How to Get Dual Citizenship with Canada and the Philippines

By Remitbee - Apr 26, 2022

How to apply for dual citizenship in Canada?

Dual citizenship is becoming increasingly popular as millions worldwide discover that it provides many advantages. For starters, dual citizenship allows you to cross borders and enjoy a variety of privileges, including the ability to live and work anywhere on the globe. Thus, many people who don't want to be restricted in their choices will find it very appealing.

Although citizenship is received at birth, dual citizenship is frequently gained by granting a passport to a child born to a parent from a different nation. There are several ways to obtain a dual national passport, but the multitude changes based on your country of birth and the citizenship regulations.

If you want to file for Philippine dual citizenship in Canada, you must first understand the rules for each country. Here's how Filipinos can become both Filipino and Canadian citizens.

Dual Citizenship Rules

Canada is one of many nations that allow for dual citizenship. While Canada's dual citizenship laws are very open and welcoming, this cannot be true for all places. Some of the most typical ways to acquire citizenship are as follows:

  1. Being birthed in a territory regarded as a part of that country
  2. At least one parent who is a legal citizen of that country
  3. Being married to a citizen of that country
  4. Having completed the legal process of obtaining citizenship via evaluation in an initially foreign country
  5. Having spent enough time in that country to meet the criteria for citizenship
  6. Dual citizenship is a prideful value for Canada and its citizens in so many ways as it reflects Canada's diversity and acceptance of multiculturalism. Many new Canadians choose to retain their prior citizenship and their Canadian citizenship.

Acquiring dual citizenship is advantageous in most cases. However, some drawbacks may happen. With possessing prior citizenship overturned, it is possible to be stuck between the legislation of two countries, taxation, mandatory military service, and other seemingly unforeseen issues.

So, if you want to get dual citizenship in Canada, ensure to visit your native country or the embassy or consulate of your original country for detailed advice on the implications of your current citizenship status. It is critical to understand the guidelines and restrictions in each nation of citizenship concerning dual or multiple citizenships.

Requirements for Dual Citizenship Application

Principal applicants pursuing dual citizenship in Canada and the Philippines must complete the following documents :

  1. three photographs (4.5 cm x 3.5 cm coloured with white background) original and two photocopies of each of these documents:
  2. Duly filled application form
  3. Birth certificate authenticated by PSA, once known as the National Statistics Office (NSO)
  4. Certificate of Non-Availability of Birth Record with Joint Birth Affidavit/Affidavit of Two Disinterested Persons (for applicants born before 1950)
  5. Divorce decree or order on the annulment of marriage (for separated female applicants);
  6. Marriage certificate (for married female applicants);
  7. Spouse's Death Certificate(for applicants declaring status as "widowed")
  8. Canadian passport; Philippine passport; or Citizenship Card/I.D

For Derivative Citizenship Applicants, additional requirements will be as follows:

Original plus two photocopies of each of the following documents:

  • Original birth certificate from PSA/NSO (if you're born in the Philippines) or birth certificate from Vital Statistics Office (if born abroad)
  • Philippine passport; Canadian passport; Canadian Citizenship Card/I.D.
  • Certificate of Oath Taking (if you're a Canadian)
  • Two recent photographs of the minor applicant (4.5 cm x 3.5 cm coloured with white background) One (1) recent photograph of the principal parent applicant (4.5 cm x 3.5 cm)

Prepare a fee of $72.50 for the principal applicant and $36.25 for each dependent child. If you want to submit your application at the Consulate, you can pay in cash. Money orders or bank drafts are only accepted if the application is sent through mail or the consulate's outreach services.

Oath-Taking Information

An Embassy consular representative will contact applicants who forwarded their application by mail to schedule a date for their oath-taking. Note to bring the original copies of the required documents for validation on the day of your oath-taking. Whereas if you forwarded your files in person at the Embassy, you would be told to return on a different day for your oath-taking.

After evaluating your application, the in-person oath-taking will occur either at the Embassy or at the outreach location (during an outreach mission). On the same day, those who submitted their application through the mail will be given their dual citizenship papers (for signature).

For Filipinos living abroad, applying for dual citizenship can seem daunting. But there are many awesome reasons to pursue dual citizenship, chief among them being the ability to live and travel freely in Canada. With dual citizenship, Filipinos can also enjoy all the benefits of Canadian citizenship, including access to free healthcare and education.

For all these reasons, it's no surprise that dual citizenship in Canada is becoming increasingly popular among Filipinos. Not but not least, thanks to Remitbee, which makes it easy to send money back home, more and more Filipinos can realize their dream of living in Canada!