A Filipino’s
guide to dual citizenship
By MICHELLE
ABAD
JUN 29, 2021
7:59 PM PHT
rappler.com
Dual
citizens can register to vote in Philippine national elections
For some
migrant Filipinos, the next step after acquiring permanent residency in their
new country is citizenship.
Some
countries’ laws require that once a person pledges allegiance to their flag, he
or she automatically loses any citizenship in a previous country.
Under the
Philippines’ Republic Act 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition
Act, natural-born Filipinos are allowed to retain or reacquire their Filipino
citizenship if they have been naturalized in other countries. The Filipino would
then hold two citizenships, and would be known as a dual citizen.
Among other
rights, dual citizens reacquire their right to vote in Philippine elections.
Since RA
9225 took effect in 2003, more than 150,000 had applied for dual citizenship
with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), according to 2018 data from the Commission
on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Most of the applicants were Filipino-Americans.
Are you
looking to be a Filipino citizen again, maybe to vote in the next elections?
Here are the things you should know.
Who is
eligible for dual citizenship?
Dual
citizenship under RA 9225 is reserved for former natural-born Filipinos. As
defined by the 1987 Constitution, natural-born Filipinos are:
Persons who,
at the time of his/her birth, have at least one Filipino parent
Persons born
to a Filipino mother before January 17, 1973, who elected Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of majority (21 years old)
If you were
born outside of the Philippines, but your parents were Filipino citizens at the
time of your birth, then you are already a dual citizen by birth. You no longer
need to apply for dual citizenship under RA 9225.
Not eligible
for Philippine dual citizenship are persons who were naturalized Filipinos
before acquiring citizenship in another country.
What are my
rights as dual citizen?
Once you
acquire dual citizenship, you have the following rights in the Philippines:
Right to
vote in Philippine national and local elections (provided you also qualify
under the overseas voting law)
Right to own
land and property
Right to
engage in business
Right to
practice your profession (provided you are licensed or permitted by the Professional
Regulation Commission, or Supreme Court for lawyers)
Right to
travel bearing a Philippine passport
All rights
and privileges enjoyed by Philippine citizens (however, if you plan to run for
public office, you must renounce all foreign citizenship)
What are the
requirements for application?
The
Philippine post in your country of residence will require you to file your
petition for dual citizenship by filling up a form. The following documents
(original and photocopies) may be needed to retain or reacquire your Filipino
citizenship:
Birth
certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
Latest
Philippine passport (if available)
Marriage
certificate (if married) issued by the PSA
With
annotation of divorce or annulment, if it applies
Decree or
judgment of dissolution of marriage (for divorced or annulled)
Death
certificate of spouse (for widowed individuals)
Naturalization
certificate
Foreign
passport
Recent
passport photographs with white background
Other
documents that would show the applicant is a former natural-born Filipino
You can
apply for PSA documents here. Philippine embassies or consulates may have more
specific requirements (like a certification from the Bureau of Immigration),
which you can check on their websites. Fees may apply for applying for
documents, as well as the application process itself.
Former
Filipino citizens would need to take an oath of allegiance before a duly
authorized Philippine official to get their citizenship rights back.
When
Filipinos take this oath, they are not required to renounce their allegiance to
any other country.
Can my
application include my family?
If you have
unmarried children below the age of 18, they can also derive Filipino
citizenship if you include them in your application.
If you have
a foreign spouse, they can become a naturalized Filipino citizen through
Commonwealth Act 473 or the naturalization law, but not through RA 9225.
Which
countries allow dual citizenship?
Not every
country has a policy that addresses dual citizenship directly. In the United
States, for instance, the law does not mention dual nationality or require a
person to choose one nationality over the other.
Meanwhile,
“places like China or Taiwan strictly construe citizenship – they only want
people to have one, so you have to give up other citizenship to get theirs,”
said Filipino-American immigration lawyer Jath Shao.
X x x.
Consult an
immigration lawyer or your Philippine consulate or embassy for further details
on whether you are eligible for dual citizenship in your current country.
X x x.
–
Rappler.com
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