Dual Citizenship Australia Philippines: How to Keep Both Nationalities

The Philippines is one of the few countries that actively accommodates its diaspora holding foreign citizenship. Under Republic Act 9225 — the Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003 — natural-born Filipinos who became citizens of another country can retain or re-acquire Philippine citizenship. For Filipinos in Australia, this means you can hold both an Australian passport and a Philippine passport simultaneously.

In the 2024-25 financial year, 8,517 people of Filipino nationality became Australian citizens by conferral, making the Philippines the fourth-largest source of new Australian citizens. Most of them can, if they wish, also hold their Philippine citizenship through RA 9225.

How RA 9225 Works

The law applies to people who were natural-born Filipino citizens — meaning they were Filipino citizens at birth. If you acquired Philippine citizenship later in life through naturalization, RA 9225 does not apply to you.

For natural-born Filipinos, there are two scenarios:

Scenario 1 — You became an Australian citizen before applying for RA 9225: You re-acquire Philippine citizenship by taking a new Philippine Oath of Allegiance. This is the most common situation for Filipinos in Australia who naturalised years ago without knowing about or using RA 9225.

Scenario 2 — You apply for RA 9225 before or at the time of becoming an Australian citizen: You retain Philippine citizenship continuously. In practice, most people apply after already being Australian citizens.

Either way, the outcome is the same: you are recognised as a Philippine citizen again and can travel on a Philippine passport.

What You Gain Under RA 9225

Re-acquiring Philippine citizenship restores significant rights:

• The right to own land in the Philippines (up to the limits applicable to Filipinos; foreign nationals cannot own land in the Philippines)
• The right to engage in business as a local rather than under foreign investment rules
• The right to vote in Philippine elections through the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) program
• Easier access to Philippines government services and professional licences
• The ability to pass Philippine citizenship to your children

For many Filipino-Australians, land ownership is the most important practical benefit. If you or your family have land in the Philippines, maintaining Philippine citizenship through RA 9225 protects your ability to inherit, hold, and sell that property as a citizen rather than as a foreigner.

How to Apply from Australia

Applications for RA 9225 are processed by:

• Philippine Embassy in Canberra: Serves the ACT and most of Australia
• Philippine Consulate General in Sydney: Serves NSW, QLD, WA, NT
• Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne: Serves VIC, SA, TAS

You must appear in person to take the Oath of Allegiance — this cannot be done by mail.

Documents required:

• Completed Application for Dual Citizenship form (obtain from the relevant consular office)
• Original Philippine birth certificate (PSA-issued; this is the National Statistics Office / Philippine Statistics Authority certificate, not a local civil registry copy)
• Original Philippine passport (if still valid or even if expired) OR certified true copy of old Philippine passport
• Original Australian citizenship certificate
• Australian passport (current)
• If married: marriage certificate
• If your name has changed: documents evidencing the change
• Recent passport-sized photographs

The consular office may request additional documents depending on your personal circumstances. Check the current requirements on the official Philippine Embassy Canberra or Consulate General Sydney website before you go — requirements and fees are updated periodically.

Fees (approximate):

The application fee is approximately AUD 90-100 for adults, with lower fees for minors. Check current fees with the relevant consular office.

Processing and Timeline

Processing times vary but typically run four to eight weeks after you take the Oath. You will receive an Order of Approval and can then apply for a new Philippine passport through the same consular office.

If you are in a hurry to re-establish Philippine citizenship — for example, because of an upcoming property transaction in the Philippines — contact the consular office directly to ask about current processing volumes.

Children Born in Australia

If you have children who were born in Australia after you became an Australian citizen (i.e., they were not born Filipino), they do not automatically gain Philippine citizenship under RA 9225. However, if you re-acquire Philippine citizenship, children under a certain age who are listed in your application may be included in the Order of Approval, depending on the consular office's current practice. Check directly with the relevant consulate about the process for including minor children.

Children who were born as natural-born Filipino citizens and subsequently became Australian citizens (for example, children who were born in the Philippines and then migrated to Australia) can apply in their own right under RA 9225 when they turn 18.

What RA 9225 Does Not Restore

There are a few things to be aware of:

• Residency in the Philippines: RA 9225 citizenship does not automatically grant you the right to work in the Philippines under a Philippine employment contract. That said, as a Philippine citizen you would generally be entitled to work in the Philippines.
• Government positions: Some positions in the Philippine government require exclusive Philippine citizenship (i.e., you must not hold another citizenship). RA 9225 citizenship may be treated as dual citizenship for these purposes.
• OFW status: If you hold RA 9225 citizenship and Australian citizenship, you are not eligible to be classified as an Overseas Filipino Worker for the purposes of POEA processes, as you are travelling on an Australian passport.

The Practical Picture

For most Filipino-Australians, RA 9225 is a meaningful piece of life planning rather than a bureaucratic nicety. If you have family in the Philippines, if you own or plan to own property there, or if you simply want the option to retire there under Filipino citizen rules rather than foreign national rules, re-acquiring Philippine citizenship is worth doing.

The process is not complicated — the main requirements are a valid PSA birth certificate and a trip to the consulate — but getting your PSA documents can take time if you are requesting them from overseas. The Philippine Statistics Authority offers an e-copy service (PSAHelpline) for overseas applicants, which typically takes a few weeks.

The Australia Citizenship Guide includes a step-by-step breakdown of what to do after your Australian citizenship ceremony, including the timeline for RA 9225 applications and what documents to prepare before your ceremony to make the process as smooth as possible.

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