If you're a Filipino, you may be interested in this information, or perhaps you know someone who would be.
Under the Philippine Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Law of 2003 (RA 9225), dual citizenship is a privilege accorded only to those in compliance with the law and existing regulations. Here’s what the process looks like. (For a larger view of this infographic, click HERE)
Renouncing and re-acquiring my Filipino citizenship
When I became a naturalized citizen of the USA in 1976, I had to renounce my allegiance to the Philippines. But under this new Philippine law, any natural-born Filipino citizen can re-acquire Filipino citizenship and doesn’t have to renounce allegiance to any other country.
When I found out I can have dual citizenship, I jumped at the chance. In 2010 I went to the Philippine Consulate and applied to become a citizen of the Philippines and applied for a Philippine passport while keeping my US citizenship.
Why did I choose to become a dual citizen?
According to this primer, there are many benefits to dual citizenship. Click HERE
Filipinos who have re-acquired their Filipino citizenship under this Act may once again enjoy full civil and political rights under existing laws of the Philippines. These include:
- Right to vote in Philippine national elections
- Right to own land and property in the Philippines
- Right to engage in business or commerce as a Filipino
- Right to travel bearing a Filipino passport
- Other rights and privileges enjoyed by Filipino citizens
For those who plan to retire in the Philippines, the most important and probably most emotionally satisfying is that reacquired citizenship restores connection to their roots.
Where to apply
In the mainland, Philippine Consulate sites are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York City.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
Applicant must personally appear and present the Original and Photocopy of the following documents:
- Birth Certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO)/Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) [apply here ] (The NSO/PSA Birth Certificate must indicate/show Filipino as your nationality/citizenship)
- Foreign Naturalization Certificate (Note: I don’t have my naturalization certificate anymore since I didn’t get it back or perhaps it was lost in the mail after I applied for my first US passport. So I brought my US passport as proof of citizenship instead, and they accepted it.)
OR A COMBINATION OF TWO (2) Documents FROM THE PHILIPPINES and ONE (1) Document FROM THE FOREIGN COUNTRY
TIPS:
Note that they only accept cash, check or money order. Fees change. Online info may not have the most recent fees, so bring extra cash, or bring your checkbook
Save time, download the necessary forms, complete them at home, and photocopy all original documents. Download the application click HERE
For passports, you can have pictures taken before you go or you can have your picture taken for a fee onsite at the Consulate
And if you want your new passport mailed to you, bring stamps and a preaddressed envelope --- or pay for them at the time of application. When I went, they required 14 stamps.
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