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The Global Gender Equality Constitutional Database is a repository of gender equality related provisions in 194 constitutions from around the world. The Database was updated in partnership with the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Government of Japan. Experience its wealth and depth of information by starting your search now.
Citizenship and Nationality
- EnglishCuban citizenship is acquired through birth or through naturalization. (Art. 33)
- SpanishLa ciudadanía cubana se adquiere por nacimiento o por naturalización. (Art. 33)
Citizenship and Nationality
- English
Mexican nationality is acquired by birth or by naturalization.
A. Mexicans by birth are:
I. Those that are born in the territory of the Republic, whatever the nationality of their parents may be.
II. Those that are born abroad, children of Mexican parents, of [a] Mexican mother or of [a] Mexican father;
III. Those that born abroad, children of Mexican parents by naturalization, of [a] Mexican father by naturalization, or of [a] Mexican mother by naturalization, and
IV. Those that are born on board Mexican vessels or airplanes [aeronaves], either of war or merchant.
B. Mexicans by naturalization are:
I. The foreigners who obtain from the Secretariat of Relations the letter [carta] of naturalization.
II. A foreign woman or man who contracts matrimony with a Mexican man or woman, who holds or establishes their domicile within the national territory and fulfills the other requirements that the law specifies to this effect. (Art. 30) - Spanish
La nacionalidad mexicana se adquiere por nacimiento o por naturalización.
A) Son mexicanos por nacimiento:
I. Los que nazcan en territorio de la República, sea cual fuere la nacionalidad de sus padres.
II. Los que nazcan en el extranjero, hijos de padres mexicanos, de madre mexicana o de padre mexicano;
III. Los que nazcan en el extranjero, hijos de padres mexicanos por naturalización, de padre mexicano por naturalización, o de madre mexicana por naturalización, y
IV. Los que nazcan a bordo de embarcaciones o aeronaves mexicanas, sean de guerra o mercantes.
B) Son mexicanos por naturalización:
I. Los extranjeros que obtengan de la Secretaría de Relaciones carta de naturalización.
II. La mujer o el varón extranjeros que contraigan matrimonio con varón o con mujer mexicanos, que tengan o establezcan su domicilio dentro del territorio nacional y cumplan con los demás requisitos que al efecto señale la ley. (Art. 30)
Citizenship and Nationality
- EnglishI. Foreigners may acquire Bolivian nationality by naturalization if they are legally in the country for more than three years of uninterrupted residence under the supervision of the State, and they expressly manifest their desire to obtain Bolivian nationality and comply with the requisites established by law.
II. The time of residence shall be reduced to two years in the case of foreigners who are in one of the following situations:
1. They have a Bolivian spouse, a Bolivian child or children, or Bolivian adoptive parents. Foreign citizens who acquire citizenship by marriage with Bolivian citizens do not lose it in the case of widowhood or divorce.
… (Art. 142) - SpanishI. Podrán adquirir la nacionalidad boliviana por naturalización las extranjeras y los extranjeros en situación legal, con más de tres años de residencia ininterrumpida en el país bajo supervisión del Estado, que manifiesten expresamente su voluntad de obtener la nacionalidad boliviana y cumplan con los requisitos establecidos en la ley.
II. El tiempo de residencia se reducirá a dos años en el caso de extranjeras y extranjeros que se encuentren en una de las situaciones siguientes:
1. Que tengan cónyuge boliviana o boliviano, hijas bolivianas o hijos bolivianos o padres sustitutos bolivianos. Las ciudadanas extranjeras o los ciudadanos extranjeros que adquieran la ciudadanía por matrimonio con ciudadanas bolivianas o ciudadanos bolivianos no la perderán en caso de viudez o divorcio.
… (Art. 142)
Citizenship and Nationality
- English(1) Every person who, having been born in Saint Lucia, is immediately before the commencement of this Constitution a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall become a citizen at such commencement.
(2) Every person who, immediately before the commencement of this Constitution, is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies—
(a) having become such a citizen under the British Nationality Act 1948 of the United Kingdom by virtue of his or her having been naturalised in Saint Lucia as a British subject before that Act came into force; or
(b) having while resident in Saint Lucia become such a citizen by virtue of his or her having been naturalised or registered under the British Nationality Act 1948 of the United Kingdom,
shall become a citizen at such commencement.
(3) Every person who, having been born outside Saint Lucia, is immediately before the commencement of this Constitution a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall, if his or her father or mother becomes, or would but for his or her death or the renunciation of his or her citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies have become, a citizen by virtue of subsection (1) or (2), become a citizen at such commencement.
(4) Every woman who, having been married to a person who becomes, or but for his death or the renunciation of his citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies would have become, a citizen by virtue of subsection (1), (2) or (3), is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies immediately before the commencement of this Constitution shall become a citizen at such commencement. (Sec. 99)
Citizenship and Nationality
- English(1) Every person who, immediately before the commencement of this Constitution, is or has been married to a person -
(a) who continues to be a citizen of Guyana by virtue of the preceding article; or
(b) who, having died before the commencement of this Constitution, would, but for his or her death, have continued to be a citizen of Guyana on that date by virtue of that article,
shall, if not otherwise a citizen, be entitled, upon making application and upon taking the oath of allegiance, to be registered as a citizen of Guyana:
Provided that the right to be registered as a citizen under this paragraph shall be subject to such exceptions or qualifications as may be prescribed in the interests of national security or public policy.
… (Art. 42)
Citizenship and Nationality
- EnglishChilean nationality is lost:
1. By voluntary renouncement manifested before a competent Chilean authority. This renunciation will only produce effects if the person, previously, has been naturalized in a foreign country;
2. By supreme decree, in the case of the provision of services during a foreign war to enemies of Chile or to their allies;
3. By cancellation of naturalization papers; and
4. By [a] law which revokes the naturalization conceded by grant.
Those who have lost Chilean nationality for any of the causes established in this Article, can only be rehabilitated by law. (Art. 11) - SpanishLa nacionalidad chilena se pierde:
1º.- Por renuncia voluntaria manifestada ante autoridad chilena competente. Esta renuncia sólo producirá efectos si la persona, previamente, se ha nacionalizado en país extranjero;
2º.- Por decreto supremo, en caso de prestación de servicios durante una guerra exterior a enemigos de Chile o de sus aliados;
3º.- Por cancelación de la carta de nacionalización, y
4º.- Por ley que revoque la nacionalización concedida por gracia.
Los que hubieren perdido la nacionalidad chilena por cualquiera de las causales establecidas en este artículo, sólo podrán ser rehabilitados por ley. (Art. 11)
Citizenship and Nationality
- EnglishBrazilians are:
I. by birth:
a. those born in the Federative Republic of Brazil, even though of foreign parents, provided that they are not in the service of their country;
b. those born abroad of a Brazilian father or mother, so long as either is in the service of the Federative Republic of Brazil;
c. those born abroad of a Brazilian father or mother, so long as they are registered at a proper Brazilian governmental office, or come to reside in the Federative Republic of Brazil and opt for Brazilian nationality at any time after reaching the age of majority;
II. by naturalization:
a. those who, as set forth by law, acquire Brazilian nationality; for persons whose country of origin is Portuguese-speaking, only one uninterrupted year of residence and good moral character are required;
b. foreigners of any nationality, resident in the Federative Republic of Brazil for more than fifteen uninterrupted years and without any criminal conviction, provided they request Brazilian nationality.
…
§4°. Loss of nationality shall be declared for a Brazilian:
I. whose naturalization has been cancelled by judicial decision because of activity harmful to the national interest;
II. acquires another nationality, except in the cases:
a. of recognition of original nationality by foreign law;
b. of a foreign law imposing naturalization upon a Brazilian residing in a foreign country as a condition for remaining in its territory or for exercise of civil rights. (Art. 12) - PortugueseSão brasileiros:
I - natos:
a) os nascidos na República Federativa do Brasil, ainda que de pais estrangeiros, desde que estes não estejam a serviço de seu país;
b) os nascidos no estrangeiro, de pai brasileiro ou de mãe brasileira, desde que qualquer deles esteja a serviço da República Federativa do Brasil;
c) os nascidos no estrangeiro de pai brasileiro ou de mãe brasileira, desde que sejam registrados em repartição brasileira competente ou venham a residir na República Federativa do Brasil e optem, em qualquer tempo, depois de atingida a maioridade, pela nacionalidade brasileira;
II - naturalizados:
a) os que, na forma da lei, adquiram a nacionalidade brasileira, exigidas aos originários de países de língua portuguesa apenas residência por um ano ininterrupto e idoneidade moral;
b) os estrangeiros de qualquer nacionalidade, residentes na República Federativa do Brasil há mais de quinze anos ininterruptos e sem condenação penal, desde que requeiram a nacionalidade brasileira.
…
§ 4º - Será declarada a perda da nacionalidade do brasileiro que:
I - tiver cancelada sua naturalização, por sentença judicial, em virtude de atividade nociva ao interesse nacional;
II - adquirir outra nacionalidade, salvo nos casos:
a) de reconhecimento de nacionalidade originária pela lei estrangeira;
b) de imposição de naturalização, pela norma estrangeira, ao brasileiro residente em estado estrangeiro, como condição para permanência em seu território ou para o exercício de direitos civis; (Art. 12)
Citizenship and Nationality
- EnglishEvery person born in Belize on or after Independence Day shall become a citizen of Belize at the date of his birth:
Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Belize by virtue of this section if at the time of his birth-
(a) neither of his parents is a citizen of Belize and his father or mother possesses such immunity from suit and legal process as is accorded to the envoy of a foreign sovereign power accredited to Belize; or
(b) his father or mother is a citizen of a country with which Belize is at war and the birth occurs in a place then under occupation by that country. (Sec. 24)
Citizenship and Nationality
- English[The following] are Costa Ricans by birth:
1. The child of [a] Costa Rican father or mother born in the territory of the Republic;
2. The child of [a] father or mother Costa Rican by birth, who are born abroad, and who are inscribed as such in the Civil Registry, by the will of the Costa Rican progenitor, while they are minors, or on their own until they turn twenty-five years old;
3. The child of foreign parents born in Costa Rica who are inscribed as Costa Ricans, by the will of either of their progenitors while they are minors, or on their own until they turn twenty-five years old;
4. The infant, of unknown [ignorados] parents, found in Costa Rica. (Art. 13) - SpanishSon costarricenses por nacimiento:
1) El hijo de padre o madre costarricense nacido en el territorio de la República;
2) El hijo de padre o madre costarricense por nacimiento, que nazca en el extranjero, y se inscriba como tal en el Registro Civil, por la voluntad del progenitor costarricense, mientras sea menor de edad, o por la propia hasta cumplir veinticinco años;
3) El hijo de padres extranjeros nacido en Costa Rica que se inscriba como costarricense, por voluntad de cualquiera de sus progenitores mientras sea menor de edad, o por la propia hasta cumplir veinticinco años;
4) El infante, de padres ignorados, encontrado en Costa Rica. (Art. 13)
Citizenship and Nationality
- EnglishThe following may request Panamanian citizenship by naturalization:
1. Aliens with five years of continuous residence within the territory of the Republic, if, after having reached legal age, they declare their intention to become naturalized, expressly renounce their citizenship of origin or any other citizenship, and establish that they have a command of the Spanish language and an elementary knowledge of Panamanian geography, history and political organization;
2. Aliens with three years of continuous residence within the territory of the Republic, who have children born on the national territory of Panamanian father or mother, or who have a spouse of Panamanian citizenship, provided they make the statement and submit the evidence to which the preceding section refers;
3. Those nationals by birth, of Spain or any Latin American nation provided they fulfill the same requirements necessary in their country of origin for the naturalization of Panamanians. (Art. 10) - SpanishPueden solicitar la nacionalidad panameña por naturalización:
1. Los extranjeros con cinco años consecutivos de residencia en el territorio de la República si, después de haber alcanzado su mayoría de edad, declaran su voluntad de naturalizarse, renuncian expresamente a su nacionalidad de origen o a la que tengan y comprueban que poseen el idioma español y conocimientos básicos de geografía, historia y organización política panameñas.
2. Los extranjeros con tres años consecutivos de residencia en el territorio de la República que tengan hijos nacidos en ésta, de padre o madre panameños o cónyuge de nacionalidad panameña, si hacen la declaración y presentan la comprobación de que trata el aparte anterior.
3. Los nacionales por nacimiento, de España o de un Estado latinoamericano, si llenan los mismos requisitos que en su país de origen se exigen a los panameños para naturalizarse. (Art. 10)