Multiple Citizenship - Citizenship of Multiple Countries

Citizenship of Multiple Countries

Individual countries follow their own rationales in establishing their criteria for citizenship. Each country has different requirements and policies on both acquiring its citizenship and holding other citizenships concurrently. These laws sometimes create situations where someone may acquire other citizenships without rendering the original citizenship invalid, or where someone may satisfy the citizenship requirements of more than one country simultaneously through no action of his or her own (e.g. at birth). This would allow the individual to hold two or more nationalities. Here are common reasons to bestow citizenship:

• At least one parent is a citizen (jus sanguinis).
• The person was born on the country's territory (jus soli)
• The person marries a citizen (jure matrimonii).
• The person becomes naturalized.
• The person was adopted from another country as a minor and at least one adoptive parent is a citizen.
• The person makes a substantial monetary investment: Austria, Cyprus, Dominica and St. Kitts & Nevis.

Once a country bestows citizenship, it may or may not consider a voluntary renunciation of that citizenship to be valid. In the case of naturalization, some countries require applicants for naturalization to renounce their former citizenship. However, this renunciation may not be recognized by the renounced country. Technically, the person in question may still possess both citizenships.

For example, United States Chief Justice John Rutledge ruled "a man may, at the same time, enjoy the rights of citizenship under two governments," but the US requires applicants for naturalization to swear to an oath renouncing all prior "allegiance and fidelity" to any other nation or sovereignty as part of the naturalization ceremony. In the case of a British citizen, however, the UK honors renunciation of citizenship only if done with competent UK authorities. Consequently, British citizens naturalized in the US remain British citizens in the eyes of the British government even after they renounce British allegiance to the satisfaction of U.S. authorities.

The Republic of Ireland frames its citizenship laws as relating to "the island of Ireland", thereby extending them to Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Therefore, anyone born in Northern Ireland who meets the requirements for being an Irish citizen through birth on the island of Ireland (or a child born outside of Ireland but with a qualifying parent) may exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship by acting in such a way that only an Irish citizen is entitled to do (such as applying for an Irish passport). Conversely, that such a person has not acted in this way does not necessarily mean that they are not entitled to be an Irish citizen. See Irish nationality law and British nationality law. People born in Northern Ireland are British citizens on the same basis as people born elsewhere in the United Kingdom. People born in Northern Ireland may choose to hold a British passport, an Irish passport, or both.