I got a note from Angela today with a question about becoming a Philippine Citizen.
Here is what Angela had to say:
I’ve been having a hard time finding information on this.
I am an American and next year I will be marrying my fiancée, who is Filipino. We were planning on me living in the Philippines with him. Would me marrying him, give me Philippine citizenship, or do I still need to get some kind of visa?
Hi Angela,
Thanks for writing. I’m sorry to say, but no, you may not become a Philippine Citizen by marring a Filipino. But, you can still live in the Philippines, no problem on that.
Here is what you should do:
- When you come to the Philippines to get married, just come on a tourist visa (will be issued to you upon your arrival). That will allow you to stay 30 days, but can be extended through renewals for up to 16 months.
- After you have married your fiancee, you then qualify for a permanent resident visa, a 13(a) Visa. After you get married and have an authenticated copy of your marriage certificate, just go to the Bureau of Immigration to apply for the permanent visa.
Should you wish to become a Philippine Citizen, you can do that once you meet a few requirements.
Good luck on your wedding, Angela! Enjoy live in the Philippines.
hi, i was wondering how long does it take from the date of filing to complete the process of becoming a Filipino citizen?
Upon filing for Philippine Citizenship, there is a one year waiting period, and figure maybe 3 or 4 more months after the one year waiting period. So, I would figure 16 months or so.
thank you so much for the information and for the very quick reply.
You are very welcome!
hi,im ZElda.im a filipina.i just want to ask about my boyfriend from the US is planning to come here and wanted to live here.can u tell me where to go and what to do?thank u
Hello Zelda,
Thanks for writing!
In order to marry you, your bf will first need to visit the US Embassy in Manila or the Consulate in Cebu. He will need to obtain a document called “Affidavit in lieu of certificate for legal capacity to marry”. Once he gets that document you and he may simply follow the normal procedure for a Filipino getting married.
After you marry, he will then qualify for a 13a resident visa and he can live here permanently. All of the procedures are outlined in my book package below.
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.
citizenship by marriage, it will took you 5 more years before you become a naturalize filipino citizen.after marriage you need to stay in the philippines for 2 more years ( probation period ).
Actually, you must stay in the Philippines for 5 years before you can apply.
Hello there! i’m a filipina and i have an Uzbekistani boyfriend, we’re planning on getting married there in the Philippines..can it be possible? How many days can he stay in the Philippines? What are the requirements for an Uzbekistan national to be able to enter Philippines?
I am an American Citizen. I have been married to my husband for 13 years and he lives in the Philippines. He is not allowed to come to the states. Can I work in the phillipines? Are there good paying Jobs there for Americans? I currently work for a prestigious corporate company. I am asking because we have been estranged for 7 years and he doesnt know anything about Americans and the Jobs available to them. He said there are many foreigners but he is not sure about the Job status for them. He knows of only the Call centers but they pay nothing!
If you are interested in living in the Philippines, but you need a source of income, getting a job here is generally not the way to go. Firstly, most companies are not looking to hire foreigners. Secondly, you probably won’t want to work for the kind of wages offered here, usually only a few dollars per day.
To help out people like you, I have written a book called “49 Ways to earn a living in the Philippines” and I cover ideas of all sorts on how you can earn a good living while living in the Philippines. I have been earning my living here since 2000, and I earn more money now than when I lived in the States. So, I know that I can help you do that too!
To check out the book, go to:
http://books.auctiontopia.com/books/49-ways-to-make-a-living-in-the-philippines/
As a special offer to you, I am going to offer you $10 off the book, but the offer is good for only the next 24 hours. During checkout, just enter the coupon code – 10discountToday – and the book will be $10 off the regular price. But, remember, the discount expires after 24 hours.
Check it out today, I am sure that this is what you are looking for, if you want to live in the Philippines!
Bob I already stay in the Phil for 5 years and married to my filipina wife, if I want to become a filipino citizen here, how much must I pay? Thanks Bob
Hi Alex, the costs can vary a bit, but in general, it would cost around P300,000.
i m zia please i want to marry with a girl who live in Philippine before come and please tell me after our marriage how i can get Philippine nationality and tell me how i can get visa. i will great full if you guide me rightly
i m zia please i want to marry with a girl who live in Philippine before come and please tell me after our marriage how i can get Philippine nationality and tell me how i can get visa. i will great full if you guide me rightly and please tell me earlier
Hi im bobby im indian citizen. I have filipina wife and we have 1 son 7 years old. How to get pilippines citizenship?
Mindanao Bob,
I’m glad to read that your upfront, and knowledgeable, about getting Filipino citizenship.
I don’t understand why anyone would want to give up their US citizenship.
Rusty
Hi Bob!
I can see that this is so old inform you should update it ASAP, please. This article is talking about 21 days visa to get the Philippines!!! Actually it has been long time already to come into the country Philippines for tourists WITHOUT the visa for 30 days and then apply for a visa and it`s extensions for 59 days and so if just needed! Also it would be nice to update so called “Balikbayan “visa” which is the free entry to country IF we who are married to a Filipino just ask the Balikbayan stamp to our passport at the passport control and get the 1 time free stay for 365 days.
Hi Bob, my father married a filippina woman who has passed away and now my father has died just very recently. He was living with the her family and taking care of them with his Social Security check from the US. He is now being waked and i want him to be buried along side of his wife there, not brought back here to the states. He never became a citizen of the PH but he was legally married there with a pre-nup agreement with her saying everything he has is to be given to us his family here. I have sent documents to the daughter explaining that I do not want my father cremated or have an autopsy on him; just bury him in the cemetary with his deceased wife. They are holding on to the death certificate until approval from the immigration or consulate office and consent from the funeral parlor. What will happen next? Can you shed some light on this for me. Thank you, Lynda
Hi Lynda – I am sorry that your father passed away, please accept my condolences.
I also apologize because I do not feel that I am qualified to answer your question. I have not really researched much on the topic of the death of an expat in the Philippines, and any answers I give you would only be conjecture.
Good luck to you.
hi im ahmad sami. im from Bangladesh and now im living Qatar. im a chef and now im working at QATAR AIRWAYS as a chef. now i want to living fhilipine and i want marry a fhilipina. can u help me for give some information about how to apply for living there permanently & how can i get a job there?
After you get married you can apply for a permanent resident visa, but you will have to wait until after marriage.