Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

Citizenship through marriage?

Philippine Citizenship / by / 197 Comments

Lately, I have been getting a number of e-mail inquiries from readers who want to become Philippine Citizens, and they are asking if marriage to a Filipina will convey Philippine Citizenship to them.

Let’s look at one of the questions I have gotten lately on this topic:

Hi Bob,

I got married to a lady from the Philippines in 2008, a little more than 4 years ago.

What papers to I need to file to claim Philippine Citizenship?

I am sure that because I am married to a Philippine Citizen, I am also entitled to Philippine Citizenship.

Please guide me through the process.

Jerry in Alabama

Hi Jerry,

flagsThanks for writing, always nice to meet others who are interested in the Philippines like I am.

The fact is, Jerry, being married to a Philippine Citizen does not entitle you to being a Citizen of the Philippines.  Fact is, the benefits, citizenship-wise, to you are almost identical to the benefits your wife got when she married you.

See, the fact that your wife married you, an American, did not make her an American Citizen.  However, it gave her the benefit of shaving a few years off of the waiting time before she could apply for citizenship.

You get an almost identical benefit.  Normally, if somebody wants to apply for Naturalization in the Philippines, they must live in the Philippines for 10 years before applying.  However, for you and me, since we have Philippine spouses, if we wish to apply for citizenship here, we only have to wait for 5 years instead of 10 before we apply.

Now, here is the downside, Jerry.  Under Philippine law, if we wish to become Naturalized in the Philippines, and be a citizen of the country, we must renounce our US Citizenship as part of the process.  It’s the same for your wife, if she takes the oath as a US Citizenship, she is renouncing her Philippine Citizenship as part of the process.  The good thing for your wife is that under the Philippine Dual Citizenship law, she can re-acquire her Philippine Citizen and be a citizen of both countries.  The US does not offer such a procedure.  If you renounce your US Citizenship, there is no easy way to reacquire your US Citizenship.

Good luck to you, Jerry.  I hope that my explanation of the process answers your questions and concerns.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi there!

    I’m a US citizen and I am married to a Filipina and planning to move there to live with her. Not really to retire there but at least stay there for longer period like 5-10 years.

    May you please help me with the requirements?

    Thank you!
    Darrell

      • Hi please give me some help here. I’m engaged to a phillipino woman living and working in Italy. I just returned from seeing her there for 30 days. Ok she is still married, but her husband is living with another woman and she has been in Italy for 15 years. She is going back to the Philippines in October to meet a lawyer who says he can get an annulment but she says it may cost couple thousand US money. I have been with her a long time it’s not a short term thing, can she get out of this old marriage and can I marry her and bring her here to America? Help?

      • Hi bob, im hasmin philipines
        My future husband was an indian.and we are now both working in singapore And where now engage for long 2 years. And where planing to settle down and get merried in philipines.. My fiancee was decided to go philipines and stay with me after merriege… My question now is, is my future husband can stay with me in philipines after our merriege?
        And how long my husband can stay with me after our merriege?
        Please need ur help and advice

        • He should not have trouble staying. However, as I have said many times on this site, citizens of India have different rules from Westerners like me, and I just don’t have the knowledge for people from India. Sorry, I can’t be of further help.

  2. Hi Darrel
    It’s almost 3years i married here in philippines
    you wrote we need to wait for 5years to get citizenship of philippines, i’m leaving philippines for 1 or 2 years,will this 2 years counted or i’m suppose to be here in philippines?

      • Hello there,

        Just here to ask if by continously staying here for 5 to 10 years means not really going out of the Philippines even just for a week or a day? Because my fiance who is american is staying here with a tourist visa and he’s here since December 2013 and we keep on extending his visa every after 2 months. We’re planning to get married this year before his 1 yr of stay and go out of the country together as spouses and do the balikbayan visa fornhim to get one free year of stay here in Philippines.

        Would that affect the “continous 5 or 10 years of stay”?

        Hope you understand what I’m trying to say. I still struggle in explaining things in english.

        Thank you!

  3. Actually that is not true. You do not lose your US Citizenship. Below is from the US State Department Government website: :

    US State Department Services Dual Nationality

    Editor’s note: This content has been deleted, because it is quoted verbatim from another website, which is copyright infringement. I do not allow copyrighted material to be posted verbatim on the site.

    • Hi John,

      You fail to understand.

      Yes, the USA allows dual citizenship, that is not a problem at all. However, Philippine law requires that a person must renounce citizenship to become a Philippine Citizen. If you do not wish to renounce, you may not become a Philippine Citizen. It is that simple.

      So, while the USA allows dual nationality, the Philippines does not allow it for foreigners.

      • This statement from your site is confusing me too: “It’s the same for your wife, if she takes the oath as a US Citizenship, she is renouncing her Philippine Citizenship as part of the process.” Since the United States does not require a Filipina to renounce her citizenship from the Philippines, are you saying that the Philippines will revoke it?

        • The act of taking the oath of citizenship is generally regarded as giving up your previous citizenship. The Philippine Government considers you to no longer be a citizen if you become a citizen of another country, thus you must submit to re-acquire your Philippine Citizenship.

  4. Hi I am a US Citizen and plan to marry my filipino boyfriend and plan to apply for a permanent visa in the Philippines. I have 3 children from previous marriage ranges from 8-12. Can I bring my children with me and apply for a permanent visa too? If not, what VISA will my children require?

    • Jaan,

      Get your, and your kids, permanent 13 A Philippine resident visa in the States. Google the closet Filipino consulate in your area.

      You’ll be glad you got the 13 A, permanent visa, in the States rather than here. You’ll save money and time.

      Rusty

  5. Dear Sir,

    Can you please help me out..i am an indian citizen and i want to go to philippines next year means 2013 on 1st of May -13 or 30th april-13. currently i am working in Saudi Arabia(K.S.A.). can you please tell me what is the correct time to apply for the philippine visa from saudi and what is the requirement from the Sponsor in the philippines. i am going for my marriage, i am going to marry a filipina. can you please help out with this situation it would be helpful..

    thank you.

  6. hi im israeli citizen and im married to pilipina in im planning to stay more than a year there, what i need to do to make citizenship?can you help me please what i need to do?thank you in advance!!!

  7. hi as i ask before about the help which is stated in this comment i wanted to know that i am going to marry filipina girl and i will be opening business there in the philippines and i will be staying there. can you please tell me to get a philippines citizenship what requirement is needed and what are the procedure for the marriage there. can you please help me out this time

  8. Hi bob ! Please help me with my problem. I am marrying my filipina girlfriend I have a dual citizenship American/Filipino since my mom which is also a filipina married to my dad an American. I have been living here in the Philippines for 6 years and been in a relationship with my gf for 2 years. How can I bring here to America since I’m planning to marry her here in the Philippines before going back to USA so that we can go there together and start our married life. Please advice.

    • You won’t be able to go to the USA together, unless you wait in the Philippines for the process to be completed, which would probably take a year to 18 months. Marry her, return to the States and file a petition for her visa.

    • James, since you’ve been living in the Philippines for more than six months, you qualify for Direct Consular Filing (DCF). If you present proof of residence (show them your passport arrival stamp and 13(a) visa), then you can file your I-130 at the embassy in Manila. That piece will only take about a months since it’s done locally. My wife’s was done in three weeks. After that, you can file for her visa, also through DCF. If the physical goes smoothly (i.e., if she doesn’t need a sputum test for TB), then she should get her interview/visa in another three months.

      One caveat, part of your visa application will require you to prove that you can keep her off of welfare. That means that you need to present proof of either a job or sufficient assets. (Assets need to be equal or greater than three times the poverty level for whatever size family you will be supporting.) Here’s the BIG point, you must be domiciled in the U.S. to file that particular form. You can still be physically present in the Philippines, but will need to prove that your intention has always been to return to the states, and that your return is imminent. One good way to do this is to establish a residency somewhere back home (e.g., register to vote, get a copy of a signed lease, show utility bills in your name, etc…).

      Long story short, you absolutely, positively CAN apply for naturalization here at the embassy, and the process is infinitely faster than if you do it from home. Do NOT go home to start this process. If you do, then you can’t do DCF, and it will take you about a year and a half to get your wife to the States.

      Good luck.

    • James, sorry. I just noticed the ”dual citizen” part. Please ignore the bit about the 13a visa, and provide whatever proof of residency the embassy requires.

      Also, one is generally better off going home and filing for a fiance visa and marrying in the States than they are if they marry here. It’s faster to bring a fiance over than it is to bring a wife, because the fiance visa falls under a non-immigrant status. Marry her in the states, and you’ll still have to wait for the green card for just as long, but at least you’ll both be together. Note, even this is slower than marrying her here and doing Direct Consular Filing, which only a few people qualify for. Luckily, you’re one of them.

      Finally, since you will have been married for fewer than two years, your wife will have a probationary Green Card. You can update it after your second anniversary. Not a big deal, though it will cost something.

      Again, best of luck to you.

  9. hi Sir, i m Pakistani n i want to marry with Filpino girl,
    can i get Filpino Nationality?
    can i live with her in Phillipine?
    plz sir, Guide me
    thanks….

  10. Is it hard for a Thai or Phillipino lady to come here to the usa and get a citizenship.Which is easier? Would they have to get married then apply? Can we apply before we get married?

    • Bob L,

      Bringing a wife to the States is not difficult at all as Mindanao Bob said. Just marry her here and then go through the process to take her to the states.

      Make sure to contact your State senator as he/she can expedite the process. Don’t go through an attorney as it is a waste of money.

      Rusty

  11. hi bob,
    need alittle advice, im hoping to get married this year to a philippino lady, who is now my fiancee, as i spent 3 1/2 months with her from nov/last year until february this year, and i want to get married at the end of this year hopefully, can you please tell me what form i need to get here before i leave to go there so that i have everything in order, i have my b/c and my divorce papers
    but i need to know what forms i need to have before i can live there with her, appreciate your help as there seems to be conflicting stories as to the paperwork needed,,,await your reply
    george.. ohhhh by the way im retired and im 67yo and my fiancee is 58yo

    • No, marrying a Philippine citizen will not give you Philippine citizenship. You can become naturalized as a Philippine citizen, but part of doing that means renouncing your citizenship that you have now.

      • sorry for interrupting u guyz Bob u mean even after marrying the foreigner partner wont get nationality of phil unless he/she leave his/her country nationality and takes phil nationality ?

        • Yes, my answer was clear, I thought. If you marry a Filipina you will not automatically become a Philippine Citizen. I have been married to my filipina spouse for 23+ years, yet I am not a Philippine Citizen.

          • People, please pay attention to what Bob has extensively repeated, in short:
            You must be *permanently* resident in the Philippines for 10 years, or 5 if married to a Philippine citizen. That’s the easy part. You may then hire an attorney to process your case, *AND* be prepared to RENOUNCE your citizenship of birth. That defacto means that you must terminate your ability to earn income outside of the Philippines or receive any future pension from the country you abandoned. Is that sufficiently clear now? Are you independently wealthy? If you are, go for it!
            Otherwise, be happy with your ACR, report at BI and pay your 300 pesos annually, properly take care of your children and have a good life.
            Before you die, be sure to secure dual citizenship for your kids at the embassy of your original country, so they will have all the options and none of the issues.

  15. Dear Sir,
    i am zayan mia , 27 year young single man from pakistan , i like philphine for work , married and living , so please guide me what can i do then i have legal right for living working and married in philphine,

    i am waiting your sincer replay

  16. hi bob,
    need alittle info, im hoping to get married this cumming new year feb to a philippino lady, who is my gf since past one year, and i wanted to know as em frm Pakistan so like after marrying her will i get the PR or nationality so that we can live there also cox at the moment we both having job in Brunei so i wanted to know these thing and yeah like if that will b possible so how long will b the process.
    will appreciate your help u doing here hope to listen gud frm u soon thx

      • hi bob can you help me with my concern>
        i am american retiree..
        i am going to philippines and going to marry my filipina Gf..i want to live there and dont want to go back to U,S,,is this possible?

        • Hello Nick – Thanks for writing!

          Yes, what you are asking is very possible! After you marry, you are then eligible for a 13a Resident Visa and you can live permanently in the Philippines. That is the type of visa that I have, and I am now in my 15th year of living here!

          If you want to move to the Philippines, there are many things to find out about, and to do in preparation for the move. I have come up with a series of electronic books that will provide you with all of the information that you will need to make the move easy and smooth. There are a total of 31 eBooks in the set, you can find out about each title at my website: How to Move to the Philippines. http://HowToMoveToThePhilippines.com

          I have a special deal that I want to let you know about, though. The books are $7.99 each, but that can add up if you want the whole set. Because of that, I have a special package that includes all of the books, 31 titles in all. You can get the entire package, which I call the PH Pro Package, for just $49. I can offer you the PH Pro package for a special discount price of $10 off for the next 24 hours though. When you are buying the books, just use this coupon code during the checkout: Move2PH10 Keep in mind, though, this coupon code is only valid for the next 24 hours for your purchase.

          You can find the PH Pro package here:
          http://expatisland.com/how-to-move-to-the-philippines-ph-pro-all-in-package/

          I really believe that this package of books will give you all the information you need to make it a successful move. If you have other questions that you don’t find answered in the books, though, you can e-mail me any time for a personal response to your question.

  17. Hello Bob !
    I am still not married with a filipina, we are only engaged. but our Plan, to get married here in Austria. Still now, she working abroad, as live in caregiver, babisitter.
    If we get married in Austria, then she will having this benefit, to get a longtime europa-visa, and she dont need to apply everytime for tourist visa. After this, we wish to move to Philippines, and our plan, to make a small business. A little backery.
    We have aquestion; What a documents we will need, to be able to get this business licence, and to opene this backery ? Then, we would like to employ 10 or 12 people.
    Can you please tell me abiut necessaries, or where I can make some large informations ?

    Thank you very much !
    Tibor

      • Generally, you need the following to “open a business” (legally):
        1/ baranguay clearance certificate
        2/ police clearance certificate, at the municipal level
        3/ possibly NBI clearance if in the name of a Filipino
        4/ municipal permit (attend at your local Municipio)

        The above presumes it’s a “small” (ie. subsistence-level) business) offering services within the Philppines. If it’s a business abroad (ie. NOT operating in the Philippines) then none of this matters.
        If something large, involving legal financing, or a corporate entity, then you should research DTI and BIR registration and ongoing filing reqirements. … and hire a good accountant and attorney before you even presume to start thinking about it.

  18. hi bob l am marrying a phillippno woman we hav bee going out with ech uthar for 2 years naw and wont to marry.we ar both 64 years of age. wen we marry.can l go and live in the phillippines with her as l am seling my house .to do that.and can you tel me wot forms l need

    • Yes, you certainly can do that, Peter! Basically, what I would recommend is that you enter the Philippines with a regular tourist visa. You just come here, arrive at the airport and show your passport. You will be allowed 30 days stay. That 30 day stay can be extended for up to 16 months. After you complete the marriage, you will then qualify for a resident visa so you can live here permanently. So, after you are married, just go to the Bureau of Immigration and apply for the resident visa.

      For full information on getting a resident visa, I recommend that you read this article:
      http://liveinthephilippines.com/my-13a-visa-experience/

  19. Hi Bob,

    Please check wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_Allegiance_%28Philippines%29

    “until 2003, when the Philippines legalized multiple citizenship and it no longer became mandatory to renounce foreign citizenship to obtain Filipino citizenship”

    New Oath for Philippine Citizenship:

    “I, (name), solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and obey the laws and legal orders promulgated by the duly constituted authorities of the Philippines; and I hereby declare that I recognize and accept the supreme authority of the Philippines and will maintain true faith and allegiance thereto; and that I imposed this obligation upon myself voluntarily without mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me God.”

    Kind Regards..

    • Hi Greg – Anybody can post anything, or modify content on Wikipedia, including your or me. Please post an authoritative Philippine Government website which confirms this. The law of the Philippines, which is published openly, says the opposite.

  20. Hi bro have a nice day, I’m from Pakistan, going to Phil’s to get married my fiance this year 2014. How many days or month can allowed me to stay? And it is possible for me to get residence visA? Pls reply me asap I really need us help, thnx n go blessed u,

  21. Hello Sir,

    I am married to a filipina lady for last 19 years and we got three kids. We are staying in Middle East. We started a small business three years ago and we both are travelling frequently to Philippines in that regard. Every time I travel I obtain 59 days visa from Philippines consulate. We are planning to settle down now in Philippines and I will apply for my 5 years spouse Visa as per laws. The business we have is in the name of my wife.
    My question to you is will I be allowed to work on that visa to support my family or rather say Can I actively participate in my wife’s running business openly. Do I have to acquire any permission from any department?
    In anticipation of your response

    • Amar, since the business is (of necessity) in your wife’s name, there’s really no problem with you helping her at any time, since you won’t be paid, the income goes to your wife. That’s what I do.
      It is however my understanding that with a permanent visa you can legally work in the Philippines to derive income without any special permit, in which case you would presumably file and pay taxes like anyone else.
      That’s what I was told, I’ve never tested it; others may know more.

  22. Hello sir,

    Am an indian who came to phillipines to study medicine i stayed here 4 years under student visa after graduation i married to filipina under student visa and i have a nso marriage certicate now currently am doing my internship and under student visa too.. can i apply for naturalize citizenship here in philippines so i can give boards and continue my residency and work here. If i cant get citizen ship should i apply trv or prv? Anyway i can do my residency for another 5 years even am foreigner..

    • Since you are married to a Filipina, once you have been here for 5 years you can apply for naturalization. Keep in mind that you must give up your Indian citizenship in order to become a Philippine citizen.

  23. Hi Bob!

    im a filipino married to my chinese wife in china, and presently residing in china.
    we want to go back to philippines start a buisness and live there.

    is she qualified to apply for a 13a visa? and what are the requirements and how long to apply?

    waiting for your positive response.

    thank you! and god bless you!

  24. hi im a filipina and i am married a US citizen. And i plan to visit him in San Francisco. We also plan to married again but in US.

    Is there a possibility that I can stay in USA for good. And what will happen to my tourist visa if we married again but in USA..

    Please answer my question

    thank you 🙂

    • It would be illegal for you to go to the USA on a tourist visa if your intention is to marry there or to stay. That is immigration fraud. If you intend to go there to stay you need to be applying for either a fiance visa or a spousal Visa.

  25. My family and I are planing on moving to the Philippines when I retire next year. My wife and children have dual citizenship. Do my family and I need to come back to the USA every so often to keep the Social Security benefits for all of us?

    Thank you,

    Steve

    • Hello S. McLey – It depends on what benefit you are talking about. If you are talking about retirement from Social Security, no, you do not need to go back to the USA at all. If you are talking about some type of disability payment from the Social Security Administration, then there is usually a requirement that you must be on US soil to receive those benefits at all.

  26. hi i’m wael from syria i am married to a filipina and we’re planning to settle down in philippines for lifetime how i can get my citizenship to stay permanent or i can stay in philippines permanent?
    please i need your advise…

    • You cannot get citizenship immediately, wael. You must live here for a minimum of 5 years before you can apply. But, you can live here without being a citizen. Since you are married to a Philippine Citizen, it may be possible for you to get a 13a Resident Visa, you should check into that.

  27. Hi Bob,

    Australia allows dual citizenship, could I renounce my Aussie, humbly accept Philippine naturalisation then reclaim my Australian? Or not?

    Restart every five years!?! Wow! So guess I couldn’t fly to Sydney in that period.

    Thanks sir, always a pleasure

    • Hi Victor – Technically, yes you can do that. We can as Americans too. But, doing it is not within the spirit of the Philippine law, and I would not encourage doing that. I mean, your first act of becoming a Philippine Citizen would be to thumb your nose at Philippine law. To me, that is not right and not the way that I would want to become a Philippine Citizen. It is not illegal, though.

      • I respect that, and agree it would be disrespectful. I would never insult the Philippine people in that way.if they are gracious enough to have, I would be humbled. I was simply thinking out loud. I apologise for any disrespect or insult caused.

        Thank you for your time.always excellent!

        P.s 5 years without a holiday?!? How will I make it

  28. Usually here in Italian for a pinoy/pinay have a regular permit for maintain the permit need to stay here 6 month a year always.

    I’m trying to see about dual cit… ‘cose we’re thinking to go and come without have lot’s of problems on both visa.

    At difference of other country , a pinoy married in here and between the embassy registered the same marryage on they’re state, if they acquire Italian cit.. not need to renounce they’re cit and if they elegible for keep ours automatically dual cit. i need to know better about me and when we go in phil next november we ask in phil all the thinks ,and then i try to comment better all about that things.

    Regards.

    Vale.

  29. Victor, I was once told that once you have your ACR you are free to come and go from the Philippines the same as a native Filipino may. That however may adversely impact on any question regarding obtaining Philippine citizenship. In your shoes I’d politely inquire at your local Philippine BI office *and* pay a good Philippine immigration attorney for their advice.

    Valerio, as has been repeatedly advised here and everywhere, obtaining Philippine citizenship absolutely requires *renunciation* of your natural citizenship (and depending on your situation in your home country possibly very adverse repercussions on you for doing so). You may be able to cheat by lying and then recover your natural citizenship, but as Bob clearly stated that’s not something you should do. Until there’s some change to the Philippine citizenship laws, just accept that you can live here problem-free with minimal further requirements, as a permanent immigrant once you have your ACR.

    The best short answer regarding acquiring Philippine citizenship is in the laws of the Philippines, not in your country of origin. The repercussions abroad of acquiring Philippine citizenship are thereafter something you deal with in your native country. That’s why Bob, I, and many others who legally live here with our wives and families have given up trying to become Philippine citizens. Perhaps the laws will change someday. Maybe we’ll live long enough. For now we count our permissible blessings. Best of luck.

  30. Dear Bob,
    I appreciate your full detail on each and every topic as i read all the communications between you and people.
    I am pakistani citizen by birth and i am working in United Arab Emirates from last 7 years, i have a Filipina g.f from last 2 years and she’s officially a muslim now. we are going to get married somewhere middle of 2015, we will will get married here in U.A.E as we planned.
    1) My main concern is after getting married her do i need to apply for Philippines nationality by embassy?
    2) Is it really compulsory to live in philippines for 10 or 5 years? i mean we both are working in U.A.E so why do we need to live in philippines?

    Thank You,

  31. Hi I want ask you some think my gf phillpine girl and I am from Pakistan next moth I am going Philippine on visit visa for 1 month so I want ask when me go there can I marriage with her and can stay there long time like 5 or 10 year. Can I married with her and what document need and after married can I live there long time bez I have visit visa just 1 month please reply

  32. Hi i want to ask what visa would my fiancee should apply to get here in the philippines so we could get married. Then after we get married can he stay here in the philippines longer? Thank you in advance for your reply.

  33. Hi!Bob,I am Filipina engage with my bf from Australia.planning to visit his place and what papers he need .because his devorce and worried about the papers if this make us complecated to process all the documents..

  35. Anyway,how long it takes the processing of papers and when we get the approval
    and another info ,is there any Australian embassy here in cebu or manila?which easy way to go agency or Australian Embassy…sorry I don’t have any idea because I just came up here and interested to know about.and have some information between laws and other parties.This site is very helpful.It seems I’m going married soon .Thank you!

  37. Hey Bob, my sister reacquired her Philippine Citizenship here in L.A last week and applied for a new passport the same day. They said it will take her up to 6-8 weeks to receive her passport. She wants to go to the Philippines to catch up for summer vacation and plans to study there for college. However, she only has a U.S passport and a Philippine Certificate as her documents. Can she still go to the Philippines using the documents she currently has and still be able to stay in the Philippines for good?

    Thank you bob.

  38. hi bob
    i am syrian i will get married with my Philippina Faince next month in uae she is living in uae too .
    what kind of visa i need to apply if i want to live in philippines .
    and after how many years i can get dual citizenship.
    thank you

    • If you are married to a Filipina, you would be eligible to file for a 13A Resident Visa.

      You cannot ever acquire dual citizenship in the Philippines. You may be naturalized as a Philippine citizen, but you would be required to renounce your current citizenship as part of the naturalization.

  39. am pakistani citizen and I married a filpino girl in February 2014 in Pakistan now she live in hongkong and I live in Pakistan. .I want want to live in phillipine now ..kindly tell how I apply a residential visa for phillipine so I can live there..thanks

  40. hi bob i am filipino i need the advice from you,, i want to marry a girl from U.S … she still 18 years of age ,, what the need to process or what the papers we need.. to married here in the philippines..

    what papers she need to bring here in the philippines for our wedding?

      • You left out the most important part Bob! He will have to wait 5 years until she is an adult!

        Then the Embassy affidavit, passport, birth certificate authenticated by a US Philippine Consulate, Marriage Counseling, Marriage License, waiting period of a few weeks, and so on….

        It is possible to get married at 22, but she will also need her parents present and signing a legal permission, since she is a child.

        Strange that you can buy alcohol and smokes at age 5, and have sex at 6….

  42. Sir Bob how much we need to pay for the extension until 3years?

    And sir Bob what she need to bring like birth certificate etc for the wedding?

  43. If it is like when I (a British Citizen) married in the Philippines two years ago she will also need a certificate of no impediment from the NSO to show that she is not already married there in addition to one from her own country!

  44. Hello Bob: I am going to be permanently moving to the Philippines in September 2015 and marrying my Filipina Fiance of one year on her birthday in October 2015. My Question is this, Will I be able to get a 13A Residence Visa after I marry her or not? The Reason I ask is I have in my past a class B Felony Conviction for owning a Firearm that by statute I wasn’t supposed to legally own ( Short Barreled Shotgun ) as my crime was simple ownership ( I did not do anything illegal with the firearm. I Did not have to do any prison time, just pay a fine and court costs. I also had 3 years of Bench Probation which I have completed already. Will this Felony bar me from getting a 13 A Visa? Or will I have to play the game of living there on a tourist visa with it’s constant renewals forever? I will do this if need be it is just an expensive and annoying process from what I have heard. Thanks Bob: Mabuhay!

    • Hi James – You certainly qualify for a 13a visa after you marry. The only way to find out if the conviction will hurt you is by applying and seeing what they say. There are no rules or list of crimes that will disqualify you. It is up to the discretion of the immigration officer that will interview you to decide if you will get it or not.

      Based on what you have told me about the crime, I think that you will be OK. One thing you didn’t share is when this crime took place. If it happened 6 months ago, for example, it will be worse for you than if it happened 20 years ago. Something older, with a good record since then, will be forgiven more easily.

      So, in short, give it a shot and see what they rule in your case. I think you have a good chance of being approved.

      • Thanks Bob For your Quick and thoughtful response, My ” Crime” was over 3 years ago and I have Successfully completed all court ordered requirements. I am also a Retired U.S. Military member with 20 Years of Honorable Service ( I can Prove this with my Discharge Papers DD 214 ) which I will bring with me to the Philippines . I have Never before or since this one problem ever had any problems with the police except maybe a parking ticket or something simple like that. Thanks Again Bob!

  45. Hi, i’m married here in ph but my husband and i are considered separated for yrs now. question is i have a boyfriend who lives in US and he wants to marry me , im so confused on what to do. i keep searching the easiest way, maybe you can share some ideas. pls help me.

    • Hello drew,

      If you are married, even if you were separated for 50 years, you cannot marry again. It is illegal to be married to more than one person at the same time. The only way for you to be able to marry again would be to get an annulment from your husband first.

      Good luck to you.

  46. Hi Bob whats up,
    I’m citizen of Turkey. I’m looking for job in Phillipines and I ‘m thinking to marry a nice filipino lady soon. My question is; since I will have job in Philipines, how can I get working permit and how long the procedures to take?
    Thank you.

    • Generally, if there is a company in the Philippines that wants to hire you, they will assist you with getting a work visa. It is not easy to get though, and I simply cannot say how long it will take, because it may not even be available to you. Good luck.

  47. I am a dual citizen (Filipino-American). I am getting married this year (August 2015 ) here in the Philippines. My question is:

    Do I have to get a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage in the US Embassy here in Manila even though I am dual citizen?

    I hope you can help me to answer this question. Thank you

    • Noel, I answered this question for you accurately and clearly yeater
      You wrote back and rejected my advice, but you keep asking the same question on other sites that I own. I will not give you a different answer than I gave yesterday, because what I told you yesterday was already the proper answer.

      • I didnt ask anything yesterday. I was out of town for a couple of days and i didnt have internet connection. Maybe it’s a mistake. There’s a lot of name “Noel” in the world.

  48. I have a question about obtaining legal capacity to marry. I am a dual citizen.

    Do I have to obtain a Legal Capacity to Marry in the US immigration here in the Philippines?

    Thank you

  49. Hi, I just want to confirm ( basing on what I read in your other article), can my husband with a tourist visa extend his visa for another 4 months, after a year of renewing his visa every two months? (he is a chinese national). And then, do it again for another year, is that right?

  50. I’m a USA person and planning to a filipina, can I marry her in the Philippines and then spend the year traveling the world with her to get the USA visa to live in the USA.

    Step

  51. Hi bob i am bilal i am fr0m pakistan and i have girl friend in philippinne i want to go philippinne and do marriage with her but i want philippinne nationality to live lifetime i need your help pls.

  52. Hi bob i am Muhammad. i am from Pakistan and i have legal Filipino wife, i want Philippine nationality or permanent residency visa to live and visit any time .now we are living in UAE. i need your help pls.

  53. hello sir iam from pakistan iam working dubai befor 3 yers iam planing to get marry here dubai phillipno girl can i also get phillipno cityzen ship my girfriend father say if we marry in phillipnes i can get phillino cityzen ship or waht i have to do any way to get cityzen ship pls help

  54. hi , im from Mexico and i want to visited my gf pinay but i also want to live there i want to get married with her , i know i need to wait 5 years to applay for citizen phill ,! but after that 5 years i can go back to my country to visit my family?

  55. Hi Bob, I have been living in Iloilo since 2007 and have a child with my Filipina partner. About three years ago she got her annulment and we have been married for over a year now. I travel overseas regularly in my work in Asia and return home to my family for every break. This could be around 6 to 8 times a year. As I am trying to collect the 5 years needed to apply for Citizenship, my question is, are my work breaks considered breaks from the 5 years required to apply? I have also been living here in the Phils since 2007 on a PRA/SRVV visa. Thank you very much. Tony.

    • Hi Tony,

      Sounds like you have a nice life there. Congratulations!

      In my opinion, none of your time would count toward the citizenship requirement, because you are in and out so frequently. But, to be fair, I am not an expert. I would recommend that you ask this question either of an Immigration attorney or the Bureau of Immigration to be sure that it is accurate.

  56. Thanks Bob, I will ask an attorney. Yes, we do have an excellent life in Iloilo, with two houses (our first one is rented out) a couple of new vehicles, a couple of businesses and I am a consultant with regular travel for a international company. This is my home and I would like to expand in business and get citizenship some day which will complete my commitment to the country which has been home for a long time.

    Touch wood, I have had nothing but praise for the Philippines and have enjoyed an excellent relationship with the people. I would encourage anybody to live here, provided they are prepared to do the right thing and be fair and respectful to the country that has given us a home and family.

  57. Hi my name hammad and I’m a citizen of Pakistan my girlfriend living in Philippines she come in Pakistan and marry me so you tell me what the procedure to get Philippine nationality

  58. Hi
    My name is Arman and i am from Iran and I marraige with phipino girl for 1 year I know I have to live in ph for 5 years before citizenship but I want to know what kind of visa they will give me for being in ph residence ? And how much is the spending for this visa

    Thank you

  59. Hi Bob.
    I am syrian who’s married legally in the Philippines in 2010 and we were living in Dubai with our little daughter, we left Dubai in 2015 due to issues in renewing my Syrian passport and we applied asylum in belarus.
    The government reject our application and also UNHCR in Belarus because as they said that I can go to Philippines and apply for permanent residence and if not possibly ,I can apply for temporary residence which is can be change later to permanent after living in the Philippines for 5 years.
    My question,is that possible or No.

    • Since your wife is Filipino, yes, you can apply for temporary residence, and then later for permanent residence. Check with the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in the country where you are now, they should be able to help you.

  61. HI, i’m breheda and i am a filipina my spouse is pakistani and we got married here in philippines, just want to ask how to apply petition for my spouse for his residence visa?

  62. Hi can i ask something?
    Goodevening first.anyways I want to ask if ,I already married here in philippines before in a filipino got separated and my new partner plan to marry me in us embassy.my question is the us embassy allowed it even if I got married before in a filipino?thank you f gonna wait your reply

  63. hi bob can i ask u? what is the easiest way to be with my american bf? to married here in the Philippines or in the USA? thank u in advance??

  64. Hello Bob!
    I am a citizen of Pakistan. I have found my life partner in Philippines. We both want to get married in Philippines. And we will live in Philippines after marriage. I want following information:
    1. What is the easiest way to get visa?
    2. How should I apply for visa considering our marriage purpose?
    3. What documents she required to call me to Philippines and what documents I required to
    get visa of Philippines?
    It’s matter of hearts and love so please reply as soon as possible Bob!
    [email protected]

  65. Dear all please guide me that how can be a get Philippine citizenship to be a kabayan because i got a marriage with aPhilippina Lady in 2010 and i have 4 year old cute daughter this is my 3rd time to visit the Philippines and I have NBI clearness and medical also ………

  66. Hello good day ,I am married to an American and we both living here in philippines for good . But ,what gives me curious is that ,can a Filipino married to an american and living here in philippines will become an american citizen? Thank you .

  67. Hey Bob!

    I plan to marry my partner here in US with a fiancé visa, then apply for her green card. We will live here but plan to rerun and start a family and retire in Philippines. You mentioned my Filipino wife could be entitled to dual citizenship. Are there any ways for me to live full time in Philippines without denouncing US citizenship, are there extended visa that I could apply for? Any info is greatly appreciated.

    Regards,

    • I am confused. it looks like Bob said you can live “Here” but your question (and mine) are about living in the Philippines. My situation is almost Identical. I plan to Mary a Filipina in the summer and would maybe also like to retire in the Philippines in a few years. I don’t know if I want to become a Citizen there, but I wonder if I can reside there due to my marage rather than getting a residency Visa?

      I found some information online that says “under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, Section 13 (a) you are eligible for permanent residency in the Philippines. This visa is issued to an alien on the basis of his valid marriage to a Philippine citizen.”

      Is it more beneficial to try to become a citiczen there, or just stay there on the Visa and retain US citizenship?

  68. Hi Bob,
    I have question please,
    I’m stateless person living in Kuwait, my fiancée from filipin and we have plan to get married in this summer, do you think I can apply for Philippines citizenship if I’ll live in filipin 5 years after the marriage?
    For now I have Kuwaiti passport (Article 17) I hope you will read about it before you answer me, thank you

  69. Hi Bob ,
    im sorry but my question is little bit different than the topic , hope that you can advise me ,
    im Syrian married to Filipino citizen and we have one year old daughter she was born in the Philippines
    and she is holding a Filipino passport , im going to get Algerian citizenship through my father
    does she lose her Filipino citizenship if she get Algerian citizen as well , thanks lot

  70. Hi my name is Daryl and I married a Philippine woman here in the US I want to move to the Philippines and live there with her I am 75 years old is that possible

  71. Hello Mindanao Bob,

    I’m Bicol Carlos!!! I am planning to live in the Philippines for 5 years. I am married to a Filipina. Once I meet the requirements and I apply for Citizenship, what would be the cost and time frame of the entire process? Also does the clock reset if I go on vacation for 3 days with my wife to let’s say Hong Kong or Korea ?

  72. I am American citizen married to a Filipina wife for 42 months and living in Philippines. I have a good life here and no plans to stay and live in US. But I want her to go with me to visit my sister and friends in the US. She is Filipino citizen, can she apply for US citizenship or tourist visa?

    • Your wife cannot apply for US Citizenship until she has legally lived in the USA for 4 years.

      She can apply for a tourist visa, but it is highly doubtful that it will be approved because since she is your wife the US Authorities will suspect that you are trying to skirt the Spousal Immigration Visa.

      Good luck to you.

  73. Thank you for your clear explanation , I have been searching government sites for months and have started to give up on this process as it seems to difficult and confusing to figure out. I plan to marry my filipina fiancé after bringing her here to Canada. she will be returning to the Philippines afterwards, we have been discussing our options and trying to find information as to the easiest way we can be together which has been very overwhelming to the point we feel it will never happen for us. this has given me a renewed outlook and a sense this may be a possibility for us after all. So thank you for giving me my drive back.

  75. Hi,
    I’m married with a Filipino. I want to get citizenship in Philippines. Do I have to stay in Philippines for 5 years continuously to get the citizenship?

  76. I am a girl who lives in the US and I am in love with a man in the Philippines. If I wanted to go live with him would we have to get married for me to have citizenship? Also would I have to give up my United States citizenship?

    • Firstly, you can move to the Philippines and do not have to become a citizen. I lived there 20 years and was never a citizen of the Philippines.

      Now, in answer to your questions:

      1. You will have to marry to gain citizenship if you were not born in the Philippines. After marriage, you will have to live there 5 years before you can begin the process, which will take years.

      2. If you become a citizen of the Philippines, one of the requirements is that you must renounce your US Citizenship.

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