Filipino citizenship

How to acquire citizenship

If you were not born in the Philippines or your parents are not Filipino you can still apply for citizenship providing you meet a number of criteria.

There are several criteria required in order for a foreign person to become naturalized as a Filipino citizen. If you weren’t born in the Philippines and your parents are not Filipinos then you will have to meet these criteria in order to apply for citizenship:

• Be over 21 years of age on the day of the petition
• Have lived in the Philippines for at least a 10 year continuous period
• Be of good moral character and support the Philippine constitution
• Have a minimum of P5,000 in real estate, money or have a lucrative job
• Must be able to speak or read English, Spanish or one of the other main languages of the country
• If the applicant has minor children they must have been enrolled in a school recognized by the Bureau of Education.

Depending on your situation there are three main routes to becoming a naturalized Filipino citizen.

1. The courts - if you are a foreigner who has married a Filipino then a judicial process will allow you to become a Filipino citizen.
2. The Office of the Solicitor General - the OSG has the power to approve petitions for naturalization. The processing fee is around P40,000.
3. An act of congress - if you have made a significant contribution to public life in the Philippines your application to become naturalized can be sponsored by a senator or congressman.