CITIZENSHIP RETENTION AND RE-ACQUISITION
ACT OF 2003 (R.A. 9225)
What is Republic Act No. 9225?
Republic Act (R.A) No. 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 is a law signed by the Philippine President on 29 August 2003, which grants natural-born Filipinos who have lost their Filipino citizenship through naturalization in a foreign country (e.g., Switzerland), the opportunity to re-acquire their Philippine citizenship without having to renounce the foreign citizenship they currently hold. A copy of the law may be viewed from Philippine Senate weblink or through: https://www.senate.gov.ph/republic_acts/ra%209225.pdf.
Who can apply for retention / reacquisition of Philippine citizenship under RA 9225?
Former natural-born Filipinos who have lost their citizenship by foreign naturalization, without having to expressly renounce their Philippine citizenship, may file a Petition to re-acquire their Philippine citizenship under RA 9225.
Under Section 3 of RA 9225,
“... Natural-born citizens of the Philippines who have lost their Philippine 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, _________________ , solemnly wear (or affirm) 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 impose 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.”
Who are natural-born citizens of the Philippines?
Natural-born citizens of the Philippines are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. These are:
- Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines at the time of their birth, and
- Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority
Those who were born in Switzerland or Liechtenstein who met the above mentioned conditions but whose births have yet to be reported to the Philippine Government through the Philippine Embassy, please visit the Civil Registry page of the Embassy or this link: https://bernepe.dfa.gov.ph/sample-sites/civil-registry.
How can one prove that he / she is a natural-born Filipino citizen?
A former natural-born citizen shall submit the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-authenticated copy of his or her:
- Birth Certificate (BC), if born in the Philippines, or
- Report of Birth (ROB), if born abroad
If the marriage of the applicant and/or birth of his/her child has/have yet to be reported to the Embassy, please visit the Civil Registry page of the Embassy or this link: https://bernepe.dfa.gov.ph/sample-sites/civil-registry.
Married women, especially those who have adopted the surname of their husband, are also required to present an PSA-authenticated Marriage Certificate (MC, if married in the Philippines) or PSA-authenticated Report of Marriage (ROM, if married abroad).
The authenticated copy of the BC/ROB and/or MC/ROM may be secured directly from the PSA website.
Where to file the petition?
For former Filipino citizens in Switzerland, the petition can be filed at the Philippine Embassy in Berne. Residents of the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud should contact the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva.
If the former natural-born Filipino citizen is already in the Philippines, he / she shall file a petition under oath with the Commissioner of Immigration.
Should one who was automatically conferred / granted Swiss citizenship by virtue of having been married to a Swiss citizen prior to 01 January 1992 submit a petition to retain / re-acquire Philippine citizenship under RA 9225?
No. Former natural-born Filipinos who were automatically conferred / granted their Swiss citizenship by virtue of their marriage to their Swiss husband prior to 01 January 1992 do not need to submit a petition. They remain Filipino citizens since they did not go through the process of naturalization as a Swiss citizen.
They, however, must show proof of automatic conferment of Swiss citizenship (such as the PSA-authenticated MC, if married in the Philippines or PSA-authenticated ROM, if married outside of the Philippines), or Swiss Eheschein/Marriage Contract.
Concerned applicant who only possesses his/her Eheschein or the Swiss-issued Marriage Certificate will be required to file an ROM at the Embassy if the marriage was solemnized in Switzerland. Should they wish to be issued a Philippine passport, they must subsequently secure a PSA-authenticated copy of the said ROM from them before their passport application can be processed. Please view the information, including forms and requirements, on the Civil Registry page of the Embassy for this.
Can minor dependent/s of the applicant acquire Philippine citizenship under RA 9225?
Yes. RA 9225 provides for the acquisition of Philippine citizenship by children, below 18 years old, of former natural-born Filipinos who have successfully retained or re-acquired Philippine citizenship under the provisions of the same law.
For the concerned qualified applicants, the same documentary requirements shall be submitted to the Embassy (including the PSA-authenticated Marriage Certificate or PSA original marriage certificate of parents).
Applicants filing a petition under RA 9225 may include their qualified dependents in their petition for retention or re-acquisition of citizenship as beneficiaries and acquire the Philippine citizenship. Qualified dependents are those children of the eligible applicants, whether legitimate or illegitimate or adopted, who are below 18 years old.
Can one apply for a Philippine passport after retaining / re-acquiring his / her Philippine citizenship?
Yes. As a full-pledged Filipino citizen, he / she is accorded the privilege to hold a Philippine passport provided that the requirements for its issuance are complete.
Appointments for passports may be secured through the Global Online Appointment System (GOAS). For more information, including the list of requirements and consular fees, visit the Embassy’s Passport page: https://bernepe.dfa.gov.ph/sample-sites/passport or click: https://bernepe.dfa.gov.ph/images/The_Philippine_Passport-COR-16Aug.pdf.
Can applicant/s 18 years of age and over born to a former natural-born Philippine citizen who has yet to retain / re-acquire his / her Philippine citizenship submit a petition under RA 9225 to acquire Philippine citizenship?
No. Said applicants should file for Recognition as Filipino Citizen directly with the Bureau of Immigration (BI). For more information, please visit the BI weblink: https://immigration.gov.ph/services/citizenship-retention-and-aquisition/recognition-as-filipino-citizen. Said foreign citizens who were born outside of the Philippines to parent/s, who were Filipino citizens at the time of their birth, may be Recognized as a Filipino Citizen, without losing their current citizenship.
Questions on the matter, as well as on the Affirmation of Recognition as Filipino Citizen should be directed to the Bureau of Immigration through the following contact details: https://immigration.gov.ph/contact-us/main-office.
For more information, please view the FAQ on Philippine citizenship retention and re-acquisition under RA 9225.
DOWNLOADABLE FORM/S
- Form - Petition for Philippine Citizenship Retention / Reacquisition
- Affidavit of Renunciation of Philippine Citizenship, in case of renunciation
FEE
NOTES
- Philippine citizenship may be lost through various means such as naturalization in a foreign county, express renunciation of citizenship, or by subscribing to the laws of a foreign country upon reaching the age of majority.
- Philippine citizenship may be renounced following an execution of an Affidavit of Renunciation of Philippine Citizenship. A copy of the said Affidavit will be transmitted to the appropriate Philippine authorities and will form part of the permanent files of the Philippine Government.
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Former natural born Filipino citizens who expressly renounced his/her Philippine citizenship are not eligible to submit a petition to reacquire his / her Philippine Citizenship under RA 9225.
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The Oath Taking as a Philippine Citizen under RA 9225 of eligible applicants is scheduled in the mornings of Tuesdays and Thursdays, except during holidays.
- For residents of the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud, please directly contact the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva through the following details:
The Philippine Consulate General in Geneva
Address: Allee David-Morse 14, 1202 Geneva
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://genevapcg.dfa.gov.ph/
Tel. No.: +41 (02) 22 716 1930
Mobile No.: +41 (0) 79 136 9114
- Consular clients are required to enclose a self-addressed envelope with stamps worth at least CHF6.50 along with their consular documents for pre-evaluation and processing of the Consular Section. Please purchase the stamps at your local Post Office.
