# Dual citizenship - has anyone here relinquished your US citizenship?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship-has-anyone-here-relinquished-your-us-citizenship/965254>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 28, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship-has-anyone-here-relinquished-your-us-citizenship/965254 "2022-05-28T15:19:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship-has-anyone-here-relinquished-your-us-citizenship/965254/121 "2022-06-13T15:21:24Z")

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Are they really young kids? What happens if you just leave it up to them to apply for US citizenship later, if they want it (i.e., in case they want to live and work in the US).

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship-has-anyone-here-relinquished-your-us-citizenship/965254/122 "2022-06-13T15:24:28Z")

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They were US citizens the moment they were out of the womb. The consular birth record is an optional document to make things easier later; it doesn’t create citizenship any more than a passport does.

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**Author:** ![wombattver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@wombattver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wombattver)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship-has-anyone-here-relinquished-your-us-citizenship/965254/123 "2022-06-13T18:53:31Z")

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Another reason why it might be beneficial to renounce US citizenship long before my daughter would be buying property.

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**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship-has-anyone-here-relinquished-your-us-citizenship/965254/124 "2022-06-13T18:55:04Z")

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> [@Orville\_mogul](#):
>
> so in my case (for both kids) I had to fill out form DS-2029 application for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (the one with the detailed residence dates) AND provide proof for five years of residence. That part wasn’t hard because I had my college and grad school transcripts, but the DS-2029 was quite a nuisance. Fortunately it was easier for the second kid.

I simply don’t remember the details, but I must have filled in that form, if that was what they were using 13 and 11 years ago.

I just read the instructions [for the form](https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds2029.PDF):

> [@](#):
>
> Time spent in the United States: List all dates you have been present in the United States. (Month and Year [or MM-YY format] is acceptable if exact dates are unknown. You may be asked to provide exact dates if necessary, to determine statutory requirements  
> have been met.

That was closer to what I vaguely remember. The purpose of the form isn’t to demand “every single day of my life” as you put it, and the instructions clearly shows both the intent of the form and also that a day-to-day accounting isn’t being asked.

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