If you were born a Filipino citizen but later became a naturalized citizen of another country — the United States, Canada, Australia, or elsewhere — Republic Act 9225 gives you a straightforward legal path back to full Philippine citizenship without forcing you to give up your current nationality. This is commonly called the Dual Citizenship Law. This guide walks through exactly how the reacquisition process works, from the embassy petition to receiving your Identification Certificate and Philippine passport.
This guide covers Who Qualifies to Reacquire Citizenship Under RA 9225 and Step 1: Gather Your Supporting Documents, with the full details below.
- RA 9225 (Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003) lets natural-born Filipinos who became naturalized citizens elsewhere reacquire Philippine citizenship without giving up their foreign citizenship
- The process is done by filing a petition and taking an Oath of Allegiance before a Philippine Embassy, Consulate, or the Bureau of Immigration if already in the Philippines
- You do not need to renounce your foreign citizenship to reacquire Philippine citizenship under this law
- Unmarried children under 18 of a successful RA 9225 applicant can be included and derive Philippine citizenship automatically
- After reacquisition, you can apply for a Philippine passport, but note some public offices (like elected positions) require a separate renunciation of foreign citizenship
Who Qualifies to Reacquire Citizenship Under RA 9225
You qualify if you were a natural-born Filipino citizen (meaning you were a Filipino citizen from birth, without needing to undergo naturalization to become one) and later lost that citizenship by being naturalized in a foreign country. This law does not apply to foreigners who were never Filipino citizens to begin with, nor does it apply if you were never natural-born (for example, if you had to naturalize into Philippine citizenship yourself at some point).
Step 1: Gather Your Supporting Documents
- PSA-issued Philippine birth certificate (proving natural-born status)
- Valid foreign passport showing your current naturalized citizenship
- Marriage certificate, if your surname changed due to marriage
- Old Philippine passport, if available (not required but speeds up verification)
- 2x2 photos as specified by the embassy or consulate
- Accomplished petition form for dual citizenship, available from the embassy/consulate website
If you're missing your PSA birth certificate, request it in advance since this is the document that proves your natural-born Filipino status.
Step 2: File Your Petition at a Philippine Embassy, Consulate, or the BI
If you're abroad, file your petition and supporting documents at the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate General with jurisdiction over your place of residence. If you're already physically in the Philippines, you can instead file directly with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Manila. Most posts require an appointment booked online in advance — check your specific embassy's consular section page for their scheduling system.
Step 3: Attend Your Appointment and Take the Oath of Allegiance
At your scheduled appointment, a consular officer (or BI officer, if filing in the Philippines) reviews your documents and, once approved, administers the Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. This oath does not require you to renounce your foreign citizenship — you become a dual citizen, holding both Philippine and your foreign nationality simultaneously.
Step 4: Pay the Processing Fee
Fees vary by embassy or consulate and are usually payable in local currency or USD equivalent (commonly in the range of USD 50, though exact amounts differ by post — always confirm current fees on your specific embassy's website before your appointment). Filing at the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines has its own separate fee schedule.
Step 5: Receive Your Identification Certificate and Oath Certificate
Once your Oath of Allegiance is administered and processed, you'll receive an Identification Certificate (IC) confirming your reacquired Philippine citizenship, along with a certified copy of your Oath of Allegiance. Processing time varies by post, ranging from a few weeks to a couple of months, since the documents are typically transmitted to and confirmed by the Bureau of Immigration in Manila.
Step 6: Include Your Minor Children in the Same Petition
Unmarried children under 18 years old of a successful RA 9225 applicant can be included in the same or a related petition and derive Philippine citizenship automatically, without needing to separately prove natural-born status themselves. Bring their birth certificates and passports to the same appointment to process this together.
Step 7: Apply for Your Philippine Passport and Register as a Dual Citizen
With your Identification Certificate in hand, you can now apply for a Philippine passport at the DFA or the embassy/consulate where you reacquired citizenship. Many former Filipinos also use their reacquired citizenship to invest in real property, register businesses, or vote in Philippine elections through Overseas Absentee Voting — though note that if you intend to run for public office or hold certain government positions, Philippine law separately requires you to execute a Sworn Renunciation of foreign citizenship at that time.
Check your specific embassy's DFA-affiliated consular page for the current petition form and appointment system.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. RA 9225 specifically allows dual citizenship — you keep your current foreign citizenship while also holding Philippine citizenship again. The only exception is if you plan to run for elected public office or hold certain public positions in the Philippines, which separately requires a Sworn Renunciation of your foreign citizenship at that later point, not at the time of reacquisition.
No. RA 9225 is specifically for natural-born Filipino citizens who lost their citizenship through foreign naturalization. If you originally became a Filipino citizen through naturalization rather than by birth, this particular law does not apply to your situation, and you would need to explore other citizenship pathways instead.
File at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate General that has consular jurisdiction over your current place of residence abroad. Most posts require you to book an appointment online through their consular services portal before you can submit your petition and supporting documents in person.
Yes, unmarried children under 18 years old can be included in the same petition process and will derive Philippine citizenship automatically once your reacquisition is approved. You'll need to bring their birth certificates and current passports to the same appointment where you take your Oath of Allegiance.
Processing time varies depending on the embassy or consulate, but generally takes anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months from the date you take your Oath of Allegiance to receiving your Identification Certificate, since some posts need to transmit and confirm records with the Bureau of Immigration in Manila before releasing the final certificate.
You can apply for a Philippine passport, own land in the Philippines without the restrictions placed on foreign nationals, register and operate businesses under Filipino ownership rules, and vote in Philippine national elections through Overseas Absentee Voting if you remain abroad, among other civil, economic, and political rights restored under the law.
Conclusion
Reacquiring Philippine citizenship under RA 9225 is a well-established, one-time process built specifically for former natural-born Filipinos, and it does not require you to sacrifice the citizenship you already hold abroad. Book your appointment with the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate, bring your PSA birth certificate and foreign passport, and you can be holding your Identification Certificate as a dual citizen within a matter of weeks to months.
