In order to obtain citizenship in the Philippines, a foreign national has to complete the naturalization process, which is based on a minimum residence requirement, as well as other conditions.
Our team assists not only those who are interested in company formation in Philippines but also those foreign nationals who are considering their options for relocation through investment or through opening a company.
If you want to move to the Philippines, our team can answer your questions based on the type of company or investment you are interested in, or if you are looking at employment options.
For those who are already living in the country and are ready to obtain citizenship in the Philippines, our team can answer the most important pre-application questions.
Ways to acquire citizenship in the Philippines
Obtaining citizenship is possible in the following ways:
By naturalization: foreign nationals can become Filipino citizens through an act of congress, by administrative naturalization, and through judicial naturalization;
By birth: any child born of a Filipino parent can be recognized as a citizen under the law; the parent needs to submit an application to the Commissioner of Immigration;
Through reacquisition: this is possible for natural-born citizens who were naturalized as citizens of other countries. Taking an oath is also required in this case.
Foreign nationals will most often obtain citizenship in the Philippines through judicial naturalization, meaning that they will file a special petition in court to have this status approved for them. Special conditions apply to foreign nationals who apply in this manner and are married to Filipino citizens.
A foreign national who acquires (or reacquires) Philippine citizenship enjoys the entirety of the civil, political, and economic rights available to a citizen under law, including but not limited to obtaining a Philippine passport, owning property in the Philippines, having full business ownership in certain industries, and practicing one’s profession.
Requirements to obtain citizenship in the Philippines
The list below sets forth the main conditions for those who apply for Filipino citizenship by way of judicial naturalization, as well as some of the other important issues to consider:
- be 21 years old at the time of the application;
- must have stayed in the Philippines for 10 years; this period can be reduced to only 5 years if the applicant is married to a Filipino citizen or if he/she was born in the Philippines;
- good character and conduct, both by observing the Government laws, and the community in which the applicant has lived during this time in the Philippines;
- have sufficient financial means;
- know English, Spanish, or one of the Philippines languages;
- conditions also apply for applicants who have minor children (concerning their enrollment in school);
- a waiting period applies after the individual has filed the petition, however, this can be reduced if the applicant has been living in the country for 30 years.
Judicial naturalization can be a lengthy process and we advise applicants to reach out to our team as soon as they are approaching the minimum residence time. We will be able to provide the needed and mandatory assistance in this case.
Do not hesitate to contact our team if your goal is to immigrate to the Philippines and for this purpose you wish to complete the citizenship by naturalization process. Our team will give you more details and will assist you throughout the application process.
You can also contact us if you are interested in any type of business or commercial matter, such as how to open a company, or how you can run your business from a virtual office in the Philippines.