Kachi Ogbonna

Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

Naturalization is the process by which an individual voluntarily decides to take up the citizenship of another country other their country of birth. Before one can gain citizenship by naturalization it takes process and time. And each country have their specific demands or requirements for naturalization. However, we also have situations where some people choose to give up their citizenship of a particular country. There are many reasons an individual may choose to renounce their citizenship. Unfortunately, it is not all the countries that allow people to renounce their citizenship.

So today we shall take a look at some of the countries where one cannot renounce their citizenship. But first, lets answer the key question, what does it mean to renounce one’s citizenship?

What is Citizenship Renunciation?

Citizenship renunciation is the voluntary act of giving up one’s citizenship or nationality in a given country. Like we alluded to earlier, it is the opposite of naturalization–whereby an individual voluntarily acquires a citizenship of a country. It is however, different from from denaturalization – where the loss of citizenship is forced by a state or country on an individual.So the keyword when it comes to renunciation is the word ‘voluntary‘. This means it is an individual’s choice to say ‘I no longer want to be a citizen of this particular country.

Renunciation of citizenship is particularly relevant in cases of dual or multiple citizenship, depending on the the country laws on citizenship. In fact, in most countries one of the basic requirements before one’s renunciation can be accepted is that such a person must provide evidence of citizenship of another country.

List of Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

It is a common knowledge that it is practically impossible to renounce your citizenship of Argentina. But it is not just Argentina where you are not permitted to renounce your citizenship. There are other countries of the world where you cannot renounce your citizenship and here are they:

• Argentina 
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Panama
• Qatar
• Tonga
• Uruguay
• Vatican
• Yemen

Also Read:

Countries that Allow Dual Citizenship Around the World

Countries that Don’t Allow Dual Citizenship

How to Renounce Nigerian Citizenship

African Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

Nigerian law allows anyone adult with a just reason for renunciation to renounce their Nigerian citizenship. South Africa also allows that. In fact many African countries do. But there are only two countries in Africa where it is impossible to renounce your citizenship. The countries are:

1. Morocco
2. Niger Republic

Asian Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

You recall that most Asian countries are very reluctant to grant dual citizenship to anyone. So for most of them it is either you are here or there. Because of that reason renouncing your citizenship is open in most countries. As a matter of fact, Qatar and Yemen are the only country in Asia where one cannot renounce their citizenship.

European Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

There is only one country where you cannot renounce your citizenship in Europe  – Vatican.

North American Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

1. Costa Rica
2. Honduras
3. Nicaragua
4. Mexico
5. Guatemala
6. Haiti
7. Dominican Republic
8. Panama

South American Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay,

Oceania Countries Where You Cannot Renounce Your Citizenship

Tonga is the only country in Oceania where renouncing of one’s citizenship is not allowed.

Each Country Sets it Own Policies on Renunciation

A person having a dual nationality does not lose his Moroccan nationality according to citizenship laws in Morocco. So renunciation is never an option in Morocco.

Dual nationals are recognized only as Argentine citizens within Argentine territory. Argentine citizenship cannot be renounced.

United States law requires that an individual appear in person before a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the United States and sign an oath or affirmation that the individual intends to renounce U.S. citizenship.  People renouncing U.S. citizenship may be subject to an expatriation tax. Originally, under the Foreign Investors Tax Act of 1966, people determined to be giving up citizenship for the purpose of avoiding U.S. taxation were subject to 10 years of continued taxation on their U.S.-source income, to prevent ex-citizens from taking advantage of special tax incentives offered to foreigners investing in the United States. Formal confirmation of the loss of U.S. citizenship is provided by the Certificate of Loss of Nationality (CLN) issued after number of months later.

Children’s Policies on Renunciation of Citizenship

In Europe, eleven Member States establish a minimum age after which children must give their consent before their citizenship can be renounced pursuant to a parental request.

One of those states is the Netherlands. Netherlands laws says that a child’s nationality can only be renounced pursuant to a parental request with the child’s consent from the age of 12 onwards. In six Member States (Austria, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia), the age for consent is set at 14 years. Also the Czech Republic and Finland, the age is 15 years; in France and Poland, the age is 16 years.

And in 15 Member States (Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom), the child’s consent is not required for renunciation of citizenship. However, in some Member States, the child is heard by the court on the issue from a certain age onwards – for example, in Germany and Hungary, from the age of 14 years.