Filipino Citizenship
Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9225)
Republic Act No. 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (more popularly referred to as the Dual Citizenship Law) grants natural-born Filipinos who have lost their Filipino citizenship through naturalization in a foreign country the opportunity to retain or re-acquire their Filipino citizenship. Upon reacquiring their Philippine citizenship, they shall enjoy full civil, economic and political rights as Filipinos.
Dual citizenship (Filipino and foreign citizenship) is not automatic upon acquiring a foreign citizenship. A Filipino will lose their Filipino citizenship upon being naturalized as a foreigner, and will have to undergo the process to reacquire/retain their Filipino citizenship.
This law shall equally apply to unmarried children below eighteen (18) years of age, whether legitimate, illegitimate, or adopted if they are included in the parent’s petition for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
A child who is 18 years of age or older at the time of the parent’s re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship, but was born when either parent was still a Filipino citizen, shall be considered to have been a natural born Filipino and may apply for re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship on his/her own behalf.
RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
Once you reacquire your Philippine citizenship, you will again enjoy full civil, economic and political rights under existing Philippine laws.
Among these rights are:
- The right to travel with a Philippine passport;
- The right to own real property in the Philippines;
- The right to engage in business and commerce as a Filipino; and
- 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.
You may also vote in Philippine national elections (for President, Vice President, Senators and sectoral representatives) by overseas voting in accordance with the provisions of the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003.
You will enjoy all other rights and privileges enjoyed by Filipino citizens.
IMPLICATION ON INCOME TAXES
Under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program of 1997, incomes earned abroad by Filipinos from 1998 onwards 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.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
Residency in the Philippines is NOT a requirement for those who reacquire Philippine citizenship. However, regaining Philippine citizenship will allow a dual nationality citizen to remain or retire in the Philippines without the need of a visa. Foreign spouses of dual nationality Filipinos may avail of the Balikpapan privilege (more information here) when traveling to the Philippines together. For longer stays, the foreign spouse may apply for immigrant visa (more information here).
Renunciation of Citizenship
Please select the applicable form. Specific requirements can be found on the second page of each form.
- Form No. 1 – For adult applicants (18 and above) with Einbürgerungszusicherung
- Form No. 2 – For Minor Applicants – Lack of Legal Capacity of Minor Child
- Form No. 3 – For adult applicants (18 and above) with Einbürgerungsurkunde
Dual Citizenship (Doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft philippinisch-deutsch)
Currently, Germany allows dual citizenship in the following cases:
- Those born in Germany after 01 January 2000 to parents who, upon said birth, a) were both foreigners and b) one parent has stayed in Germany legally for 8 years, and c) the child has grown up in Germany, can now opt for both German citizenship and the citizenship of their parent’s country when they turn twenty one (21).
- The same exemption from the obligation to choose is applicable to those children of foreign parents who were born in Germany between 01 January 1990 and 31 December 1999 and were naturalized, becoming German citizens in the year 2000.
- Those children born of mixed marriages (e.g. Filipino-German) are entitled to both citizenships (dual citizenship) by reason of blood.
- Children born in the Philippines who were naturalized by adoption of German citizens.
Note: Former Filipinos who have been naturalized citizens of Germany may apply but they may be required to renounce their current citizenship in the absence of the relevant dual citizenship law in the host country.
Re-acquisition (Rückerwerb der Staatsbürgerschaft)
Under the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9225), former natural-born citizens of the Philippines, as defined by Philippine law and jurisprudence, who have lost their Philippine citizenship by reason of their naturalization as citizens of another country, may apply for reacquisition of their Philippine citizenship.
Corollary to the above, a former natural-born citizen of the Philippines who is abroad and is not an alien registered with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration shall file a petition under oath at the nearest Philippine foreign service post for the issuance of an Identification Certificate (IC) under Republic Act 9225.
Qualified applicants shall submit the following documentary requirements via postal service at the Consular Section of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, Germany. Make sure you have provided your contact number/email address.
REQUIREMENTS
Qualified applicants must submit the following documentary requirements personally at the Philippine Embassy in Berlin.
All documents should come in one (1) original and three (3) photocopies
- Duly-accomplished application form in triplicate. (Instructions on how to fill out the forms can be found here.)
- Any of the following documents showing proof of Filipino citizenship:
- Philippine birth certificate;
- Old or valid Philippine passport;
- Voter’s affidavit or voter’s identification card;
- Marriage contract indicating the Philippine citizenship of the applicant; or
- Such other documents that would show that the applicant is a former natural-born citizen of the Philippines as may be accepted by the evaluating officer.
- Eight (8) recent 2×2 photographs of the applicant, six (6) of which are taken against a white background and the two (2) against a royal blue background (BI Memorandum Circular No. MCL-08-006).
- Original Marriage Certificate, if applicable.
- Proof of acquisition of foreign citizenship (Einbürgerungsurkunde) from the Landkreis Emsland. This document must have an English translation by a licensed translator (vereidigter Übersetzer) and certified by the State Judicial President (Landgericht) where the translator is registered.
In all cases, the evaluating officer may require the submission of additional documents if there is reasonable ground to believe that the applicant is not a former natural-born Filipino.
If all initial documentary requirements are found in order, the Philippine foreign service post shall issue an Order of Approval and request the applicant to pay the processing fee of EUR55,00 and EUR27,50, for each qualified dependent, plus EUR27,50 for the authentication of the Einbürgerungsurkunde/Naturalization Certificate.
As a final procedure, the applicant shall be required to personally take his Oath of Allegiance before an authorized official of the Philippine Embassy.
The Philippine Embassy will issue an Identification Certificate (IC) to applicants who have taken the Oath of Allegiance and whose papers have been forwarded to the Bureau.
Re-acquired Philippine citizenship under Republic Act 9225 may be revoked by the competent Philippine authorities upon a substantive finding of fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment on the part of the applicant.
Derivative Philippine Citizenship
Republic Act 9225 provides for the acquisition of Philippine citizenship by children, below 18 years old, of former natural-born Filipinos who have successfully re-acquired Philippine citizenship under the provisions of the same law. For concerned qualified applicants, the same documentary requirements shall be submitted to the Embassy (include the original marriage certificate of parents).
If born abroad (for minor children included in the petition of the applicant), the Birth Certificate issued by competent foreign authorities. Payment of processing fee of EUR 27,50 per child included in the petition (per BI Memo Circular AFF. 05-002) plus fee of EUR 27,50 per child for the Report of Birth that will be submitted to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
To set an appointment at the Embassy, please visit our Online Appointments page.
Please be advised that the Embassy follows the “NO REFUND POLICY” on fees paid by applicants for actual services rendered by the Embassy. “Actual services rendered” include, but are not limited to, services rendered from receipt of documents for review by the Consular Officer or, in case of payment, from the time of its receipt, and not merely restricted to the issuance of document. Fees for unserviced applications/applications no longer pursued are non-refundable.