DUAL CITIZENSHIP

Citizenship Retention & Re-acquisition

Former Filipinos may re-acquire their Philippine citizenship through Republic Act (RA) No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act. This law, which took effect on 17 September 2003, declares that former natural-born Filipino citizens who acquired foreign citizenship through naturalization are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under conditions provided in the Act. A former Filipino can re-acquire Philippine citizenship by taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines.

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 reacquire/retain their Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before a Philippine Consular Officer. Upon reacquiring their Philippine citizenship, they shall enjoy full civil, economic and political rights as Filipinos.

Under the principle of derivative citizenship, unmarried children below eighteen (18) years of age, whether legitimate, illegitimate, or adopted, of former Filipino parents who reacquired their Philippine citizenship under this law, may also be deemed Filipino citizens, if they are included in the parent’s application for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.