Republic Act 9225 otherwise known as the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 (more popularly known as the Dual Citizenship Law) enables former natural-born Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of another country to retain/reacquire their Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before a Philippine Consular Officer. Upon retaining or reacquiring their Philippine citizenship, they shall enjoy full civil, economic and political rights as Filipinos.
Appointment is required for this service. Click here to book an appointment.
Under the principle of derivative citizenship, unmarried children below eighteen (18) years of age, whether legitimate, illegitimate, or adopted, of former Filipino parents who retained/reacquired their Philippine citizenship under this law, may also be deemed Filipino citizens, if they are included in the parent’s application for retention/reacquisition of Philippine citizenship and the requisite fees paid.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PRINCIPAL APPLICANT
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A. Duly Accomplished Dual Citizenship Application Form Download an Adobe-fillable dual application form. Applicant must not sign the application. This must be signed later before a Consular Officer. B. PSA Birth Certificate Submit a copy of the Birth Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA or formerly National Statistics Office/NSO). Applicant should have the original document readily available. To get a PSA-authenticated birth certificate, you can order online through http://www.psaserbilis.com.ph OR the applicant may wish to designate a representative to secure it from the PSA and send it via courier. If there is no record of birth with the PSA, check first with the local civil registrar (LCR) where the birth took place. If LCR birth record is available, the LCR should forward/endorse its copy to the PSA. If LCR does not have a copy of applicant’s birth record, the applicant or his/her duly appointed representative may apply for late registration of birth at the local civil registrar at the place of birth. C. Latest Philippine Passport (if available) Submit a copy of the data page of latest Philippine passport. D. PSA Marriage Certificate Required for married women. Submit a copy and have the original document ready for vetting. Please see above on how to secure a PSA-issued document. E. Death Certificate Required for widow. Submit a copy and have the original document ready for vetting. F. Divorce Decree or PSA Marriage Certificate with Annotation on Divorce Required for applicant who has previous marriages or divorced. Submit a copy and have the original document ready for vetting. G. US Naturalization Certificate Submit a copy and have the original document ready for vetting. If this is not available, applicant must obtain a Certification from the US Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS) indicating that the applicant has obtained US Citizenship, including date of naturalization and Certificate number. This can be requested by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. H. Valid US Passport Submit a copy of the data page of valid US passport. Have the original passport ready for vetting. I. Applicant’s Photos On appointed date, bring four (4) colored 2″x 2″ photos, with plain white background. Applicant must not be wearing eyeglasses. J. Notarized Affidavit of Explanation on How You Attained US Citizenship Required for adult applicants who were included as dependents when their parent/s were naturalized. Attach to the affidavit a copy of your US Certificate of Citizenship (if available) and the US Naturalization Certificate of your parent/s. |
REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH DEPENDENT CHILD (BELOW 18 YEARS OLD)
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(Personal Appearance not necessary)
For minor children born in the US:
(b) If at least one parent was still a Philippine citizen when the minor child was born, there is no need to include them as dependents in the petition. Their birth has to be reported to the Consulate instead. For reporting a birth of a child born under our jurisdiction, please click here: https://newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph/consular-activities-and-advisories/222-report-the-birth-of-a-filipino-abroad
A. PSA Birth Certificate / US Birth Certificate Submit a copy of the Birth Certificate issued either by the PSA/NSO or US Vital Records. Applicant should have the original document readily available for vetting. B. Latest Philippine Passport (if available) Submit a copy of the data page of latest Philippine passport. C. US Certificate of Citizenship (if available) Submit a copy and have the original document ready for vetting. D. US Passport (if available) Submit a copy of the data page of US passport. E. Child’s Photos On appointed date, bring two (2) colored 2″x 2″ photos, with plain white background. |
PETITION FOR INCLUSION OF DEPENDENT/S UNDER RA 9225
| If the principal applicant already applied for dual citizenship and failed to include dependent children in the application, he/she may file a petition for inclusion of dependent children who are under 18 years of age and unmarried.
Requirements:
The Consular Officer reserves the right to require additional documents from the informant or applicant.
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HOW TO APPLY
STEP 1. Set up an appointment
STEP 2. Proceed to the Consulate on the appointed day and timeSTEP 3. Proceed to the Consulate for interview/Oath-taking on your booked appointment for the following:
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NEXT STEPS AFTER ISSUANCE OF DUAL CITIZENSHIP PAPERS
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Principal Applicant and Dependent Child* *Dependent Child born to Filipino parent/s and became naturalized US citizen.
(Optional) Apply for Philippine passport.
As a dual citizen, it is not mandatory to apply for a Philippine passport. You may use your US passport when travelling to the Philippines. You simply have to present your dual documents to the Philippine Immigration Officer as proof of Philippine citizenship, per the Bureau of Immigration’s Operation Order No. SBM-2014-045 dated 30 September 2014 which is in force and still in effect. Incoming Filipinos may present a valid PHL passport, Identification Certificate or a Certificate of Re-acquisition / Retention of PHL Citizenship to be admitted as Filipino citizens. Individuals who have just retained/reacquired their Philippine citizenship and who wish to apply for a Philippine passport will need to make a separate application and submit the requirements as specified in “passport for dual or newly-registered PH citizens”. Requirements for application for a new passport may be found here: https://newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph/consular-activities-and-advisories/213-passport To secure an appointment for passport application, visit www.passport.gov.ph.
For Dependent Child****Born in the US whose parents were already US citizens at the time of child’s birth. STEP 1 Report the birth to the appropriate Philippine Embassy/Consulate which has jurisdiction over the place of birth. STEP 2 Apply for a Philippine Passport The child is eligible to apply for a Philippine passport immediately after reporting the birth to the appropriate Philippine Embassy or Consulate. |
