Dual Citizenship: ₱3,010 and 60 Working Days
Bureau of Immigration · immigration
Quick answer
A former natural-born Filipino who was naturalised abroad can re-acquire Philippine citizenship under RA 9225. The total is ₱3,010.00 for the principal and ₱1,760.00 for each unmarried child under 18. The charter gives 60 working days, and it ends with an oath at the BI Main Office.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from Bureau of Immigration's official published sources: Bureau of Immigration | Citizen's Charter 2025, 1st Edition (https://immigration.gov.ph/citizens-charter/, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with Bureau of Immigration before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
What it is, and who it is for
RA 9225 lets a former natural-born Filipino who lost citizenship by naturalising abroad retain or re-acquire it. The Bureau of Immigration classifies the petition as Quasi-Judicial, which is a heavier category than the ordinary counter service and explains the timeline below.
Two groups qualify:
| Group | Condition |
|---|---|
| Natural-born Filipinos naturalised before RA 9225 took effect | May include unmarried children below 18 years of age, whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted |
| Natural-born Filipinos who became foreign citizens after RA 9225 took effect | Retention rather than re-acquisition |
The qualifying test is natural-born status. Having lived in the Philippines, or having Filipino parents without natural-born status yourself, is not the same thing.
The cost
| Applicant | Fee | Express lane fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal | ₱2,510.00 | ₱500.00 | ₱3,010.00 |
| Each dependent child | ₱1,260.00 | ₱500.00 | ₱1,760.00 |
By the standards of the rest of this agency’s fee schedule these are small numbers. A principal with three children under 18 pays ₱3,010.00 plus three times ₱1,760.00, so ₱8,290.00 in total.
Note that the express lane fee is charged per person, not per application, so it appears four times in that example.
Where the 60 working days go
The published total is 60 working days, 1 hour and 26 minutes. The counter work is the 1 hour and 26 minutes. Everything else is review.
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Get the form and checklist | 10 minutes |
| Pre-evaluation at the Public Information Assistance Unit | 12 minutes |
| ACR I-Card check at Window 11 or 18 | 12 minutes |
| Assessment and Order of Payment Slip at Window 12 | 12 minutes |
| Payment at the cashier | 10 minutes |
| Submission at Window 21 | 12 minutes |
| Evaluate and verify the documents | 13 working days |
| Draft the Order of Approval and the CRPC | 7 working days |
| Review and recommend | 20 working days |
| Approve or disapprove | 20 working days |
| Notification by email or text | 5 minutes |
| Oath taking at the BI Main Office | 10 minutes |
| Release of the original documents | 3 minutes |
The four review stages are 13, 7, 20 and 20 working days, which is exactly the 60. Two of them, the review-and-recommend and the approve-or-disapprove, are 40 of the 60 between them, and both sit with senior officers: the Chief of the Dual Citizenship Section and the Chief of the Board of Special Inquiry, then a Designated Deputy Commissioner.
The clock starts on complete and original documents, not on the day you file. An incomplete folder does not begin a 60-day wait, it delays the start of one.
What to bring
For the principal:
| Document | Detail |
|---|---|
| Petition form BI Form 2014-01-005 Rev 1 | Duly signed and notarised |
| 2x2 photographs | 2 pieces, white background, no eyeglasses or face mask, taken within the last 3 months |
| Original Philippine Birth Certificate | From the PSA |
| Valid foreign passport | Original and photocopy |
| Certificate of Naturalization | Photocopy, with English translation if in another language |
For each dependent child:
| Document | Detail |
|---|---|
| BI Form 2014-01-006 Rev 1, Supplement for Dependent | Duly signed and notarised |
| 2x2 photographs | 2 pieces, same rules |
| Birth Certificate of the child | Photocopy, PSA |
| Foreign passport bio-page of the child | Photocopy |
Anyone already registered with BI as an alien also surrenders the original ACR I-Card and the Immigrant Certificate of Residence or Certificate of Residency for Temporary Visitor, with an Affidavit of Loss if either has gone missing.
The charter closes the checklist with a warning worth taking literally: the Dual Citizenship Section requires presentation of the original copies of ALL requirements and may require additional documents for further evaluation.
The two problems that actually come up
No PSA birth certificate. There is a documented ladder rather than a dead end:
- Original Certificate of No Record of Birth from the PSA, plus a Certification of Birth from the Local Civil Registrar of your birthplace.
- If neither office has a record: both negative certificates, plus any two of, in the order given, a PSA marriage certificate, a cancelled Philippine passport, a voter’s ID, a baptismal certificate, or another Philippine official document proving natural-born citizenship.
The name does not match. Where the name on your birth certificate differs from the one in your foreign passport’s machine-readable zone or on your naturalisation certificate, you file an Affidavit of One and the Same Person, plus one of:
- a judicial decree of change of name, adoption, annulment, nullity of marriage, or divorce;
- an annotation of the varied name in the Certificate of Naturalization; or
- a Philippine official document showing the varied name.
Married women who naturalised under a married name are the usual case here, and it is provided for rather than exceptional.
It ends with an oath
Approval is not the last step. You appear at the BI Main Office on a scheduled date to take the Oath of Allegiance before a Hearing Officer, allotted 10 minutes.
You leave with three documents: the Order of Approval, the Certificate of Re-acquisition or Retention of Philippine Citizenship (CRPC), and the Oath of Allegiance.
What changes afterwards
Re-acquiring citizenship removes you from the alien registration system, which is why the ACR I-Card is surrendered during the process. If you had been extending a stay as a visitor, the tourist visa extension ladder and its 24 or 36 month ceiling stop applying to you. For what a Philippine passport and PSA documents prove once you hold them, see valid IDs in the Philippines.
Where this goes wrong
Filing an incomplete folder. The 60 working days runs from receipt of complete and original documents.
Bringing photocopies only. Originals of all requirements must be presented.
Assuming the express lane fee is charged once. It is ₱500.00 per person, including each child.
Including a child who has turned 18 or married. The dependent route requires unmarried and below 18.
Photographs older than 3 months, or with glasses on. Both are stated conditions.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does dual citizenship cost?
- ₱3,010.00 in total for the principal, made up of a ₱2,510.00 fee and a ₱500.00 express lane fee. Each dependent child is ₱1,760.00, made up of ₱1,260.00 and the same ₱500.00 express lane fee.
- How long does it take?
- The charter gives 60 working days, 1 hour and 26 minutes, and the clock runs from receipt of complete and original documents rather than from the day you file. 60 working days is roughly three calendar months.
- Who can apply?
- Natural-born Filipinos who were naturalised as foreign citizens before RA 9225 took effect, together with their unmarried children under 18, and natural-born Filipinos who became foreign citizens after RA 9225 took effect. The test is natural-born status, not merely former residence.
- Can my children be included?
- Yes, if they are unmarried and below 18 years of age. The charter covers legitimate, illegitimate and adopted children alike. Each needs their own Supplement for Dependent form, their own two photographs, and their own ₱1,760.00.
- What if I have no PSA birth certificate?
- There is a documented fallback. Submit an original Certificate of No Record of Birth from the PSA plus a Certification of Birth from the Local Civil Registrar. If neither office has a record, you submit both negative certificates plus any two of a PSA marriage certificate, a cancelled Philippine passport, a voter's ID, a baptismal certificate, or another Philippine official document proving natural-born citizenship.
- My name is spelled differently on my foreign passport. Is that a problem?
- It is handled rather than fatal. You submit an Affidavit of One and the Same Person, plus one of: a judicial decree of change of name, adoption, annulment, nullity or divorce; an annotation of the varied name in the naturalisation certificate; or a Philippine official document showing the varied name.
- Do I have to appear in person?
- Yes, for the oath. If the petition is approved you appear at the BI Main Office on a scheduled date for oath taking, which the charter allots 10 minutes. You then receive the Order of Approval, the Certificate of Re-acquisition or Retention, and the Oath of Allegiance.
- What if I have no certificate of naturalisation?
- Submit an affidavit stating how and when the foreign citizenship was acquired. The charter provides for this explicitly, so a lost or unobtainable certificate does not end the application.