A Filipina looking for a second citizenship but without marriage? Spain?

Hello everyone,

I have an "hon. daughter" (no relation at all, but appointed by my sons and I as she is a good friend and they, having a Filipina mother who spoils them, are in need of a Filipina Big Sister to keep them in order, whilst she quite likes having a male friend who is uniquely NOT trying to get into her knickers and/or trying to marry her!)

She is a career superyacht hand with eight years at sea who will be taking her MCA Orals for her UK Chief Officer's Certificate of Competency in June, and is 31.

She would very much like a second citizenship with a less restricted passport - she hates the bureaucracy and petty corruption involved in shipping out as crew from the Philippines - but she emphatically does not want to marry to get one.

I have at the back of my mind that Spain is slightly more welcoming to Filipinos than other EU states - can anyone advise?

Hon. Big Sister supervising her hon. Little Brothers aged 22 and 15 during a stroll in Tunstall Forest on Sunday...

I wouldn't assume Spain is necessarily any less corrupt, just a bit more subtle perhaps - after all, where did the Philippines' corruption originate?! Also, Chris and Melody's experience with Spanish officialdom should be enough to deter any sane soul!

Basically Elizabeth needs a EU Passport, it really doesn't matter which state issues it, although it might be easier for her if English is an official language. As I see it, she would need to establish legal residence in her chosen EU country where she would be registered for and pay tax. And then wait ten years. Or she could buy Maltese citizenship for around €650,000, which, by the way, is a lesser amount than anywhere else in the EU. That ball could be started to roll by registering with one of the crewing agencies here. A convenient marriage (to a bed-ridden octogenarian) would be quicker, cheaper and simpler!

Thanks, Mark!

Having had the benefit of Elizabeth's views on corruption in Greece (!!!) I appreciate the point that you make. Delete Spain!

There's really no doubt that the citizenship that would suit her best is British, but is it feasible?

Elizabeth is the oldest daughter of a baker in Olongapo; she has worked her way up by brains and hard work and her blistering contempt for those of her fellow citizens who marry for a passport is something to see!

As you know, there are precious few routes to becoming a British citizen, Andrew. You have either to (a) be born in the UK, (b) have one parent who was born in the UK, (c) become naturalised by virtue of marriage or (d) attain citizenship eventually by first becoming and accepted as a refugee. None would seem to apply in her case.

What she needs to do is consider if the corruption and petty-minded officialdom she experiences whenever she tries to leave the country is so ginormous that any alternative - even marriage - would be preferable. Or maybe simply seek residency in a EU country such as Malta where she won't need to learn a new language - in Malta, once a person has lived here for five years, they qualify for permanent residency. But she would need to show that her 'centre of life' is here which means owning or renting property, having a bank account here, paying tax (and national insurance if employed here, otherwise private health insurance) and spending her leaves here.

Isn't Spain only 2 years for Filipinas compared to UK 5 years?

I have that idea, too.

The UK is 6 years residence for citizenship. Or to have ILR if married to a UK citizen.

I seem to recall that only applies to Filipinas married to Spaniards. But I could be wrong.

Maybe @CampelloChris will know

... Spain is not closing its doors on the Philippines. In fact, it is easy for Filipinos to obtain Spanish citizenship compared to other countries.

"Any Filipino who lives in Spain for two years can apply for Spanish citizenship," said Ambassador Domecq, adding that it is part of the privilege extended to Filipinos because of Spain's long history in the Philippines.

Report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News 2014

I believe (not 100% sure) that our loved ones can apply for British citizenship straight after they have the ILR whereas other visa types require the ILR to have been held for 12 months before applying (6 years).

Correct. Or, in the case of EU citizens, to gave been resident here for 6 years.