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Republic Act No. 9139· Enacted 2001-06-08

Administrative Naturalization Law (RA 9139) — BatasKo ELI5

RA 9139 allows aliens born and raised in the Philippines to apply for Filipino citizenship without going to court. Learn the requirements, costs, and process in plain language.

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Ang Batas sa Madaling Salita— ELI5

RA 9139 lets foreigners who were born in the Philippines and have lived here all their lives apply for Filipino citizenship through a government committee — no court trial needed. You need to be at least 18, have studied in Philippine schools, and speak Filipino or a local dialect.

Official text — Republic Act No. 9139

Jump to section ↓21 sections

Preamble

Eleventh Congress

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9139 June 08, 2001

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP FOR CERTAIN ALIENS BY ADMINISTRATIVE NATURALIZATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

Section 1

Section 1.

Short Title.

- This Act shall be known as "The Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000."

Section 2

Section 2.

Declaration of Policy.

- The State shall control and regulate the admission and integration of aliens into its territory and body politic including the grant of citizenship to aliens. Towards this end, aliens born and residing in the Philippines may be granted Philippine citizenship by administrative proceedings subject to certain requirements dictated by national security and interest.

Section 3 — Qualifications.→

Section 3.

Qualifications.

- Subject to the provisions of the succeeding section, any person desiring to avail of the benefits of this Act must meet the following qualifications:

(a) The applicant must be born in the Philippines and residing therein since birth;

(b) The applicant must not be less than eighteen (18) years of age, at the time of filing of his/her petition;

(c) The applicant must be of good moral character and believes in the underlying principles of the Constitution, and must have conducted himself/herself in a proper and irreproachable manner during his/her entire period of residence in the Philippines in his relation with the duly constituted government as well as with the community in which he/she is living;

(d) The applicant must have received his/her primary and secondary education in any public school or private educational institution dully recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

Provided,

That should he/she have minor children of school age, he/she must have enrolled them in similar schools;

(e) The applicant must have a known trade, business, profession or lawful occupation, from which he/she derives income sufficient for his/her support and if he/she is married and/or has dependents, also that of his/her family:

Provided, however,

That this shall not apply to applicants who are college degree holders but are unable to practice their profession because they are disqualified to do so by reason of their citizenship;

(f) The applicant must be able to read, write and speak Filipino or any of the dialects of the Philippines; and

(g) The applicant must have mingled with the Filipinos and evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people.

Section 4 — Disqualifications,→

Section 4.

Disqualifications,

- The following are not qualified to be naturalized as Filipino citizens under this Act:

(a) Those opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association of group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments;

(b) Those defending or teaching the necessity of or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success or predominance of their ideas;

(c) Polygamists or believers in the practice of polygamy;

(d) Those convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude;

(e) Those suffering from mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases;

(f) Those who, during the period of their residence in the Philippines, have not mingled socially with Filipinos, or who have not evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipinos;

(g) Citizens or subjects with whom the Philippines is at war, during the period of such war; and

(h) Citizens or subjects of a foreign country whose laws do not grant Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

Section 5 — Petition for Citizenship.→

Section 5.

Petition for Citizenship.

- (1) Any person desiring to acquire Philippine citizenship under this Act shall file with the Special Committee on Naturalization created under Section 6 hereof, a petition of five (5) copies legibly typed and signed, thumbmarked and verified by him/her, with the latter's passport-sized photograph attached to each copy of the petition, and setting forth the following:

(a) The petitioner's name and surname, and any other name he/she has used or by which he/she is known;

(b) The petitioner's present and former places of residence;

(c) The petitioner's place and date of birth, the names and citizenship of his/her parents and their residences;

(d) The petitioner's trade, business, profession or occupation, and if married, also that of his/her spouse;

(e) Whether the petitioner is single or married or his/her marriage is annulled. If married, petitioner shall state the date and place of his/her marriage, and the name, date of birth, birthplace, citizenship and residence of his/her spouse; and if his marriage is annulled, the date of decree of annulment of marriage and the court which granted the same;

(f) If the petitioner has children, the name, date and birthplace and residences of his/her children ;

(g) A declaration that the petitioner possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under this Act;

(h) A declaration that the petitioner shall never be a public charge; and

(i) A declaration that it is the petitioner's true and honest intention to acquire Philippine citizenship and to renounce absolutely and forever any prince, potentate, State or sovereign, and particularly the country of which the applicant is a citizen or subject.

(2) The application shall be accompanied by:

(a) Duplicate original or certified photocopies of petitioner's birth certificate;

(b) Duplicate original or certified photocopies of petitioner's alien certificate of registration and native born certificate of residence;

(c) Duplicate original or certified photocopies of petitioner's marriage certified, if married, or the death certificate of his spouse, if widowed, or the court decree annulling his marriage, if such was the fact;

(d) Duplicate original or certified photocopies of birth certificates, alien certificate of registration or native born certificate of residence if any, of petitioner's minor children, wherever applicable;

(e) Affidavit of financial capacity by the petitioner, and sworn statements on the good moral character of the petitioner by at least two (2) Filipino citizens of good reputation in his/her place of residence stating that they have personally known the petitioner for at least a period of ten (10) years and that said petitioner has in their own opinion all the qualifications necessary to become a citizen of the Philippines and is not in any way disqualified under the provisions of this Act;

(f) A medical certificate that petitioner is not a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS);

(g) School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner in the schools he attended in the Philippines. Should the petitioner have minor children, a certification that his children are enrolled in a school where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and are part of the curriculum; and

(h) If gainfully employed, the income tax return for the past three (3) years.

Section 6 — Special Committee on Naturalization.→

Section 6.

Special Committee on Naturalization.

- There shall be constituted a Special Committee on Naturalization herein referred to as the "Committee", with the Solicitor General as chairman, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, or his representative, and the National Security Adviser, as members, with the power to approve, deny or reject applications for naturalization as provided in this Act.

The Committee shall meet, as often as practicable, to consider applications for naturalization. For this purpose, the chairman and members shall receive an honorarium of Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) and One thousand five hundred pesos (P1,500.00), respectively, per meeting attended.

Show 14 more sections +→
Section 7 — Powers/Functions of the Special Committee on Naturalization.→

Section 7.

Powers/Functions of the Special Committee on Naturalization.

- An alien who believes that he has all the qualifications, and none of the disqualifications, may file an application for naturalization with the secretariat of the Special Committee on Naturalization, and a processing fee of Forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00). Thereafter, the petition shall be stamped to indicate the date of filing and a corresponding docket number. Within fifteen (15) days from the receipt of the petition, the Committee shall determine whether the petition is complete in substance and in form. If such petition is complete, the Committee shall immediately publish pertinent portions of the petition indicating the name, qualifications and other personal circumstances of the applicant, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, and have copies of the petition posted in any public or conspicuous area. The Committee shall immediately furnish the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the civil registrar of the petitioner's place of residence and tile National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) copies of the petition and its supporting documents. These agencies shall have copies of the petition posted in any public or conspicuous area in their buildings, offices and premises, and shall, within thirty (30) days from the receipt of the petition, submit to the Committee a report stating whether or not petitioner has any derogatory record on file or any such relevant and material information which might be adverse to petitioner's application for citizenship.

If the petition is found by the Committee to be wanting in substance and form, the petition shall be dismissed without prejudice.

Section 8 — Approval or Disapproval of the Petition.→

Section 8.

Approval or Disapproval of the Petition.

- Within sixty (60) days from receipt of the report of the agencies which were furnished a copy of the petition or the date of the last publication of the petition, whichever comes in later, the Committee shall consider and review all relevant and material information it has received pertaining to the petition, and may, for the purpose call the petitioner for interview to ascertain his/her identity, the authenticity of the petition and its annexes, and to determine the truthfulness of the statements and declarations made in the petition and its annexes.

If the Committee shall have received any information adverse to the petition, the Committee shall allow the petitioner to answer, explain or refute the information.

Thereafter, if the Committee believes, in view of the facts before it, that the petitioner has all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications required for Philippine citizenship under this Act, it shall approve the petition and henceforth, notify the petitioner of the fact of such approval. Otherwise, the Committee shall disapprove the same.

Section 9 — Decree of Naturalization and Naturalization Processing Fee.→

Section 9.

Decree of Naturalization and Naturalization Processing Fee.

-Within thirty (30) days from the receipt of the notice of the approval of his/her petition, the applicant shall pay to the Committee a naturalization fee of One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) payable as follows: Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) upon the approval of the petition and Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) upon the taking of the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines, forthwith, a certificate of naturalization shall be issued. Within sixty (60) days from the issuance of the certificate, the petitioner shall take an oath of allegiance in the proper forum upon proof of payment of the required naturalization processing fee and certificate of naturalization. Should the applicant fail to take the abovementioned oath of allegiance within said period of time, the approval of the petition shall be deemed abandoned.

Section 10 — Duty of the Bureau of Immigration.→

Section 10.

Duty of the Bureau of Immigration.

- Within five (5) days after the applicant has taken his oath of allegiance as required in the preceding section, the BI shall forward a copy of the petitioner's oath to the proper local civil registrar. Thereafter, the BI shall cancel the alien certificates of registration of the applicant.

Section 11 — Status of Alien Wife and Minor Children.→

Section 11.

Status of Alien Wife and Minor Children.

- After the approval of the petition for administrative naturalization in cancellation of applicant's alien certificate of registration, applicant's alien lawful wife and minor children may file a petition for cancellation of their alien certificates of registration with the Committee subject to the payment of the filing fee of Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) and naturalization fee of Forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00) payable as follows: Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) upon the approval of the petition and Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) upon the taking of the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines.

Section 12 — Status of Alien Husband and Minor Children.→

Section 12.

Status of Alien Husband and Minor Children.

- If the applicant is a married woman, the approval of her petition for administrative naturalization will not benefit her alien husband but her minor children may file a petition for cancellation of their alien certificates of registration with the BI subject to the requirements of existing laws.

Section 13 — Cancellation of the Certificate of Naturalization.→

Section 13.

Cancellation of the Certificate of Naturalization.

- The Special Committee may cancel certificates of naturalization issued under this Act in the following cases:

(a) If it finds that the naturalized person or his duly authorized representative made any false statement or misrepresentation or committed any violation of law, rules and regulations in connection with the petition for naturalization, or if he otherwise obtains Philippine citizenship fraudulently or illegally, the certificate of naturalization shall be cancelled;

(b) If the naturalized person or his wife, or any or his minor children who acquire Filipino citizenship by virtue of his naturalization shall, within five (5) years next following the grant of Philippine citizenship, establish permanent residence in a foreign country, that individual's certificate of naturalization or acquired citizenship shall be cancelled or revoked:

Provided,

That the fact of such person's remaining for more than one (1) year in his country of origin, or two (2) years in any foreign country, shall be considered

prima facie

evidence of intent to permanently reside therein;

(c) If the naturalized person or his wife or child with acquired citizenship allows himself or herself to be used as a dummy in violation of any constitutional or legal provision requiring Philippine citizenship as a condition for the exercise, use or enjoyment of a right, franchise or privilege, the certificate of naturalization or acquired citizenship shall be cancelled or revoked; and

(d) If the naturalized person or his wife or child with acquired citizenship commits any act inimical to national security, the certificate of naturalization or acquired citizenship shall be cancelled or revoked.

In case the naturalized person holds any hereditary title, or belong to any order of nobility, he shall make an express renunciation of his title or membership in this order of nobility before the Special Committee or its duly authorized representative, and such renunciation shall be included in the records of his application for citizenship.

Section 14 — Penalties.→

Section 14.

Penalties.

- Any person who shall fraudulently make, falsify, forge, change, alter, or cause or aid any person to do the same, or who shall purposely aid and assist in falsely making, forging, falsifying, changing or altering a naturalization certificate issued under this proceeding for the purpose of making use thereof, or in order that the same may be used by another person or persons, and any person who shall purposely aid and assist another in obtaining a naturalization certificate in violation of this Act, shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,OOO.OO) and by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, and in the case that the person convicted is a naturalized citizen, his certificate of naturalization shall, if not earlier cancelled by the Special Committee, be ordered cancelled.

Section 15 — Any person who failed to register his/her birth with the concerned city or mu→

Section 15.

Any person who failed to register his/her birth with the concerned city or municipal civil registrar may, within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, file a petition for the acquisition of the Philippine citizenship:

Provided,

That the applicant possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under this Act and subject to the requirements of existing laws.

Section 16 — Special Disposition of the Filing Fee.→

Section 16.

Special Disposition of the Filing Fee.

- An amount equivalent to twenty five percent (25%) of the filing fee to be paid by the applicants pursuant to Section 7 hereof shall accrue to the University of the Philippines Law Center and another twenty-five percent (25%) shall be allotted for the publication of the Journal of the House of Representatives. Said amount shall be treated as receipts automatically appropriated.

Section 17 — Implementing Rules and Regulations.→

Section 17.

Implementing Rules and Regulations.

- The Special Committee on Naturalization is hereby authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations as may be needed for the proper implementation of the provisions of this Act.

Section 18 — Repealing Clause.→

Section 18.

Repealing Clause.

-All provisions of existing laws, orders, decrees, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 19 — Separability CIause.→

Section 19.

Separability CIause.

- If any part, section or provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the part, section or provision not affected thereby shall continue to be in force and effect.

Section 20 — Effectivity Clause.→

Section 20.

Effectivity Clause.

- This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd)

AQUILINO Q. PIMENTEL JR.

President of the Senate

(Sgd)

FELICIANO BELMONTE JR.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

(Sgd)

LUTGARDO B. BARBO

Secretary of the Senate

(Sgd)

ROBERTO P. NAZARENO

Secretary General

House of Representatives

Approved: June 08, 2001

(Sgd)

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

President of the Philippines

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

Full text on BatasKo. Original source: Official Gazette / Lawphil.

Imagine growing up your whole life in the Philippines — going to a Filipino school, speaking Filipino, eating adobo every Sunday — but your passport says you are Chinese or Indian or American. For decades, getting citizenship meant going to court and waiting years. RA 9139 changed that.

ELI5: If you are a foreigner who was born and has always lived in the Philippines, RA 9139 lets you apply for Filipino citizenship through a government committee instead of a long court process. You fill out forms, pay fees, pass a background check, take an oath — and you become Filipino.

Hindi na kailangan pang pumunta sa korte para sa ganitong kaso. Administrative process na ito — mas mabilis, mas direkta.

Real Filipino Scenario

Si Wei-Ming, isang 25-anyos na restaurateur sa Cebu City, ay ipinanganak sa Cebu General Hospital noong 1976. Mag-anak silang Chinese-Filipino — ang tatay at nanay niya ay aliens na naninirahan sa Pilipinas. Lahat ng pag-aaral niya ay sa Filipino schools: San Carlos University, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration.

Nagsalita siya ng Cebuano bago pa man ng Mandarin.

Nang gusto niyang mag-apply ng business permit para sa sarili niyang restawran, paulit-ulit siyang nahaharap sa complications dahil hindi siya citizen. Narinig niya sa isang kaibigan tungkol sa RA 9139.

Nagkuha siya ng lahat ng requirements, nagbayad ng ₱40,000 processing fee, at pagkatapos ng mahabang review, naging Filipino na siya. Sa wakas, Filipino na talaga sa papel.

What the Law Actually Says

RA 9139, known as the Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000, was approved on June 8, 2001 (RA 9139, Section 1).

Who qualifies?

To apply under RA 9139, you must (Section 3):

  • Be born in the Philippines and have lived here since birth
  • Be at least 18 years old at the time of filing
  • Be of good moral character with no criminal record
  • Have completed primary and secondary education in Philippine schools where Philippine history, government, and civics are taught
  • Have a trade, business, profession, or lawful occupation that supports you (and your family, if applicable)
  • Be able to read, write, and speak Filipino or any Philippine dialect
  • Have mingled with Filipinos and shown a genuine desire to embrace Filipino customs and ideals

Who is disqualified?

You cannot apply if you (Section 4):

  • Are opposed to organized government or affiliated with extremist groups
  • Preach violence or assassination as a political tool
  • Are a polygamist
  • Were convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude
  • Have a communicable incurable disease or mental condition
  • Are a citizen of a country that does not allow Filipinos to naturalize there

The process

  1. File a petition with the Special Committee on Naturalization (Solicitor General chairs, plus the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and National Security Adviser) along with a ₱40,000 processing fee (Section 7)
  2. The Committee publishes your application in a newspaper for 3 consecutive weeks and notifies DFA, Bureau of Immigration, and NBI
  3. Agencies have 30 days to submit reports on any adverse information about you
  4. The Committee has 60 days to review everything and decide
  5. If approved, you pay a naturalization fee of ₱100,000 — ₱50,000 on approval, ₱50,000 when you take your oath (Section 9)
  6. You take an oath of allegiance within 60 days of your certificate being issued
  7. The Bureau of Immigration cancels your alien certificate of registration (Section 10)

What about your family?

  • Alien wife and minor children may file to cancel their alien certificates, subject to a ₱20,000 filing fee and ₱40,000 naturalization fee (Section 11)
  • If the applicant is a woman, her alien husband does not automatically benefit — but her minor children may file (Section 12)

What This Means for You

Sa madaling salita: kung ikaw ay isang dayuhang ipinanganak at lumaki sa Pilipinas, hindi ka na kailangang dumaan sa matagal at magastos na judicial naturalization na tatagal ng maraming taon.

The total cost is approximately ₱140,000 for the main applicant (₱40,000 processing + ₱100,000 naturalization fee). That sounds like a lot, but it is far less time and money than going through the regular court process.

Once you are naturalized, you enjoy full Filipino citizenship — you can own land, vote, run for office (with some restrictions), and carry a Philippine passport.

For OFWs and Foreign Nationals with Filipino Connections

If you are a foreigner married to a Filipino OFW, you might be wondering if you qualify. The answer depends on whether you yourself were born in the Philippines — not just married to a Filipino.

RA 9139 is specifically for aliens born and residing in the Philippines since birth. If you were born abroad and came here only for work or marriage, this law does not apply to you. You would need to go through regular judicial naturalization under Commonwealth Act 473.

For OFWs with foreign-born children or spouses: This law is a reference point when discussing Philippine citizenship acquisition. If your foreign spouse was not born in the Philippines, they cannot use RA 9139.

For returning OFWs with foreign-national children: If your children were born abroad and hold foreign citizenship, a different process applies for them to acquire Philippine citizenship.

What Most Filipinos Get Wrong

"Kahit sino na dayuhan ay pwedeng mag-apply ng citizenship sa pamamagitan ng RA 9139."

Mali. This law is only for aliens who were born in the Philippines and have lived here since birth. If you came here later in life, this law is not for you.

"Libre ang administrative naturalization."

Definitely not. The processing fee alone is ₱40,000, and the naturalization fee is ₱100,000 — plus additional fees if your spouse and children are also applying.

"Automatic na Filipino ang mga bata ng naturalized citizen."

Minor children can file for cancellation of their alien certificate, but it is not automatic — they must go through their own application process and pay separate fees (Section 11).

"Permanent na ang citizenship kahit lumipat ka ng ibang bansa."

Hindi. Kung mag-establish ka ng permanent residence sa ibang bansa within 5 years of getting citizenship, your certificate can be cancelled. Living more than 1 year in your country of origin or 2 years in any foreign country is considered prima facie evidence of intent to permanently reside there (Section 13[b]).

What to Do If You Want to Apply

  1. Gather your documents — Birth certificate, alien certificate of registration, school diplomas and transcripts, medical certificate (must be drug-free and HIV-negative), income tax returns for the past 3 years, and sworn statements from two Filipino citizens who have known you for at least 10 years (Section 5)
  2. Go to the Office of the Solicitor General — The Special Committee on Naturalization is based there. Bring 5 complete sets of your petition
  3. Pay the ₱40,000 processing fee at the time of filing (Section 7)
  4. Wait for the background check process — DFA, BI, and NBI have 30 days to submit reports; the Committee has 60 days to decide after that
  5. If approved, pay the remaining ₱100,000 naturalization fee and take your oath of allegiance within 60 days (Section 9)

Related Laws

FAQs

Pwede bang mag-apply ang isang foreigner na nakatira sa Pilipinas ng maraming taon kahit hindi siya ipinanganak dito?

Hindi. RA 9139 requires that the applicant must have been born in the Philippines and has been residing there since birth. If you were born abroad, you must use the regular judicial naturalization process under Commonwealth Act 473.

Magkano ang kabuuang gastos ng administrative naturalization?

For the main applicant: ₱40,000 processing fee + ₱100,000 naturalization fee = ₱140,000 total. If your alien wife and children also apply, add ₱20,000 filing fee and ₱40,000 naturalization fee per family unit (Section 11).

Maaari bang ma-revoke ang citizenship pagkatapos ma-approve?

Oo. Ang Special Committee on Naturalization ay may kapangyarihang i-cancel ang certificate kung: gumawa ka ng misrepresentation, nag-establish ka ng permanent residence sa ibang bansa within 5 years, ginamit kang dummy sa negosyo na nangangailangan ng Filipino citizenship, o gumawa ka ng acts inimical sa national security (Section 13).

Sources

General information only. Not legal advice. Consult PAO at 1-800-10-PAO-8888 or visit the nearest Public Attorney's Office for legal assistance.

By Irvin Abarca & Claude (AI Research Partner) | Published May 2026

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Legal disclaimer: BatasKo provides general legal information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed Filipino lawyer or the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

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