Naturalization through Administrative Order (R.A.

9139)

For administrative naturalization:

 You were born and have lived in the Philippines your entire life;
 You are 18 years old at the time of the petition;
 You are of good moral character, believe in the principles of the
Constitution and conduct yourself well with the government and
your community;
 You were in a CHED recognized school for primary and secondary
education where Philippine history, civics and education and where
enrollment is for all races. This also applies to your minor children;
 You must have enough income to support yourself and your family
except if you cannot practice your profession due to citizenship
requirements;
 You speak any Filipino dialect;
 You mingled with Filipinos.

Step 1: Create your petition

Needed informations are listed below. In addition, don’t forget the
attachments you need as these are important requirements.
You’ll need to have 5 copies. Please include the following in your
petition:
 A thumbmark on every page;
 A passport sized photo attached to each copy;
 You full name, nickname and any other name you are known by;
 Your place and date of birth;
 Your current and former addresses;
  Your adoptive or natural parents’ name, citizenship, and
residences;
 Your trade or profession and that of your wife and children;
 Your civil status and the date and place of all marriages as well as
the name, date of birth, birthplace, citizenship, and residence of
the spouse. If you were legally separated or annulled, you’ll have
to include the date and the court that granted the decree. If you
have been widowed, you’ll need to provide the date and place of
death of your spouse.
 Declaration that you shall not be a public charge (in other words,
dependent on the government).
 Declaration that you really desire to become a Philippine citizen
and renounce allegiance to any other country or state.

You’ll also need to attach the following documents:

 Your original or certified copy of your birth certificate;
 Your original or certified alien certificate of registration and native-
born certificate of residence;
 Your original or certified copy of your marriage certificate, death
certificate if widowed, or legal separation decree if separated;
 Your children’s original or certified copy of your birth certificate,
certificate of registration, or native-born certificate of residence;
 Affidavit of financial capacity supported by documents such as
bank, stock or ownership of other properties;
 Affidavits of 2 Filipinos of good standing who live in your city and
who have known you for at least 10 years. These two witnesses
must assure the committee that you’ve good moral character and
that you are qualified to become a Philippine citizen;
 A medical certificate stating that you have no drug dependencies,
are not mentally alienated, do not have AIDs or any contagious,
incurable disease;
  School records and a certificate stating that your children are
enrolled in DECS accredited schools with Philippine history,
government and civics and which is not limited to a particular
race;
 Income tax returns for the past 3 years if employed.

Step 2: Filing and Processing Your Petition

 File your petition with the Secretariat of the Special Committee on
Naturalization. The office of the committee is at the Office of the
Solicitor General in Makati.
 Your petition will be assessed.
 Your petition will be raffled off to a newspaper and a part of it will
be published once a week for 3 weeks. It will also be posted in the
Sol Gen’s office.
 You’ll have to follow up with the newspaper yourself and pay their
fees
 Your petition will be forwarded and posted in the offices of the
National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Foreign
Affairs, the Bureau of Immigration, and your local Civil Registrar.
 These agencies will inform the Committee that they posted the
petition and that you have a clean record;
 You will be called for a test and an interview.
 If all goes well, you’ll be asked to pay the 100,000 fees.
 Afterward, all that remains is the oath – You’re a Philippine citizen.
 Your Certificate of Naturalization will be forwarded to the Bureau
of Immigration and the local Civil Registrar.
 You can get your wife and kids a derivative petition as well, for
60,000 per person.
 Naturalization through Judicial Order (C.A. 473)

Judicial Naturalization takes about two and a half years from the filing of
the intention to become a Filipino (remember after that filing, there is a
mandatory 1 year waiting period before you start the court process
itself).
Judicial naturalization has 2 time-based requirements among other
prerequisites:
1. You must have resided in the Philippines for 10 years;
2. You must have waited 1 year after you filed your intention to
become a Filipino with the Office of the Solicitor General.

The 10-year residence requirement becomes 5 years if you were born in

the Philippines or married a Filipina. Also, if you were a teacher for at
least 2 years in a school not limited to a particular race, and if you
established a new industry or invention in the Philippines or if you
honorably held office in the Government of the Philippines.

The 1-year waiting period can be totally waived if you have continuously
lived in the Philippines for 30 years or if you were born and educated in
the Philippines in a CHED recognized school not limited to a particular
race for your primary and secondary education. (You must have also
given Philippine education to your children.)

Qualifications to become a Philippine citizen.

 You have to be 21 years old at the hearing of the petition;
 You must have resided in the Philippines for 10 years;
 You are of good moral character and believe in the Philippine
Constitution. You must also have conducted yourself in an
 irreproachable manner with the government and the community in
which you live;
 You must own real estate not less than 5,000 pesos or must have
some lucrative trade or profession;
 You must be able to speak and write English, Spanish or one of
the main Philippine languages;
 Your minor children must have been enrolled in CHED recognized
school open to all races where Philippine history, government, and
civics are taught during your entire period of residence.

Step 1: File your Intention to Become Filipino with the Bureau

of Immigration
You don’t have to file with the Office of the Solicitor General and wait for
1 year if:
1. You’ve lived in the Philippines for 30 years or
2. You were born and educated in a non- race restricted CHED
recognized school for your primary and secondary education.

If either of those two applies to you, then you can immediately file your
petition with the court. If not, you’ll have to file a petition with the
Bureau of Immigration. It should have the below information:
 You full name;
 Your place, date of birth and age;
 Your personal description;
 Your occupation;
 Your current address;
 Your last foreign address and citizenship;
 Date of your arrival and the name of the vessel or aircraft that you
used;
  Declaration that you enrolled your minor children in a non-race
restricted school recognized by the CHED where Philippine history,
civics, and government are taught;
 Certificate showing the date, place, and manner must be shown to
prove lawful entry;
 2 photographs of yourself

After this filing, you must wait one year before starting the actual court
process.

Step 2: Creating your Petition for Naturalization at Court

After you’ve filed your Intention to Become a Filipino citizen with the
Office of the Solicitor General and waited one year, you’ll need to create
a Petition to file in Court.
You’ll need to have 3 copies.

Your petition will need to include:

 Your full name;
 Your place and date of birth;
 Your current and former addresses;
 Your occupation;
 Your civil status and any changes to it;
 The name, age, birthplace, and residence of your wife and
children;
 Port of debarkation and – if remembered – the ship on which you
arrived;
 Declaration that you qualify and don’t possess any of the
disqualifications;
  Declaration that you filed your Intention to become a Filipino;
 Declaration that you will live in the Philippines from the start of the
petition until it is granted;
 You’ll also need to include names and post-office addresses of any
witnesses you want to be part of the case;
 Your signature

You’ll also need the following attachments:

 The Affidavit of 2 Filipino citizens who have personally known you
for 10 years (or 5, depending on whether you qualify) required.
They’ll attest to your good moral character and state you’re
qualified for citizenship.
 The certificate of arrival;
 The declaration of intention;

Step 3: Filing the Petition and the Court Process

Your complete petition will be filed with the Regional Trial Court in your
city. You must have lived in that city for at least a year.

 Your case will be raffled to a particular judge and courtroom of

your city’s Regional Trial Court.
 Your court will accept it or raise a concern.
 If your Petition’s been accepted, the Clerk of Court will publish
your petition once a week for 3 weeks in a newspaper where you
live. The newspaper is also determined by raffle.
 Your petition will also be posted by the Clerk of Court in a public
place stating your name, birthplace, and residence, your date, and
place of arrival in the Philippines, the names of your witnesses,
and the hearing date.
 Your first hearing can only be held sometime after 90 days from
the last publication in a newspaper.
 Your evidence and witnesses will be presented.
 Your court decision will be released.
 Your petition will also be forwarded to several other government
departments for action and to inform them.