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:: Dual Citizenship: the status of an individual who is a citizen of two or more nations

The concept of dual citizenship recognizes that a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both. The mere fact that he/she searched the right of one citizenship does not mean that he/she renounces the other.

Nonetheless, official U.S. policy has been to discourage the incidence of dual nationality. The Government accepts but does not recognize or approve of dual nationality. The Government accepts it: "only as the result of separate conflicting laws of other countries."

The only restrictions on dual nationals who are U.S. citizens are that nonimmigrant visas cannot be issued to U.S. citizens and they must enter the U.S. with a U.S. passport.

The following is a partial list indicating which countries recognize dual citizenship. The list is based primarily on a survey of every country in the world. The question presented was "If a citizen of (the country in question) acquires U.S. citizenship, does he or she retain or lose (the country in question's) citizenship? In the list below, "Retain" means that the individual DOES NOT lose his or her prior citizenship upon naturalizing in the U.S. "Lose" means that the individual DOES lose his or her prior citizenship. Where possible, the list in annotated to provide additional relevant information.

If a country is not listed, it either did not respond to the survey or there was no information otherwise available. We don't guarantee accuracy of information contained in this page. You are encouraged to confirm with the respective Embassy.

:: List of Countries

> ALBANIA (Retain)
> ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA (Retain)
> ARGENTINA (Retain)
> AUSTRALIA (Retain) As of April 2002
> AUSTRIA (Lose) retaining is possible with permission.
> AZERBAIJAN (Lose)

> BAHRAIN (Lose)
> BARBADOS (Retain)
> BELGIUM (Lose)
> BELIZE (Retain)
> BENIN (Retain)
> BOLIVIA (Lose)
> BRAZIL (Retain) the individual should declare acquisition of U.S. Citizenship at a Brazilian mission or consulate.
> BRUNEI (Lose)
> BURKINA FASO (Retain)

> CAMBODIA (Retain)
> CANADA (Retain)
> CHILE (Retain)
> CHINA PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC (Lose)
> COLOMBIA (Retain)
> COSTA RICA (Retain) effective June 27, 1995
> CROATIA (Retain) the individual must follow specific procedures to renounce
> CZECH REPUBLIC (Retain) As per new law signed by President Havel in 1999

> DEMARK (Lose)
> DOMINICA (Retain)
> DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Retain)
> ECUADOR (Retain)

> EL SALVADOR (Retain)
> ESTONIA (Retain) 1940 to 1992, as formal release was required (Lose) 1992 to present

> FINLAND (Retain)

> FRANCE (Retain)

> GERMANY (Lose)
> GHANA (Retain)
> GREECE (Retain)
> GRENADA (Retain)
> GUATEMALA (Retain)

> HONDURAS (Lose)
> HUNGARY (Retain) unless it is renounced by a declaration not given in criminal proceedings, and no tax issues apply.

> ICELAND (Retain)
> INDIA (Lose)
> IRAN (Retain)
> IRELAND (Retain)
> ISRAEL (Retain)
> ITALY (Retain) for Italian citizens who acquired or reacquired another citizenship after August 15, 1992. However, due notification of any (re) acquisition must be given to local Italian civil records office (or Embassy) no later than three months after its occurrence.

> JAPAN (Lose)

> KOREA (Lose)
> KUWAIT (Lose)
> KYRGYZ REPUBLIC (Lose)

> LATVIA (Retain)

> LEBANON (Retain)
> LESOTHO (Retain)
> LIECHTENSTEIN (Retain) with diminished rights and protections.
> LUXEMBOURG (Lose)

> MALAWI (Lose)
> MALAYSIA (Lose)
> MALTA (Retain)
> MEXICO (Lose)
> MONACO (Lose)
> MOROCCO (Retain)

> NAMIBIA (Retain)
> NEPAL (Lose)
> NETHERLANDS (Retain under conditions)
> NEW ZEALAND (Retain)
> NICARAGUA (Lose)
> NIGERIA (Retain)
> NORWAY (Lose)

> PAKISTAN (Retain) as of December 2002.
> PANAMA (Retain)
> PAPUA NEW GUINEA (Lose)
> PERU (Retain)
> PHILIPPINES (Retain) RA 9225, which took effect on 17 September 2003, declares that former natural-born Filipino citizens who acquired foreign citizenship through naturalization are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under conditions provided in the Act

> POLAND (Retain)
> PORTUGAL (Retain)

> RUSSIA (Retain) the individual's acquisition of another citizenship will usually not be acknowledged).
> RWANDA (Lose)

> ST. CHRISTOPHER AND NEVIS (Retain).
> ST. LUCIA (Retain)
> SAUDI ARABIA (Lose)
> SINGAPORE (Lose)
> SLOVAK REPUBLIC (Retain) Dual US and Slovak citizenship as from 1997.

> SLOVENIA (Retain)
> SOUTH AFRICA (Lose) an individual loses citizenship upon becoming a US Citizen; however, citizenship may be retained upon request prior to becoming a US Citizen, or by subsequent application.
> SPAIN (Lose)
> SRI LANKA (Retain)
> SWAZILAND (Lose)
> SWEDEN (Retain)
> SWITZERLAND (Retain)

> TONGA (Lose)
> TURKEY (Retain)

> UGANDA (Retain)
> UNITED KINGDOM (Retain)
> URUGUAY (Retain)

> VENEZUELA (Lose)

> ZIMBABWE (Lose)