Republic Act No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 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.

Kindly note that having 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 below 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.

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.

VISA REQUIREMENT FOR FOREIGN SPOUSE AND/OR CHILDREN WHEN TRAVELING TO THE PHILIPPINES

As long as the foreign spouse and children travel with the Balikbayan, they will be entitled to a visa-free entry to the Philippines for a period of one (1) year.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATION FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP

To avoid summary dismissal/delay in the processing of your application/petition, please be advised of the following:

1. Please download and accomplish the attached Petition Form written in English.
   • Type or enter legibly all the information required into the appropriate spaces on the form.
   • If the information required is not applicable, please write “N/A”.
   • Do not leave any item blank.
   • The Embassy will not act on application forms that are incomplete and incorrectly accomplished.
   • Your answers must be in English and all entries must be in CAPITAL LETTERS.
2. Applicants are requested to submit the Petition Form and the Original documents as an attachment at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait personally for evaluation. From Sunday to Thursday at 08:00 AM to 12:00 NN.
3. The Embassy will give the schedule of your oath-taking once your documents are found to be complete. Appearance in person at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait for oath-taking is required.
4. Bring the indicated number of originals and photocopies of each requirement on the day of oath-taking. Incomplete documents and/or photocopies is not accepted.
5. Please wear Filipiniana or semi-formal attire for the oath-taking. No sneakers, jeans, shorts, t-shirts, or short-sleeve tops. 
6. All original PSA documents submitted as part of the petition will not be returned to the petitioner and will be part of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration’s record.

CHECKLIST OF DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS

The applicant will bring the indicated number of originals and photocopies of each requirement during his/her oath-taking.

PRINCIPAL APPLICANT

1. Duly accomplished Petition Form – two (2) originals
2. Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – original and four (4) photocopies
   • In case the nafme of the applicant in his/her PSA Birth Certificate is different from that in his/her foreign passport and other documents, the applicant shall execute an affidavit explaining such difference and present as supporting documents, two (2) public or private documents showing the correct name of the applicant. 
3. Certificate of Foreign Citizenship or equivalent in English, showing date of naturalization as a foreigner, Apostillized by a competent authority of the issuing country (if English version cannot be obtained, have the certificate translated in English and notarized, then Apostillized by a competent authority of the issuing country) – original and four (4) photocopies.
4. ID photos – Eight (8) colored 2 x 2 inch. photograph, with white background, showing applicant in proper/decent attire, taken not earlier than six (6) months before application. Blurred, scanned or low quality photos are not accepted.
5. Latest Philippine passport – original and five (5) photocopies of data page (page showing photo and complete name)  (if passport is unavailable, an affidavit explaining the circumstances of the unavailability of the passport – five (5) unsigned copies (you will sign in the presence of our consular officer)
6. Current foreign passport – original and five (5) photocopies of data page (page showing photo and complete name)
7. The Consular Officer reserves the right to request additional documents from the applicant, if needed.
8. Philippine ID
9. For women who are married (and using the surname of their husband), widowed, divorced, or whose marriage has been annulled (if applicable), please present and submit copy of the appropriate document:
   • If married:
     • Marriage Certificate (MC) or Report of Marriage in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – original and four (4) photocopies
     • If marriage abroad has not been registered, please submit requirements for Report of Marriage
   • If widowed:
     • Death Certificate of the deceased spouse, in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – original and four (4) photocopies; or
     • Death Certificate in English, Apostillized by a competent authority of the issuing country in the country of death – original and four (4) photocopies
   • If marriage is annulled:
     • Annotated PSA Marriage Certificate or Report of Marriage – original and four (4) photocopies; and
     • Certified True Copy (CTC) of Court Order effecting the annulment – original and four (4) photocopies
   • If divorced:
     • Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Divorce Decree in English duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where the divorce was obtained or by the concerned foreign diplomatic or consular mission in the Philippines – original and four (4) photocopies
     • Certified True Copy (CTC) of Philippine Court recognition of foreign divorce decree – original and four (4) photocopies
     • PSA Marriage Contract or Report of Marriage with the annotation of the Divorce Decree – original and four (4) photocopies
     • For Philippine Court recognition of foreign divorce decree, please click this link: Annotation of divorce declared in a foreign country
10. Payment of fees - 16.250 KD (to be paid by applicant at the Embassy in person, in cash, Kuwait Dinar only)

DEPENDENT CHILD (BELOW 18 YEARS OLD, ONLY IF THE CHILD WAS BORN AFTER THE PRINCIPAL APPLICANT BECAME NATURALIZED AS A FOREIGN CITIZEN OR IF THE CHILD ALSO BECAME NATURALIZED AS A FOREIGN CITIZEN; OTHERWISE, NO NEED TO INCLUDE THE CHILD IN THE PETITION):

1. ID photos – Eight (8) colored 2 x 2 inch. photograph, with white background, showing applicant in proper/decent attire, taken not earlier than six (6) months before application. Blurred, scanned or low quality photos are not accepted.
2. Birth Certificate (BC) or Report of Birth in Security Paper issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – original and four (4) photocopies. If birth abroad has not been registered, please submit requirements for Report of Birth.
3. Certificate of Foreign Citizenship in English, Apostillized by a competent authority of the issuing country (if English version cannot be obtained, have the certificate translated in English and notarized, then Apostillized by a competent authority of the issuing country) (If child is a former Filipino and the child’s name is not already included in the parent’s Certificate of Foreign Citizenship) – original and four (4) photocopies
4. Latest Philippine passport, if child is a former Filipino (if unavailable, an affidavit explaining the circumstances of the unavailability of the passport) – original and five (5) photocopies of data page (page showing photo and complete name)
5. Current foreign passport – original and five (5) photocopies of data page (page showing photo and complete name)
6. The Consular Officer reserves the right to request additional documents from the applicant, if needed.
7. Payment of fees - 16.250 KD (to be paid by applicant at the Embassy in person, in cash, Kuwait Dinar only)

For those who wish to apply for Report of Birth and Report of Marriage while applying for dual citizenship, please click the following links: Report of Birth and Report of Marriage

After taking the oath to reacquire Filipino citizenship, the applicant is eligible to apply for a Philippine passport.  See requirements here.