The short version
- Yes. A former Filipino who became American can take back Philippine citizenship under Republic Act 9225 and stay American. USA.gov says Americans do not have to choose.
- You must have been a natural-born Filipino. If you were born abroad on or after 17 January 1973 to a Filipino parent, you are already Filipino and only need a Report of Birth.
- At the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, it is one appointment: you hand in your papers, pay USD 50, take the oath and get your certificate the same day.
- Unmarried children under 18 can be added for USD 25 each. You keep your US passport, and you must use it to enter and leave the US.
Can you have US and Philippine citizenship at the same time?
Yes. Both countries allow it. The Philippines' dual citizenship law, Republic Act 9225, says natural-born Filipinos who became citizens of another country are Filipino again once they take an oath of allegiance to the Philippines.
The law is called the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003. It was approved on 29 August 2003. It covers two groups with the same oath: Filipinos who took another citizenship before the law, who reacquire, and those who took one after it, who retain.
On the US side, USA.gov says you do not have to choose one nationality over the other. It tells you to ask the other country's embassy if it recognises dual citizenship with the US. The Philippine Embassy in Washington says RA 9225 does not ask you to renounce US citizenship.
Section 5 of the law gives you full civil and political rights in the Philippines, and the duties that come with them. In practice:
- Land. The embassy says former Filipinos can own only a set amount, such as 1,000 square metres of urban land for a home. Once you are Filipino again, those limits go.
- Voting. To vote, you meet the rules in the Constitution and the Overseas Absentee Voting Act.
- Work. To practise a licensed profession in the Philippines, you apply to the proper body for a licence or permit.
- Public office. To run for an elected post, you make a sworn renunciation of your other citizenship when you file to run.
The US rules, including the rare ways to lose US citizenship, are in dual citizenship for Americans, explained.
Who can reacquire Philippine citizenship under RA 9225?
Former natural-born Filipinos who became citizens of another country. The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC lists four conditions. You:
- Were born Filipino.
- Became a citizen of another country, such as the US.
- Are at least 18.
- Come in person to the embassy.
Natural-born means Filipino from birth. The embassy explains who counts, by the date you were born:
| When you were born | You are natural-born Filipino if |
|---|---|
| On or after 17 January 1973 | One parent was Filipino when you were born |
| Before 17 January 1973, parents married | Your father was Filipino. Or your mother was, and you chose Philippine citizenship when you came of age |
| Before 17 January 1973, parents not married | Your mother was Filipino |
It is worth checking if you are Filipino already. The embassy says that if you were born outside the Philippines on or after 17 January 1973, and a parent was Filipino at the time, you are a dual citizen from birth. So an American born in the US to a Filipino parent may need no RA 9225 application at all. You file a Report of Birth with the Philippine embassy or consulate that covers the place you were born.
RA 9225 is only for former natural-born Filipinos, the embassy says. An American with no Filipino birth, such as the husband or wife of a Filipino, cannot use it. The embassy says a foreign spouse of a dual citizen can get a 13(A) immigrant visa to live in the Philippines. Other ways to live there, such as the retiree visa, are on the Philippines retirement visa page.
How do you apply?
You book one appointment, bring your papers, take the oath and leave with a certificate, all on the same day. That is how the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC does it. We read its page on 26 October 2026. The steps:
- Book an appointment online. The embassy needs one for each applicant. Dual citizenship appointments run on Tuesday to Friday mornings.
- Fill in the form and gather your papers. The embassy does not process an application with papers missing.
- Go to the embassy. Hand in your form and papers, and pay the fee. Bring a pen. The embassy has no photocopier or printer.
- Take the oath. After a briefing, everyone applying that day takes the oath of allegiance to the Philippines before a consular officer.
- Get your certificate. You leave with a dual citizenship identification certificate. It shows every name used in your papers.
What to bring, from the embassy's list:
- The application form for retention or reacquisition of Philippine citizenship.
- Your Philippine birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the original and a copy. The embassy asks for it if you have no copy of your old Philippine passport.
- Your US naturalisation certificate, the original and a copy.
- Your Philippine and US passports, valid or expired, with a copy of each data page.
- Two colour photos, 2 x 2 inches, taken in the last six months, on a white background.
- Proof of any name change, such as a marriage certificate, the original and a copy.
On the same day, you can also apply for a Philippine passport, report a marriage or a child's birth, and register to vote from abroad if registration is open.
The embassy also holds outreach visits in other places. For those, you mail your papers ahead, and the embassy emails you an oath date if you are approved. Philippine consulates in other US cities serve other states, and the embassy's site has a consulate finder.
How much does it cost?
USD 50 for each adult, at the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. Each child under 18 added to your application costs USD 25. The embassy's schedule of fees lists the same amounts, with the other services you may need:
| What | Fee at the embassy |
|---|---|
| Dual citizenship, each adult | USD 50 |
| Each child under 18 added | USD 25 |
| Philippine passport, new or renewal | USD 60 |
| Report of Birth | USD 25 |
| Paying by card | 4% extra |
You can pay in cash, by card or by money order made out to "Embassy of the Philippines". Personal cheques are not accepted. The fee page says no refund is made for a service already given.
A few other costs can come up. If you need a PSA birth certificate, you order it online from the PSA first. If you apply for a passport the same day, the embassy asks for an extra set of copies and a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope to post it back. Its notice says that postage is USD 13.90 from 4 October 2026 to 16 January 2027.
Can your children get Philippine citizenship too?
Yes, if they are unmarried and under 18. Section 4 of RA 9225 says the unmarried child under 18 of a parent who reacquires is a Philippine citizen too, whether the child is legitimate, illegitimate or adopted.
You add them to your own application. They do not need to come to the appointment. For each child, the embassy asks for:
- Two recent colour photos, 2 x 2 inches.
- The child's birth certificate, the original and a copy.
- The child's passports, Philippine or foreign, with a copy of each data page, if they have any.
- The fee of USD 25.
Some children are Filipino already. A child born outside the Philippines on or after 17 January 1973, to a parent who was Filipino at the time, is a dual citizen from birth, the embassy says. You report the birth to the embassy or consulate that covers the place of birth. After that, the child can get a Philippine passport.
Children who are 18 or over cannot be added. The embassy's FAQ sets out three cases for them:
- Born in the Philippines while you were Filipino, then naturalised abroad: they file their own RA 9225 application.
- Born abroad while you were Filipino: they are Filipino from birth and only report their birth.
- Born after you stopped being Filipino: you or they can file a petition for naturalisation at the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines.
Do you keep your US passport?
Yes. The Philippine Embassy says RA 9225 does not ask you to give up US citizenship, and that the US generally has no ban on dual citizenship. USA.gov says dual citizens must use a US passport to enter and leave the US.
The embassy adds one note. If you work, or plan to work, for a US federal agency or the US military, it suggests asking your employer if dual citizenship affects your job.
A Philippine passport is optional. The embassy's FAQ says:
- Your old Philippine passport is void. It stopped being valid when you became a US citizen. You can apply for a new one after the oath.
- You can travel on your US passport. Show your dual citizenship papers to the immigration officer when you arrive.
- The originals matter. You need them for each Philippine passport application, and each time you enter on a US passport for a stay of more than 30 days.
- There is no time limit. As a Filipino citizen, you can stay in the Philippines indefinitely.
A Philippine passport is valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children. The embassy says it is easier to use as proof of citizenship than the certificate. It also has its own list of places it gets you into without a visa: see where a Philippine passport gets you in.
Family can come too. The embassy says a foreign husband or wife and children who travel with you, on a passport from the visa-waiver group, can stay one year without a visa. The full rules for that, and for Americans who are not Filipino, are in how long Americans can stay in the Philippines.
India works differently: it does not allow dual citizenship. Read dual citizenship with the US and India.