Dual Citizenship Around the World

Name: Dual Citizenship Around the World
Creator: TheLawToKnow Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Can you hold two nationalities? It depends on both countries. This guide shows, for each country, whether its citizens may hold another nationality, whether a foreigner must give up the old one to naturalise, and how many years of residence the ordinary route takes.

Part of the comparative law toolkit. 61 countries so far; the others are shown pale. These are the general rules for the ordinary routes; birth, descent, marriage and refugee routes have their own rules.

Allowed: citizens may hold another nationality (40)Allowed in some cases only (11)Not allowed, or lost on taking another (10)No single figure, or not yet covered

Every country, side by side

Click a heading to sort. Open a country for its notes, including the exceptions.


Argentina	Yes	No	2
Australia	Yes	No	4
Austria	No	Yes	10
Belgium	Yes	No	5
Brazil	Yes	No	4
Bulgaria	Yes	No	5
Canada	Yes	No	3
Chile	Yes	No	5
China	No	Yes	–
Colombia	Yes	No	5
Croatia	In some cases	Yes	8
Cyprus	Yes	No	7
Czechia	Yes	No	5
Denmark	Yes	No	9
Egypt	Yes	–	–
Estonia	No	Yes	8
Finland	Yes	No	5
France	Yes	No	5
Germany	Yes	No	5
Ghana	Yes	–	–
Greece	Yes	No	7
Hungary	Yes	No	8
India	No	Yes	12
Indonesia	In some cases	Yes	5
Ireland	Yes	No	5
Israel	Yes	–	3
Italy	Yes	No	10
Japan	No	Yes	5
Kenya	Yes	No	7
Latvia	In some cases	Usually, with exceptions	5
Lithuania	In some cases	Yes	10
Luxembourg	Yes	No	5
Malaysia	No	Yes	10
Malta	Yes	No	–
Mexico	Yes	Yes	5
Morocco	Yes	–	5
Netherlands	In some cases	Usually, with exceptions	5
New Zealand	Yes	No	5
Nigeria	In some cases	Yes	15
Norway	Yes	No	–
Pakistan	In some cases	–	5
Peru	Yes	–	–
Philippines	Yes	–	10
Poland	Yes	No	–
Portugal	Yes	No	–
Romania	Yes	No	8
Russia	Yes	–	5
Saudi Arabia	No	Yes	–
Singapore	No	Yes	2
Slovakia	In some cases	–	8
Slovenia	In some cases	Yes	10
South Africa	Yes	No	5
South Korea	In some cases	Yes	5
Spain	In some cases	Usually, with exceptions	10
Sweden	Yes	No	5
Switzerland	Yes	No	10
Turkey	Yes	No	5
Ukraine	No	Yes	5
United Arab Emirates	No	Yes	–
United Kingdom	Yes	No	5
United States	Yes	No	5

A dash means we have not stated that figure with confidence, or it is under reform: see the country page.

Read this first

These are the general rules for the ordinary routes, not your case. Nationality law has many special routes (birth, descent, marriage, refugees, investment) and exceptions, and details change, so check the current law and ask the country's nationality authority. This is general information, not legal advice.

Two countries, two rulebooks

Two countries, two sets of rules

Each country decides for itself who its citizens are. One country can allow dual nationality while the other takes its own nationality away, so check the rule of BOTH countries before you naturalise or apply for a second passport.

A country may treat you only as its own citizen

Many countries do not recognise your other nationality inside their borders. You may have to enter and leave with that country's passport, and its authorities may refuse consular help from your other country.

Duties can follow you

Military service, tax filings and voting duties can apply to each nationality. The United States, for example, taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live.

Renouncing is permanent, and not always accepted

A formal renunciation may be hard to reverse. Some countries do not allow their citizens to renounce, so the paperwork may achieve nothing.

Ask the authority, not only a website

Nationality law has many exceptions for birth, descent and marriage, and details change. Confirm with the country's nationality authority or a lawyer there before you act.

May citizens hold two?

Whether the country lets its own citizens also hold the nationality of another country. Some countries allow it freely, some only in listed cases (for example by birth to parents of two nationalities, or with certain countries), and some end the nationality of a citizen who voluntarily takes another.

Must new citizens give up the old one?

Whether a foreigner who becomes a citizen by naturalisation must give up their previous nationality. Even where the answer is yes, the other country may not accept the renunciation, and then you may end up with both in practice.

Years to naturalise

The usual number of years of legal residence the ordinary route to naturalisation needs. Shorter periods often apply to spouses of citizens, refugees, people of the country's descent or graduates, and some countries need permanent residence first, which can add years. Language, integration and income tests apply almost everywhere.

Take it further

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Status, visas, work authorisation and removal.
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Let someone you trust act for you when you cannot.
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Permission for a child to travel with one parent or another adult.
Country Legal Packs$5
The family and property rules of a European country in one PDF, with questions for a local lawyer.

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TheLawToKnow Tools. Dual Citizenship Around the World. https://tools.thelawtoknow.com/dual-citizenship.

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