# How do you become a dual citizen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 2, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288 "2008-12-02T02:58:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/1 "2008-12-02T02:58:05Z")
Regarding [“How do you become a dual citizen?”](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2281/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen) : Is it possible for a person born in the United States to hold dual citizenship from birth? That is, by sole virtue of one or both parents, to hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and in the birth country of one foreign-born parent? Is there case law on this? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/2 "2008-12-02T05:08:02Z")
Sure, my nieces are dual citizens from birth (US and Australian) if I understand the process correctly. They had to apply to the Australian embassy for their passports, but didn’t need to go through any naturalization process. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/3 "2008-12-02T06:25:31Z")
Nicole Kidman is born of Australian parents in a Honolulu hospital. ---
**Author:** ![shohisbubbleking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@shohisbubbleking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shohisbubbleking)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/4 "2008-12-02T06:51:42Z")
I am a citizen of both the United States and Japan. I have the right to carry passports from both countries. Japanese citizenship is hereditary - you don’t have to be born within the country, as long as your parents are Japanese. I was born in California, so American citizenship is also my birthright. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/5 "2008-12-02T07:17:39Z")
Under Irish law, a person born anywhere in the world with at least one Irish citizen parent is themselves an Irish citizen. So someone born in the US with an Irish citizen parent would have Irish and US citizenship from birth. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/6 "2008-12-02T12:17:18Z")
The spouse and I are US citizens in the process of applying for UK citizenship (having already gained permanent resident status), and the US Embassy people are (_de facto_) remarkably relaxed about dual citizenship these days as long as you don’t join the foreign army or run for Prime Minister or any other activity which could potentially put you in a position to act against the interests of the United States. However, as noted the US could at any point legally challenge your right to hold dual citizenship should they get snarky, so best to keep your nose clean. My (brand new) daughter had automatic dual citizenship from birth (although a huge amount of paperwork was involved) and holds two passports, despite the fact that her parents still only hold single citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/7 "2008-12-02T12:27:30Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > Under Irish law, a person born anywhere in the world with at least one Irish citizen parent is themselves an Irish citizen. So someone born in the US with an Irish citizen parent would have Irish and US citizenship from birth. It doesn’t take much more to get triple citizenship at birth. If I’d been born in the US to my actual parents, this would be the case, with Irish citizenship from my mother, and British citizenship to my British-born British father. (The British-born bit is a requisite, as citizenship by descent does not automatically transfer to a child.) ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/8 "2008-12-02T15:02:22Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > Under Irish law, a person born anywhere in the world with at least one Irish citizen parent is themselves an Irish citizen. So someone born in the US with an Irish citizen parent would have Irish and US citizenship from birth. Tony Cascarino describes in his book _Full Time_ how he played for Ireland under false pretences, not being Irish for example. He does say, though, that if his grandfather had been Irish that would have qualified him for Irish citizenship. Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/9 "2008-12-02T15:20:29Z")
^ In his case it was since his mother was adopted, however adoption also counts. His grandfather was Irish. As for the Irish football team, well at the time a Sri Lankan born in Bolivia raised by Turkish adoptive parents in Japan, who once had pint of Guiness in a pub would have probably been accepted by the IFA to play for the Republic, they had a very loose defination of “Irishness”. In many cases dual nationality is for practical reasons as well, travelling is so much easier on some passports than others. An Indian in London may perfer a UK passport since than means visa free tavel through most of Europe, but an Indian passport may be retained for going home. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/10 "2008-12-02T15:24:06Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > Tony Cascarino describes in his book _Full Time_ how he played for Ireland under false pretences, not being Irish for example. > > He does say, though, that if his grandfather had been Irish that would have qualified him for Irish citizenship. Is that correct? Yes, having a grandparent born in Ireland makes you eligible for Irish citizenship, but you have to apply. My wife’s father was born in Ireland, but was never registered as a citizen there. We did look into what would be involved in getting her registered, but never followed up on it. [This site](http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/irishcitizenship.htm) gives information on the documentation needed; since she didn’t know exactly where he was born we would have had to have someone search for a copy of his birth certificate, and the fees involved got to be more than we wanted to spend. Had we gotten her registered, then I could have applied for Irish citizenship as her spouse, too. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/11 "2008-12-02T16:46:07Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > In his case it was since his mother was adopted, however adoption also counts. His grandfather was Irish. As for the Irish football team, well at the time a Sri Lankan born in Bolivia raised by Turkish adoptive parents in Japan, who once had pint of Guiness in a pub would have probably been accepted by the IFA to play for the Republic, they had a very loose defination of “Irishness”. Really, the variety of people eligible under Fifa’s rules (not the IFA’s) is just a result of Ireland having been the source of so many emigrees. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/12 "2008-12-03T03:26:25Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > Under Irish law, a person born anywhere in the world with at least one Irish citizen parent is themselves an Irish citizen. So someone born in the US with an Irish citizen parent would have Irish and US citizenship from birth. Israel has a similar rule, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/13 "2008-12-03T04:11:22Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Israel has a similar rule, IIRC. The [Law of Return](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Return) is a bit more liberal then that. Basically, any Jew can get Israeli citizenship essentially for asking; but I don’t know if that would be considered citizenship at birth. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/14 "2008-12-03T06:36:35Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > Had we gotten her registered, then I could have applied for Irish citizenship as her spouse, too. FWIW, that provision was abolished a few years ago. Now you’d have to actually live in Ireland a few years before you can apply for citizenship on the basis of marriage to an Irish citizen. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/15 "2008-12-04T13:37:58Z")
What’s US law on dual citizenship? For example if I marry my girlfriend, she lives here for a few years does she have to revoke her American citizenship in order to become an Irish citizen? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/16 "2008-12-04T16:16:14Z")
In general, the US doesn’t care if you become a citizen of another country. To the US, you will still be a US citizen and be treated as such. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/17 "2008-12-04T18:45:47Z")
Officially, the US claims to not recognize dual citizenship. That’s why they make you denounce your citizenship in that oath. So, they can’t punish you for it, because, although you have citizenship in another country, in the US you are only a US citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/18 "2008-12-04T22:03:41Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > What’s US law on dual citizenship? For example if I marry my girlfriend, she lives here for a few years does she have to revoke her American citizenship in order to become an Irish citizen? [From the horse’s mouth.](http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html) The case law can be quite fuzzy at times, however. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/19 "2008-12-05T06:37:36Z")
[Dual citizenship FAQ](http://www.richw.org/dualcit/). The short answer **An Gadaí** is that no, she does not have to revoke her US citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288/20 "2008-12-12T16:00:05Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Really, the variety of people eligible under Fifa’s rules (not the IFA’s) is just a result of Ireland having been the source of so many emigrees. Yes, Ireland is keen to get new citizens so its laws are relaxed. My mother applied for and gained Irish citizenship without ever visiting the country, though she has been there since. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-dual-citizen/475288.md?page=2)