How to Get Citizenship in the Philippines
You must meet certain requirements to obtain citizenship, or naturalization, in the Philippines. To gain the privileges of a natural-born citizen, you must be 21, a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years, own real estate there, be of good moral character, speak or write English or Spanish and been schooled or have minor children enrolled in Filipino schools.
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Things You'll Need
- Birth Certificate
- Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
- Affidavit from two Filipino citizens describing your moral character
- Medical certificate
- School diploma
- Income tax return (if employed in the Philippines)
Instructions
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File with the Special Committee on Naturalization five copies of a petition for citizenship, thumb marked and including a passport-size photo.
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2
Type the petition and sign it with the following information included: name, present and former addresses, occupation, marital status, children (if applicable), a list of qualifications for citizenship, and a declaration of honest intention to be naturalized.
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Include with the application a birth certificate copy, marriage certificate, sworn statements of moral character from two Filipino natives known for at least 10 years, medical certificate, applicable school diplomas, and proof of employment.
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4
Turn in the application to the secretariat of the Special Committee on Naturalization.
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5
Pay the processing fee of 40,000 pesos, or a bit more than $900 U.S. dollars. (In December 2010, the exchange rate was 43.8 pesos to one U.S. dollar.) The application will then be passed through various government departments for approval. The committee will notify you within 60 days of applying whether you have been approved.
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Pay the committee 100,000 pesos within 30 days of approval as a naturalization fee.
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Take the oath of allegiance within 60 days of paying the fee and receiving a naturalization certificate.
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Tips & Warnings
Have all the paperwork before beginning your application. Otherwise, obtaining citizenship will take longer than necessary.
Under no circumstance lie about anything on your application. Applicants caught lying are subject to penalties such as fines and imprisonment. Also, complete every necessary step, for example, if you get your certificate but don't take the oath, then the Committee can cancel or revoke the certificate.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit philippines flag button image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
