I said “something else” because I don’t care. I mean, of all the things to worry about in the world, this just hasn’t been on my top ten thousand list.
I have both Irish and British citizenship, but its ok, I dont think those countries will ever fall out over anything.
Some countries do care. When I was a young Moon I had a friend who was born in Japan as her parents were working there but was also a Canadian. Apparently when she turned 21 she was going to have to make a choice as Japan doesn’t support dual citizenship for adults.
In recognition of how common dual citizenship is here, the European Union has specific rules about military service, which basically make sure that nobody can be required to serve it in more than one country (not that it still exists in all that many).
Interestingly, renouncing British citizenship is a simple matter of downloading and filling out a form: Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality: Overview - GOV.UK The requirements do include proof that you have or will obtain other citizenship, i.e. that you’re not making yourself stateless.
Depending on what country you’re from, this can be very easy or very, very difficult.
I have no problem with dual citizenship. What if your parents are citizens of different countries? Should you not have citizenship in each? This is the case with my son, and he will be able to freely travel or work throughout the EU while also being a citizen of the US. I think it’s awesome.
I admit it bothers me a little, but it’s purely on a personal sense - I had to give up my old citizenship when I got here, and I don’t see why anyone else is allowed to keep theirs! But honestly it’s not as though I am all up in arms about it. I hardly think about it and it’s not anywhere near the top of my list on worries.
I was born in the UK to American citizens. From birth I’ve been a citizen of both countries. I’ve never had to apply or fill out any special forms to be a citizen of both countries.
I wouldn’t even know how to stop being a UK citizen if I wanted to.
I checked ‘something else’ because while I don’t know if it’s a good idea or a bad idea, it’s probably pretty trivially so, either way.
Incidentally, my son has dual Russian and American citizenship. Russian, because he was born in Russia to Russian parents, and American, because my wife and I adopted him and brought him to America; under the law, he became a citizen when the wheels of the plane hit the runway at JFK.
Since he’s only three years old, he’s not the least bit concerned with the implications of dual citizenship because he has no idea of what ‘citizenship’ is.
Well, if the US & Australia go to war–against each other, not as allies–you’ll have to make a decision.
Until then, I’m not bothered.
South Africa will let you keep your South African citizenship if you fill out a form letting them know you’re going to get another citizenship. Otherwise there isn’t a requirement to do something to renounce, but rather you simply lose your citizenship upon gaining the other. Of course, they really wouldn’t know so I’m not sure how enforcement of that works.
I have both Irish and British citizenship.
It’s useful, and I don’t particularly want to choose one or the other. It certainly comes in useful if you can’t find one of your passports the morning you’re due to go on holiday!
Ireland, being a neutral country, is quite a good passport to travel under if you’re going to an volatile area, while Britain has a much greater consular presence should you require that assistance.*
My mother and grandmother are naturalised British citizens. My grandmother was born in South Africa in 1915, my mother, born in 1950 in Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) had German citizenship from her father (who left Germany in the 1930s). My aunt left Zimbabwe for Australia and is in the process of becoming naturalised.
Where you live, where you’re from, where you pay taxes and where your allegiance lie can all be different places- I’m cool with that.
- this, however did not work out well for Brian Keenan- he was trying to convince Islamic Jihad he was an Irish citizen, and of no value as a hostage, meanwhile Margaret Thatcher had publicly claimed him as British. Which meant that the hostage takers thought he was a spy. Nice one Maggie.
I have both UK (through birthplace) and NZ citizenship (from my pops)
I keep both passports valid and don’t see any clash of allegiance unless its in sport ( England in soccer and NZ in Rugby)
As for the last ten years, I have lived in neither country and am out of touch with both countries’ national issues. I have lived in both countries but If I had to give up citizenship of one of them then I do know which I would choose. But by and large I don’t ever see it being an issue. I always travel on my kiwi passport.
( kiwis can get a free visa on arrival to Turkey!!)
I tend to find myself a foreigner in most places that I work or stay. I try to blend in 
I wonder now why I had to give up Indian citizenship. Not that I care that much, but it seems to me I should have been able to keep it; I was born there, and spent four years there before I emigrated.
Ah, I found a great website on it. India does not allow dual citizenship, but they allow “overseas citizenship of India” which is a sort of lesser form of such.
:wanders off to see if she can apply for it:
My wife was born in Canada to an American father and Canadian mother, which as far as I know gives her dual citizenship. I don’t think the U.S. officially recognizes or cares that she is also a citizen of Canada, though. I fail to see the problem.
On the matter of dual citizenship, and Obama, many people have been arguing that if he was granted Indonesian citizenship, then he lost his American citizenship. Ignoring the fact that he wasn’t granted said citizenship, I have been greatly amused by this concept.
Picture it. America, 1980. The USSR grants Ronald Reagan citizenship against his will.
If a hostile country gave an Australian member of parliament citizenship against his or her will, then I suspect that the High Court of Australia would have no problem in saying that the MP was not, under Subsection 44(i) of the Constitution, really “under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power,” since the MP did not acquire it by birth or by a voluntary act.
I’ve got triple citizenship and not needing a visa to most places is a good thing although I only use one passport.
Hmmm. It does sort of bother me, though not enough to do anything about it. I think my problem probably stems from knowing too many people who are gaming immigration systems via fake marriages, etc. Makes me want to tell them to get offa my lawn. Or, as my dad used to say, “decide if you want to be in or out, and stay there.”
But… I think countries like India, Japan and previously Australia that “don’t allow dual citizenship” only apply it to “outgoing citizens”. That is, if one of their citizens become a citizen of another country then the first country effectively disowns them and they are no longer a citizen.
I’m unsure if any country truly disallows dual citizenship for “incoming” citizens. If they do then how do they handle it? I’m sure you’re not expected to renounce your citizenship of the old country before being sworn in to the new. That would make you stateless for a while. So… do they give you “provisional citizenship” provided that you return within a set time with proof that you’ve renounced the old or what?"
My guess is that the “you must give up your old citizenship” just doesn’t happen but I’ve heard somewhat vague stories along the lines of “my grandfather had give up ABC to become XYZ” but nobody seems to know how it was handled.
Regarding Australia, I remember people saying if you want to become Australian, make sure it’s the last citizenship you take because you would lose it if you got another after that. I guess it was a bit strange in some ways. The only Australians with a right to be dual citizens would have been new arrivals. A fair dinkum natural born Australian wouldn’t have had that right. None of it applies now because Australia has changed its law.