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Republic Act No. 9225· Enacted 2003-08-29

Dual Citizenship Law (RA 9225) — BatasKo ELI5

Naging American, Canadian, o Australian ka? Pwede kang maging Pilipino ulit sa ilalim ng RA 9225. Know how to recover your Philippine citizenship and what rights it gives you.

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Ang Batas sa Madaling Salita— ELI5

RA 9225, the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act, lets natural-born Filipinos who became citizens of another country get back their Philippine citizenship — just by taking an oath of allegiance. Once you do, you can own property, vote, work, and even run for office in the Philippines again. Your unmarried children under 18 automatically become Filipino too.

Official text — Republic Act No. 9225

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Preamble

Congress of the Philippines

Twelfth Congress

Third Regular Session

Begun held in Metro Manila on Monday, the twenty-eighth day of July, two thousand three.

Republic Act No. 9225 August 29, 2003

AN ACT MAKING THE CITIZENSHIP OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENS WHO ACQUIRE FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP PERMANENT.

AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE COMMONWEALTH ACT. NO. 63, AS AMENDED AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1

Section 1.

Short Title

– this act shall be known as the "

Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003

."

Section 2

Section 2.

Declaration of Policy

- It is hereby declared the policy of the State that all Philippine citizens of another country shall be deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under the conditions of this Act.

Section 3 — Retention of Philippine Citizenship→

Section 3.

Retention of Philippine Citizenship

- Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, natural-born citizenship by reason of their naturalization as citizens of a foreign country are hereby deemed to have re-acquired Philippine citizenship upon taking the following oath of allegiance to the Republic:

"I _____________________, solemny swear (or affrim) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and obey the laws and legal orders promulgated by the duly constituted authorities of the Philippines; and I hereby declare that I recognize and accept the supreme authority of the Philippines and will maintain true faith and allegiance thereto; and that I imposed this obligation upon myself voluntarily without mental reservation or purpose of evasion."

Natural born citizens of the Philippines who, after the effectivity of this Act, become citizens of a foreign country shall retain their Philippine citizenship upon taking the aforesaid oath.

Section 4 — Derivative Citizenship→

Section 4.

Derivative Citizenship

- The unmarried child, whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted, below eighteen (18) years of age, of those who re-acquire Philippine citizenship upon effectivity of this Act shall be deemed citizenship of the Philippines.

Section 5 — Civil and Political Rights and Liabilities→

Section 5.

Civil and Political Rights and Liabilities

- Those who retain or re-acquire Philippine citizenship under this Act shall enjoy full civil and political rights and be subject to all attendant liabilities and responsibilities under existing laws of the Philippines and the following conditions:

(1) Those intending to exercise their right of surffrage must Meet the requirements under Section 1, Article V of the Constitution, Republic Act No. 9189, otherwise known as "The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003" and other existing laws;

(2) Those seeking elective public in the Philippines shall meet the qualification for holding such public office as required by the Constitution and existing laws and, at the time of the filing of the certificate of candidacy, make a personal and sworn renunciation of any and all foreign citizenship before any public officer authorized to administer an oath;

(3) Those appointed to any public office shall subscribe and swear to an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and its duly constituted authorities prior to their assumption of office:

Provided

, That they renounce their oath of allegiance to the country where they took that oath;

(4) Those intending to practice their profession in the Philippines shall apply with the proper authority for a license or permit to engage in such practice; and

(5) That right to vote or be elected or appointed to any public office in the Philippines cannot be exercised by, or extended to, those who:

(a) are candidates for or are occupying any public office in the country of which they are naturalized citizens; and/or

(b) are in active service as commissioned or non-commissioned officers in the armed forces of the country which they are naturalized citizens.

Section 6 — Separability Clause→

Section 6.

Separability Clause

- If any section or provision of this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, any other section or provision not affected thereby shall remain valid and effective.

Show 2 more sections +→
Section 7 — Repealing Clause→

Section 7.

Repealing Clause

- All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 8 — Effectivity Clause→

Section 8.

Effectivity Clause

– This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in the

Official Gazette

or two (2) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

FRANKLIN DRILON

President of the Senate

JOSE DE VENECIA JR.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2130 and House Bill No. 4720 was finally passed by the the House of Representatives and Senate on August 25, 2003 and August 26, 2003, respectively.

OSCAR G. YABES

Secretary of Senate

ROBERTO P. NAZARENO

Secretary General

House of Represenatives

Approved: August 29, 2003

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

President of the Philippines

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

Full text on BatasKo. Original source: Official Gazette / Lawphil.

Nagiging citizen ka ng ibang bansa para makakuha ng mas maraming oportunidad. Pero hindi mo naman gustong maging puro taga-ibang bansa — Pilipino ka pa rin sa puso mo. Sa loob ng maraming taon, ang tanong ay: kailangan mo bang pumili?

Under RA 9225, hindi mo na kailangang pumili.

ELI5 (Explain It Like I'm 5): RA 9225 says that if you were born Filipino and you became a citizen of another country, you can get your Philippine citizenship back just by taking an oath of allegiance. You keep your foreign citizenship too. That is dual citizenship. Once you are Filipino again, you can own land, vote, practice your profession, and even run for office in the Philippines — with some conditions.

Real Filipino Scenario

Grace, a 48-year-old nurse, left the Philippines in 1995 and has been living in Vancouver, Canada for 28 years. She became a Canadian citizen in 2003 — but under the old law, taking a foreign citizenship meant automatically losing her Philippine citizenship.

When her parents became elderly, she wanted to come home for good. But she discovered she could not own property in the Philippines as a foreigner, and she worried about her status.

Her kababayan told her about RA 9225. She went to the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, took the Oath of Allegiance under Section 3 of the law, and re-acquired her Philippine citizenship in 2018.

Now Grace is both Canadian and Filipino. She opened a joint bank account with her siblings, co-purchased a house in Iloilo City (where she grew up), and registered as an overseas voter. When she retires, she will come home fully, legally, and without having to give up the Canadian pension she worked 25 years to earn.

Her 14-year-old daughter, who was born in Canada, automatically became a Philippine citizen too under Section 4 of RA 9225 — because she was unmarried, under 18, and Grace re-acquired her citizenship.

What the Law Actually Says

Section 1 — Short Title: This law is formally called the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003.

Section 2 — Policy: The State declares that all Philippine citizens who acquire foreign citizenship shall be deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under this Act's conditions. This is a fundamental reversal of the old rule.

Section 3 — How to Re-acquire Citizenship: Any natural-born Filipino who became a citizen of another country may re-acquire Philippine citizenship by taking an Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. You can do this at:

  • A Philippine Consulate or Embassy abroad
  • The Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines

The oath affirms your support for the Constitution, obedience to Philippine law, and recognition of Philippine sovereignty.

For Filipinos who will become foreign citizens after the law's effectivity (August 2003), they retain Philippine citizenship automatically upon taking the same oath when they become foreign citizens.

Section 4 — Derivative Citizenship: Your unmarried child (legitimate, illegitimate, or adopted) who is below 18 years old at the time you re-acquire citizenship becomes a Philippine citizen too. No separate process is needed for them.

Section 5 — Full Civil and Political Rights: Once you re-acquire citizenship, you enjoy full civil and political rights — including the right to own property, inherit, work, and access government services. But with some important conditions:

(1) Voting: To vote in Philippine elections (including overseas voting), you must meet the requirements of the Overseas Absentee Voting Act (RA 9189) — register with COMELEC, meet residency/domicile requirements.

(2) Running for Public Office: If you want to run for elected office in the Philippines, you must:

  • Meet all qualifications for that office
  • Make a personal and sworn renunciation of all foreign citizenship when filing your Certificate of Candidacy
  • You cannot be a candidate or hold public office in your foreign country at the same time

(3) Appointed Government Positions: To be appointed to any public office, you must:

  • Take an Oath of Allegiance to the Philippines before assuming the position
  • Renounce your foreign country's oath of allegiance

(4) Practicing Your Profession: If you want to work as a doctor, nurse, lawyer, accountant, or other licensed professional in the Philippines, apply for a license or permit from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

(5) You cannot hold political office in both countries simultaneously: If you are running for or holding elected/appointed office in your foreign country, you cannot exercise the same rights in the Philippines.

What This Means for OFWs and Filipinos Abroad

Kung isa kang OFW o naninirahan na sa ibang bansa, RA 9225 ay mahalaga para sa iyo:

You can own land. Once you re-acquire citizenship, you can buy and own real property in the Philippines — not just as a foreigner with a 40% share limit, but as a full Filipino citizen.

You can vote. Register as an overseas absentee voter with COMELEC and vote in Philippine elections from wherever you are in the world. Your voice in Philippine politics does not have to end when you emigrate.

Your children can be Filipino. If your kids were born abroad to a Filipino parent, they may already be Filipino by birth. If you re-acquired citizenship under RA 9225 while they are under 18 and unmarried, they benefit from derivative citizenship under Section 4.

You can practice your profession. Doctors, nurses, engineers, accountants who retrained abroad and got foreign licenses can apply with PRC to practice in the Philippines once they are citizens again.

You can inherit and be inherited. As a Philippine citizen, inheritance and succession laws apply to you in full — including your right to receive family property and your own estate planning in the Philippines.

How to Apply:

  1. Visit the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate in your country
  2. Fill out the Application for Re-acquisition/Retention of Philippine Citizenship form
  3. Submit valid documents (birth certificate, foreign passport, proof of naturalization)
  4. Take the Oath of Allegiance
  5. Receive your Identification Certificate of Re-acquisition/Retention

There is a filing fee. // TODO: verify current fee schedule with DFA or Philippine Consulate

What Most Filipinos Get Wrong

"Once I became American/Canadian/Australian, I am no longer Filipino." Under RA 9225, this is no longer automatically true. You can recover your Filipino citizenship by taking the oath. Before this law existed (before 2003), naturalizing abroad did end your Filipino citizenship. This law changed that.

"Taking the oath under RA 9225 means giving up my foreign citizenship." Mali. That is the whole point — you keep both. You take the Philippine Oath of Allegiance, but you do not have to renounce your foreign citizenship. That is what makes it dual citizenship.

"My children born abroad are not Filipino." Depending on when they were born and your citizenship status, they may already be Filipino by jus sanguinis (bloodline). If you re-acquire citizenship under RA 9225, unmarried children below 18 automatically become Filipino under Section 4.

"I can run for public office in both the Philippines and my foreign country at the same time." Hindi pwede. Section 5(5) specifically prohibits you from exercising Philippine voting or office-holding rights if you are currently a candidate or official in your foreign country.

What to Do to Re-acquire Your Citizenship

  1. Go to the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in your country. Find the list at dfa.gov.ph/contact-us/dfa-offices-abroad.
  2. Prepare documents: Philippine birth certificate (PSA-certified), valid foreign passport, naturalization certificate or proof of foreign citizenship.
  3. Submit the application form and pay the filing fee.
  4. Take the Oath of Allegiance. This is the core legal act under Section 3.
  5. Register your re-acquisition with the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines when you arrive, and update your records with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) if needed.

Related Laws

  • RA 9189 (Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003) — Governs how Filipino dual citizens can vote from abroad
  • Commonwealth Act No. 63 — The old citizenship law that RA 9225 amended
  • RA 8239 (Philippine Passport Act) — Once you re-acquire citizenship, you can get a Philippine passport

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I was born in the Philippines but left as a child and became a foreign citizen. Am I covered by RA 9225? Yes, as long as you are a natural-born Filipino — meaning you were a Filipino citizen at birth. Children of Filipino parents born in the Philippines are natural-born citizens. You can re-acquire citizenship by taking the oath at a Philippine Consulate.

Q: Can I own land in the Philippines as soon as I re-acquire citizenship? Yes. As a re-acquired Filipino citizen, you have the same property rights as any other Filipino citizen. You can buy and own real estate without the foreign ownership restrictions that would apply if you remained solely a foreign national.

Q: Do I need a lawyer to apply for re-acquisition? No, a lawyer is not required. The process is administrative, done through the Philippine Embassy or Consulate. However, if your situation is complex (questions about property, estate, or past immigration issues), consulting a lawyer may help.

Sources

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. Citizenship re-acquisition requirements may vary by consulate. For specific questions, contact the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate, the Bureau of Immigration at immigration.gov.ph, or the Department of Foreign Affairs at dfa.gov.ph. For free legal assistance, contact the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) at 1-800-10-PAO-8888.

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Legal disclaimer: BatasKo provides general legal information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed Filipino lawyer or the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

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