- How can you get Philippine citizenship?
- Methods for obtaining citizenship
- Loss of Filipino citizenship
Resorts located in Southeast Asia leave an unforgettable experience for those who come here on vacation, the Philippine cities on the coast deserve special attention, hospitable hosts, ready to provide guests with a full stay. Isn't that why after a while the number of inquiries on the topic: "how to obtain the citizenship of the Philippines" increases.
The answer is simple: it is necessary to study well the legislative base of this Asian state, choose one of the mechanisms, most likely, it will be naturalization. And go to a heavenly place for permanent residence. In this material, we will turn, first of all, to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, other regulations governing the issues of obtaining Philippine citizenship, restoration, loss.
How can you get Philippine citizenship?
The main law of the republic at the moment is the Constitution, adopted in October 1968, ratified in February next year. From the moment of ratification, it is considered valid, in many documents it is referred to as the "Constitution of 1987". Chapter IV of the Constitution is devoted to the topic of citizenship. Article 1 defines the categories of persons who are citizens of the Republic of the Philippines.
It is clear that the lists include the following persons: persons who themselves or their parents were citizens of the state; children born before January 17, 1973 from Filipino mothers, with the condition that they declare this upon reaching the age of majority; all foreigners who have acquired citizenship by law (in accordance with paragraph 4 of article 1). The last point, subject to the conditions and requirements, gives hope to all modern immigrants to acquire the cherished passport.
Methods for obtaining citizenship
According to the 1987 Constitution, the following ways of obtaining citizenship are currently possible: by descent; by naturalization method.
In this regard, the Philippines differs from the practice of many countries of the world, granting citizenship upon birth in the country. In addition to the fact that the child appeared in this state, his parents must have Filipino citizenship. To obtain a passport of this South Asian state through naturalization, a number of conditions must be met: permanent residence in the Philippines for 10 years or more; demonstration of livelihood; the presence of permanent housing; knowledge of the language for communication; knowledge of history and cultural traditions, customs; observance of the constitution of the country, respect for the laws.
As you can see from this list, the requirements are quite feasible, they are not the toughest in the world, but not the mildest, the state is trying to protect itself from the invasion of immigrants from third world countries, because it is afraid of a worsening economic and political situation. Local lawyers assure that, subject to the conditions, refusals are rare; quotas for different nationalities are named - up to 50 people a year. Therefore, if a foreigner has a rare nationality, then his chances increase. This is done so that there is no bias in one direction, the relative multinationality of the state is preserved.
An easier way to naturalize in this state is marriage, most often this method is preferred by older men-retirees who choose young, pretty Filipinos. The spouse will not receive citizenship immediately, but only after five years. For immigrants from Western Europe and the United States, this path is optimal, since their pension allows them to build a house, buy land and live quite comfortably. There are much fewer women who want to marry a Filipino, even for the sake of obtaining citizenship.
Other methods of obtaining citizenship are prescribed in the Philippine legislation, they are well known, they are used in world practice. The first method assumes that a person has recognized abilities in a particular branch of art, science, culture, economy, and the state is interested in him. The second way is business investment, the willingness to invest (considerable) in the economy of the Philippines.
Loss of Filipino citizenship
As in the practice of many countries in the world, the citizenship law in the Philippines contains provisions regarding the loss of citizenship. There are two options for parting with a Filipino passport: voluntary; involuntary.
According to the first paragraph, a citizen of the state in writing makes a renunciation of citizenship of the Philippines, provides documents confirming his acceptance of a new citizenship, and provides a passport. This can be done abroad by contacting the Consulate or Embassy. In general terms, involuntary loss of Filipino citizenship is also associated with obtaining a civil passport of the new country of residence.
