as a US citizen; my choice is to become a Pinoy.
Just like the wonderful food; I want to be closer to the contry and culture from which many of my friends come and plan to return post retirement.
Thank you for your assistance.
November 4th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
WOW, I just recently alomost gave up hope for a life surrounded by real humans, so i just packed and left to Cebu and ended up in Argao. I stayed 1 month and now I am home and feel like I left home. I did not have any friend there and now I feel like I left my family.I will sell everything I own and figure out a way to never leave there again. Thankyou to all the Pinoys, because of your kind hearts and loving true nature, my life has changed, I am no longer the same soul.Thankyou for being you! Geoff
December 26th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
About a year ago, I sent an email to the US Embassy in Manila to ask what would happen to my US Citizenship if I became a Naturalized Filipino, since my wife is a Philippine Citizen. The reply I received essentially said that while the Philippine Government would expect me to disavow allegiance to the USA, in fact the US Government would still consider me a US Citizen as well unless I went into the US Embassy and signed a document declaring that I no longer wanted my citizenship. In other words, I could still draw Social Security, am still viewed by Washington as a US Citizen, and am still expected to file a tax return on April 15; whatever else the Philippine Government may consider me is frankly irrelevant. Manila may consider me as a Philippine Citizen ONLY, but Washington DC would consider me a dual-citizen. So, I guess it depends upon who you ask.
December 28th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Good day,
What if you are a single person, what is the process that you must follow in order to become a citizen of the Philippines; what steps would you have to take due to the fact that you are not married?
I often wonder if this question has an answer, given the fact that the base issue is so common; man gets overworked and eventually he desires to find a place where the pace of life is slow but not at a complete standstill. I have had the question on this site for a while now and I wish to thank those who have taken time away from their busy lives to bring end to the delima.
Unfortunately the majority good responses have all come from married people; this group of people can and often do enjoy duality as it pertains to citizenship. My goal from this point to infinity is to find the answers that I need to help make final decisions about making the switch from US citizen to Philippine citizen.
I really enjoy living in the US however the life here is hectic and stressful, I want to have a good day off, stand under the tree and wait for the ripened fruit to fall into humble hands. I want to stand in the middle of a US airport and have a moment of tourettes screaming “Balik Banyan”. I don’t really see that happening when I have to return to the US after a nice vacation.
Am I wrong for thinking this way, or does life offer more avenues than the ones that lead to milk and honey.
Thank you for your time.
December 28th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Nesto, The path to residency is as follows:
1. The foreigner must obtain a long-term visa, since Tourist Visas are only good for 21 days. Foreigners married to a Philippine Citizen may obtain the local version of a “Green Card”; those who are single may apply for a “Retirement Visa” which requires a deposit of $30,000 to $60,000 depending upon their age. This deposit is returned in Pesos after 6 months.
2. The foreigner must have resided in the Philippines for a minimum of 10 years (reduced to 5 years if his spouse is a Filipino). During this time, the person must have remained in the Philippines. In other words, if you live here for 4 years, and go abroad for a week, then return, the clock starts over again, and you must wait again for a continuous stay of 5 years before applying (or a continuous stay of 10 years if you are not married to a Filipino).
3. The foreigner must be able to read, write and speak one of the Philippine languages - typically, Tagalog. You can buy a Rosetta Stone DVD to teach this to you.
There are other qualifications (like legal age, good moral character, etc.) but the first three listed above are the ones that are most difficult to meet. Contact the Consul General in Manila for more information. Hope that helps!
January 14th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Well,im back in Cebu now! I sold everything and have been here two weeks now in on poblacion argao. My girlfriend is a dream! I feel like my life just started at 39 years old. I am so lucky to be back and they will have to kick me put to get me out of here! I’m new here and still learning but will answer any questions asked if I can, geoff
February 25th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Hey Geoff,
How did you go about selling all your stuff. I am a US Citizen married to a Filipina. We are desperate to move back to Manila. Issue is that we feel so root to the US mainly because of our cars. We don’t own a home so that is a good. Please let me know the process to you did to get yourself back.
Desperately missing Manila
Nick
February 25th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Nick,
Selling you cars is easy, as long as you are willing to drop the price. If you owe more than the car is worth, then you have a problem - unless you are willing to either pay the difference out of pocket, or abandon the vehicle entirely. Those are really your only 2 choices. Some people lease out their cars to family members or friends, but I wouldn’t recommend this - too many legal risks. Good luck!
March 8th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Its easy just sell it and buy a plane ticket and leave, its all you have to do, I did it and im still here, sorry for the late response.
March 21st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
hi my fiance is Argentinian and we are getting married by Nov we wanted to stay in the phil and he is willing to become a Filipino citizenship then this morning my mom told me if he is Argentinian then the law said that i would be Argentinian too because his the guy according to my dads friend is it true or that was long time ago?what should we do after our wedding so he could be a Filipino citizen and ill still be a Filipino citizen.
March 21st, 2009 at 9:37 pm
additional question my fiancee is turning 21 by july and our wedding is on November and it says that ages between 21 and 25 needs a parent connect what if the parents did not want to provide the connect what should we do?we already paid the church and the reception is there anything we can do para matuloy padin ung kasal?im so stress
May 14th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Hi. I am a Naturalized Indian Citizen. That is to say I have and Immigration Certificate of Residence. I was born here in the Phil, grew up here, married a Filipino. I want to apply for citizenship. Been trying for the past two years but I can’t get a straight answer. Usually ang unang sinasabi sa akin ay kung magkano ang kaya kong gastusin. Nag hahanap ng lagay. Saan ako dapat mag punta? Anong agency ng Gov’t? Any help given would be appreciated.
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:00 am
Hi, can anyone enlighten me pls. I am native born Phil.I am dual NZ/Fil. citizen and divorced. My boyfriend is American. My question is, if we married in Phil. and it doesn’t work, can we get divorced, from either our country of origins? (NZ for me and US for him) and will this be recognized by Phil? Just don’t want to wait 7 years for annulment if it doesn’t work. If we do get divorced, and he has permanent residency in PI before we divorced, can he stay in PI even after the divorce or would he be required to leave or change to visitors visa status? Any ideas will be helpful please.
June 4th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Sarah,
If your divorce is legal in NZ/US then it will be recognized in the PI. Once he has achieved permanent residency in the PI, he will not lose it due to divorce. Cheers!