- How can I apply for the reacquisition of my Philippine citizenship?
Submit the required documents to apply for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
After the applications is processed and approved, visit the Embassy or Consulate on a predetermined date to take the oath of allegiance before a consular officer.
Those who are unable to apply in person may send their applications and requirements by mail. However, they would need to visit the Embassy/Consulate for their oath-taking.
You may also submit and process your applications with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) 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.
a. Four (4) copies of Philippine Birth Certificate
b. Four (4) copies of Philippine Passport
c. Four (4) copies of foreign Passport
d. Four (4) copies of Marriage Certificate/Contract (for married women)
e. Four (4) original duly-accomplished Application Forms
f. Four (4) copies of Foreign Naturalization Certificate
g. Six (6) pieces of latest photograph (2” x 2”)
h. RMB 335 processing fee
The processing fee may be paid through money order payable to the Philippine Embassy (or Philippine Consulate, as applicable).
If you wish to have your unmarried minor (below 18 years of age) children acquire Philippine citizenship, you should also submit a duplicate original or certified photocopy of the birth certificate of your children and their foreign passport.
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 he 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:
a. The right to travel with a Philippine passport.
b. The right to own real property in the Philippines.
c. The right to engage in business and commerce as a Filipino, and
d. 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.
e. You may also vote overseas in Philippine national elections (for President, Vice President, Senators and sectoral 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?
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 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.
Residency in the Philippines is NOT a requirement for those who reacquire Philippine citizenship.
