Belarusian Citizenship - Belarusian Citizenship in 1917-1991

Belarusian Citizenship in 1917-1991

Regulations regarding Belarusian citizenship were issued by Belarusian government from 1917-1991 and by the government of the Soviet Union from 1924-1991.

The Aliens Decree was issued on August 4, 1922, by the Sovnarkom of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. According to this decree, all subjects of the former Russian Empire who had permanent residence in the Byelorussian SSR, including refugees, were recognized as citizens of the Byelorussian SSR. Citizens of other Soviet Republics (such as the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) shared common rights and obligations with citizens of the Byelorussian SSR. All adults (except in the cases listed below) could apply for Belarusian SSR citizenship, and the children younger than 14 years of age of those who were granted Belarusian SSR citizenship acquired Byelorussian SSR citizenship automatically; the consent of children over 14 was necessary. Additionally, anyone could renounce citizenship. The following groups of people were deprived of citizenship (unless they received passports in consulates of Soviet Republics before January 1, 1923):

• persons who left the country without proper permission of Soviet government
• persons who struggled against the Soviet government
• persons who had the right to claim Belarusian SSR citizenship, but had opted to not claim it

Children of Belarusian SSR citizens born in the territory of the Belarusian SSR acquired citizenship at the time of birth. If only one parent held Belarusian SSR citizenship, then the citizenship of the child was determined by joint declaration of his or her parents. Without such a declaration, the child acquired citizenship of the Belarusian SSR automatically, while still retaining the right to acquire the citizenship of the non-Byelorussian parent upon becoming adult.

According to the Code of Marriage, family and guardianship of Belarusian SSR promulgated in 1927:

• children of Belarusian SSR citizens acquired citizenship by birth
• children of a Belarusian SSR citizen and a non-citizen acquired citizenship by birth if one of the parents had permanent residence in the Belarusian SSR
• children of a Belarusian SSR citizen and a non-citizen who were living abroad acquired citizenship by birth upon joint declaration of the parents

The Citizenship Act of the USSR (1930) and the Citizenship Act of the USSR (1931) declared that citizens of the USSR who lived in the territory of a Soviet Republic would become citizens of that Republic, unless they chose citizenship of another Soviet Republic in connection with their ethnic origin.

Up to the dissolution of Soviet Union, citizenship legislation became increasingly centralized. Legal norms regarding Belarusian citizenship by birth were revoked in order to bring Belarusian family law in accordance with the Principles of Legislation on Marriage and the Family of the USSR and the Union Republics (1968).