Dual Citizenship Report: Global Edition

March 05 00:00 2020 by The Editor Print This Article

Dual Citizenship Series: 3rd Report 


With the success of the first two editions of the Dual Citizenship Report, Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates are now launching the third report on Dual Citizenship, the Global Edition. While the first two editions, the European Edition and the Dual Citizenship in Russia & CIS, this first global edition analyses the dual citizenship laws of over 100 countries worldwide. 


Over the years, the Dual Citizenship Report has become a respected point of reference with regards to various issues relating to dual citizenship. The Dual Citizenship Report series delves into the fact whether a particular jurisdiction disallows, restricts or permits, its citizens from possessing dual and multiple citizenship. Every country chapter in the report has been founded on feedback provided by law firms on the legislation regulating citizenship in their respective countries. 


The Global Edition report is an important supplement to the series as it expands research of dual citizenship legislation in more than 100 jurisdictions globally. Moreover, previous country chapters from the regional editions were also incorporated in the Global Edition Report. However, they were updated and reviewed in accordance with any recent amendments to the law. Since the Global Edition includes countries from all over the world, the reader can easily contrast and compare the status of dual citizenship. Research for the 3rd edition of the Dual Citizenship Report was mainly carried out between January and March 2019. 

Dual Citizenship around the Globe 


Although every country has its own background and culture, the Global Dual Citizenship Report enables few generalisations to be made. Currently, dual citizenship is commonly acknowledged by most countries and only a few suppress citizenship rights. In fact, it is only 20% of the jurisdictions which completely disallow dual citizenship, whilst 60% of the countries unrestrictedly permit dual citizenship. The practice under which naturalisation in another jurisdiction automatically outcomes in withdrawal or loss of citizenship, has been discarded by many and has lost its importance. Moreover, very few countries require those individuals who were born with dual citizenship to renounce one of their citizenship’s upon attaining the age of majority. 


Most of the countries situated in the European Union, and those in the Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean and America permit dual citizenship. Dual citizenship legislation throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region and Africa are more diverse, while Southeast Asia emerges as the most restrictive region with regards to dual citizenship. 


Jurisdictions which permit dual citizenship with no limitations include, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Malta, Cyprus, the United States, Canada and Saint Lucia. Countries which refrain from making any references to dual citizenship in their legislation, are also abstaining from imposing any repercussions which might arise upon the obtainment of a second citizenship. 


As observed in the Global Edition report, there are some regions which although they permit citizens to posses a dual citizenship, they might still impose other limitations, such as when it come to public office. For instance, Russia does not permit dual citizens to constitute/participate in the editorial office of either a broadcasting entity or a mass media or else to be designated as a member of the Federation Council. Countries such as South Africa, permit dual citizenship, on the condition that such citizen informs the authorities.  


On the other hand, there are specific countries which completely prohibit dual citizenship, and even stipulate that revocation or loss of citizenship might ensue if an individual attains another citizenship. These countries include India, Monaco, Kazakhstan, China, Nepal and Ethiopia. There are some jurisdictions, which in certain cases, they make an exception for adult or children dual citizens under a specific age. Some of such countries include Estonia, Japan and Indonesia. However, upon attaining such specific age, the individual is required to decide whether the keep one citizenship and renounce the other. 


There are other regions which normally they do not permit dual citizenship, however, they make exceptions in certain specific cases or else subject to certain conditions, involving instances of marriage or birth, or international treaties with certain countries. In countries such as Germany, Bulgaria and Latvia, dual citizenship is only permitted in relation to other EU member states. Countries which have a set of dual nationality agreements in place, include Pakistan, the Honduras, Nicaragua and Spain. Countries such as South Korea, Lithuania, Norway and Austria make exceptions for dual citizenship for either dual citizens by marriage, or else both. 

To learn more about the report click here!
 

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