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Frequently Asked Questions
Republic Act No. 9225 otherwise known as the “Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003” declares that natural-born citizens of the Philippines who become citizens of another country shall be deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship. Natural-born citizens of the Philippines who
acquired foreign citizenship by naturalization. RA 9225 does not apply to dual citizens by birth, e.g., a child born in the United States when either parent was still a Filipino citizen is considered to be a dual citizen from birth. The child’s birth has to be reported to the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate.
Who are natural born citizens of the
Philippines? Natural born citizens of the Philippines are
those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to
perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship Examples: ·
Those whose fathers and/or mothers are
citizens of the Philippines at the time of their birth; and ·
Those born before 17 January 1973 of
Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age
of majority
How does one prove that he or she is a
natural born Filipino? A former natural-born citizen, who was born
in the Philippines, shall submit the NSO-authenticated copy of his or her
birth certificate.
How can I order for an NSO-authenticated
copy of my birth certificate if I am overseas? You may order your NSO-authenticated copy of your birth certificate via the Philippine eCensus website at https://www.ecensus.com.ph/
What are the requirements for dual
citizenship? 1.
Accomplish
the Petition for Dual Citizenship form. Attach two (2) 2” X 2” colored
photographs with white background. Submit
the original and two (2) photocopies of the accomplished form. 2.
Submit
three (3) photocopies of the following: a.
NSO-authenticated
Philippine Birth Certificate; b.
For
married woman, copy of Marriage Certificate; c.
For
widow, copy of Death Certificate of spouse; d.
For
annulled or divorced, copy of annulment decree or judgment of dissolution
of marriage; e.
Such
other documents that would show that the applicant is a former
natural-born citizen of the Philippines; and f.
Certificate of US Naturalization.
In the absence of a Certificate of US Naturalization, applicant may
submit an affidavit explaining the circumstances by which the US
citizenship was acquired. (Original copies of
the above documents are required to be presented during the interview)
3.
Additional
requirements for applicants with child beneficiary. For a child who is
below eighteen (18) years of age (legitimate, illegitimate or adopted),
three (3) copies of the following: a.
Birth
Certificate;
i.
For those born in the Philippines, an NSO-authenticated
copy of the birth certificate
ii.
For those born overseas, a Report of Birth issued
by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate and, in applicable cases, the
original copy of the Birth Certificate by competent foreign authorities
b.
Foreign
passport; c.
Adoption
Decree duly authenticated by the Philippine Consulate General, if
applicable; d.
Certificate
of Naturalization, if name of the beneficiary is not included in the
Certificate of Naturalization of the parents; and e. For qualified beneficiary/ries born in the U.S., download the Report of Birth from our website http://www.chicagopcg.com 4.
In
case the name of the applicant in his/her birth certificate is different
from that in his/her foreign passport and other documents, the applicant
shall execute an affidavit explaining such difference and present as
supporting documents, two (2) public or private documents showing the
correct name of the applicant. 5.
If
the applicant is a Bureau of Immigration (BI) 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. 6.
Processing
fee is US$50.00. In addition, US$25.00 for every qualified beneficiary.
(Payment shall be in the form of cash, bank draft or money order
payable to the Philippine Consulate General, Chicago. Fees are
non-refundable). Upon submission of the complete
requirements by mail, the Consulate in consultation with the applicant
will set a date and time for the Oath Taking before a Consular Officer at
the Consulate General. Prior to taking the oath, the applicant will
be required to sign the Oath of Allegiance prepared by the Consulate
General. The applicant will receive the original copy of the
notarized oath of allegiance, together with the Order of Approval,
Petition for Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship and Identification
Certificate issued by the Consulate General, after the oath has been
administered. Note: The Philippine Consulate
General assumes no responsibility for any delay or loss in the mail.
How much is the fee for dual citizenship? The processing fee is US$50.00 (non refundable). In addition, US$25.00 for every qualified beneficiary. (Payment shall be in the form of cash, bank draft or money order payable to the Philippine Consulate General, Chicago) How long will the process for applying for
dual citizenship take? Upon receipt of the petition and supporting documents by the Consulate General, the petition will be evaluated and you will be contacted and informed within one week of the decision and schedule for your Oath of Allegiance. What are the rights and privileges that I
would enjoy when I reacquire dual citizenship? Once you reacquire/retain your Philippine
citizenship, you will again enjoy full civil, economic and political rights
under existing Philippine laws. Among these rights are: 1.
The
right to travel with a Philippine passport; 2.
The
right to own real property in the Philippines; 3.
The
right to engage in business and commerce as a Filipino; and 4.
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 in Philippine national
elections (for President, Vice President, Senators and sectoral
representatives) by overseas/absentee ballot in accordance with the
provisions of the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003. Your foreign spouse also automatically
becomes eligible for an immigrant visa. You will enjoy all other rights and privileges enjoyed by Filipino citizens. What are the implications on payment of
taxes? Under the Philippine Comprehensive Tax
Reform Program of 1997, incomes earned overseas by Filipinos from 1998
onwards are no longer taxable by the Philippine government. 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 be subject to Philippine income tax. However, prospective applicants are advised to visit and read
the contents of http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/U.S.-Citizens-and-Resident-Aliens-Abroad,
the website of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, which contains information
about current U.S. government policy on taxes on incomes earned worldwide,
or to seek legal advice from a U.S. tax lawyer. Is there a residency requirement to be
eligible for dual citizenship? Residency in the Philippines is NOT a
requirement for those who reacquire Philippine citizenship.
Those who intend to vote in local elections, however, must establish
residence in the locality where they wish to vote. Can I now reside in the Philippines? Having reacquired your Philippine citizenship, you can now reside in the Philippines for as long as you want without having to apply for entry visa and paying immigration fees. You can even choose to retire or permanently settle in the Philippines. Will my application for dual citizenship
under RA 9225 affect my US citizenship? The Act does not require one to renounce his or her US
citizenship. However, prospective applicants are advised to visit and read
the contents of http://www.travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html,
the website of the U.S. Department of State, which contains information
about current U.S. government policy on dual nationality, or to seek legal
advice from a U.S. immigration lawyer. Upon reacquisition of Philippine
citizenship, am I required to apply for a Philippine passport? Application of a Philippine passport is not
a requirement. However, we strongly recommend that you apply for a
Philippine passport for ease of travel to and from the Philippines. The
Philippine passport can be presented together with your US passport in the
Philippines, to exempt you from paying Immigration fees. Furthermore, possession of a valid
Philippine passport enables you to visa-free entry for up to thirty (30)
days to several countries neighboring the Philippines, among them Singapore,
Thailand, Viet Nam and Indonesia. I
still have a valid Philippine passport, which I renewed before I got
naturalized as a US citizen. Now that I have reacquired my Philippine
citizenship, can I still use this passport? No you can not. The moment you were naturalized as a US citizen, you have relinquished all your rights and privileges as a Philippine citizen, which includes the possession of a Philippine passport. As such, your Philippine passport is no longer valid. Now that you have reacquired your Philippine citizenship, you may now apply for a new Philippine passport. . Can my spouse, who is not a former Filipino,
apply for dual citizenship? No, only former natural-born Filipinos may
apply for dual citizenship. Will my spouse, who is not a former
Filipino, who will travel with me to the Philippines, be required to secure
additional travel documents from the Philippine Consulate General before
leaving?
Under the Balikbayan Law, a Filipino citizen’s foreign spouse and children do not need to secure other travel documents. His/her family is entitled to a visa-free entry to the Philippines for a period of one (1) year among other privileges, provided that they have a round-trip/return ticket and that they travel with the Filipino spouse/parent. Can my spouse, who is not a former Filipino,
live in the Philippines? An immigrant visa may be issued to a Filipino citizen’s foreign spouse which entitled him/her to permanently reside in the Philippines. The visa may be obtained by applying at the Philippine Consulate General. The effectivity of the visa, however, is contingent upon the Filipino citizen’s retention of his Filipino citizenship Do adopted children of former Filipinos
qualify for dual citizenship? Yes. Under the principle of derivative citizenship, unmarried children below eighteen (18) years of age, whether legitimate, illegitimate, or adopted, of former Filipino parents who reacquired their Philippine citizenship under this law, may also be deemed Filipino citizens, if they are included in the parent’s application for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
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© 2000 Consulate General of
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