A while back I talked about methods a non-Filipino could use to stay in the Philippines. Recently on my friend Bob’s blog there was some discussion of another method … Philippine citizenship. I know this may sound a little strange and perhaps extreme to some … and I for one am not contemplating it any time soon, but it certainly is a viable method for living in the Philippines forever.
First, an important DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney, I don’t even play one on TV. If you need legal advice … and on citizenship issues you often do … then seek advice from a competent attorney. These issues are not the place to be trying to save money. I have been actively participating in the Philippines visiting, courtship, marriage and immigration process (both to the US and to the Philippines) for about eight years now. I have seen hundreds of folks get into various legal problems during this time and almost all of them could have been avoided or ameliorated by a simple consult with a lawyer before “throwing the switch”. A word to the wise should be sufficient.
The rules for acquiring Philippine citizenship are not all that much different from US citizenship for permanent residents. First you must reside as a legal, permanent resident in the Philippines for a certain time period … the last reference I have on this is 10 years, reduced to 5 years if married to a Filipino. Note that this is permanent residency status, not 10 years of tourist visa renewals.
Then one appliers, pays fees and renounces US citizenship in order to swear allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. Bang! This stops a lot of people dead in their tracks. Somehow as US citizens we get completely and totally bent out of shape over this … forgetting that this is exactly the same process that a Filipino or any other foreigner has to do to acquire US citizenship. You cap either do this, or not .. if it is beyond your scope of comprehension to ever see yourself doing this then please move on to the next post … it’s about maps, something (almost) non-contentious.
But if you are still with me the first couple questions that spring to mind are:
- Can a US Citizen Even Do This? The answer, according to the US State Department is an absolute yes. It’s even been tested in the US Supreme Court. Certain countries do not allow dual citizenship, however the US is not one of them. there’s a lot more info on the laws about dual citizenship at Wikipedia.
- Would a US Citizen Even Want To Do This? Well, only you could answer that question for yourself. I mentioned earlier that it is not in my plans … mainly because I already feel very happy with my rights and privileges as a Philippine Permanent resident and were I to acquire Philippine citizenship there might be a substantial increase in my tax liability. But to own a business, run for office (except the office of the President … as with the US that is reserved for “natural born” Filipinos) or just to carry an extra passport some may consider the idea worth it.
The major reason some would consider and then reject this course is, acquiring Philippine citizenship will not allow to to own land, so far as I can read the constitution. You must also be a “natural born” Filipino to exercise that privilege as well.
Anyway, now you know a bit more about the options.
As always, feel free to comment to this post, write me at davestarr (at) gmail (dor) com or text me on 09191-231-5625 with questions, comments or opposing points of view.
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