Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea 1975, as amended to 2016
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) Except as provided by this section, no person who has a real foreign citizenship shall be or become a citizen.
    (2) A citizen may apply to the Minister responsible for citizenship matters to hold citizenship of a prescribed country whilst holding Papua New Guinean citizenship, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters referred to in Subsection (4), in his deliberative judgment (but subject to Division 4 (Citizenship Advisory Committee)), grant or refuse the application.
    (3) A citizen of a prescribed country who would otherwise be qualified to be a citizen under Sections 65, 66 or 67,2 of the Constitution may apply to the Minister responsible for citizenship matters to be a citizen, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters referred to in Subsection (6), in his deliberate judgment (but subject to Division 4 (Citizenship Advisory Committee)), grant or refuse the application.
    … (Sec. 64)
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) A person born in the country before Independence Day who has two grand-parents who were born in the country or an adjacent area is a citizen.
    (2) A person born outside the country before Independence Day who has two grand-parents born in the country is a citizen as from Independence Day if-
    (a) within one year after Independence Day or such longer period as the Minister responsible for citizenship matters allows in a particular case, application is made by him or on his behalf for registration as a citizen; and
    (b) he renounces any other citizenship and makes the Declaration of Loyalty-
    i. if he has not reached the age of 19 years - in accordance with Section 64(2) (dual citizenship); or
    ii. if he has reached the age of 19 years - at or before the time when the application is made.
    (3) In Subsection (1), "adjacent area" means an area that immediately before Independence Day constituted-
    (a) the Solomon Islands; or
    (b) the Province of the Republic of Indonesia known as Irian Jaya; or
    (c) the islands in Torres Straits annexed to the then Colony of Queensland under Letters Patent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland bearing date the 10th day of October in the forty-second year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria (that is, 1878), not forming on Independence Day part of the area of Papua New Guinea.
    … (Sec. 65)
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English

    (1) A person who-
    (a) is born in the country on or after Independence Day; and
    (b) had one parent who was a citizen or who, if he had survived on Independence Day, would have been or would have been entitled to become, such a citizen, is a citizen.
    (2) A person-
    (a) who is born outside the country on or after Independence Day; and
    (b) who had one parent who was a citizen or who, if he had survived to Independence Day, would have been, or would have been entitled to become, such a citizen; and
    (c) whose birth is registered as prescribed by or under an Act of the Parliament made for the purposes of this subsection, is a citizen.
    (3) A person who has or had one parent or grandparent who, under Subsection (1)-
    (a) is or was a citizen; or
    (b) is or was qualified to be a citizen, and, who does not fall under Subsection (2), may apply to the Minister responsible for citizenship matters to be a citizen by descent, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters referred to in Subsection (5), in his deliberate judgement (but subject to Division 4 (citizenship advisory committee)) grant or refuse the application.
    (4) A person who is the spouse of a citizen may apply to the Minister responsible for citizenship matters to be a citizen by marriage, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters referred to in Subsection (6), in his deliberate judgement (but subject to Division 4 (citizenship advisory committee)) grant or refuse the application.
    (5) To be eligible for citizenship by descent under Subsection (3), a person must-
    (a) prior to the application being made in the thlee years preceding it, been resident in the country for a total of 12 months; and
    (b) be of good character; and
    (c) subject to Section 64,3 renounce, in such a manner as is prescribed by or under an Act of the Parliament, any other citizenship and make the Declaration of Loyalty.
    (6) To be eligible for citizenship by marriage under Subsection (4), a person must-
    (a) prior to the application being made in the three years preceding it, been resident in the country for a total of 12 months; and
    (b) be of good character;
    (c) be in a marriage that is not a marriage under Papua New Guinean custom but is otherwise genuine and valid under Papua New Guinea laws; and
    (d) subject to Section 64, renounce, in such a manner as is prescribed by or under all Act of the Parliament, any other citizenship and make the Declaration of Loyalty. (Sec. 66)

Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) Except as provided in Subsection (4), a person who has resided continuously in the country for at least eight years may apply to the Minister responsible for citizenship matters to be naturalized as a citizen, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters referred to in Subsection (2), in his deliberate judgement (but subject to Division 4 (Citizenship Advisory Committee)), grant or refuse the application.
    (2) To be eligible for naturalization, a person must-
    (a) be of good character; and
    (b) intend to reside permanently in the country; and
    (c) unless prevented by physical or mental disability, speak and understand Pisin or Hiri Motu, or a vernacular of the country, sufficiently for normal conversational purposes; and
    (d) have a respect for the customs and cultures of the country; and
    (e) be unlikely to be or become a charge on public funds; and
    (f) have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of the rights, privileges, responsibilities and duties of citizenship; and
    (g) subject to Section 64, renounce, in such manner as is prescribed by or under an Act of the Parliament, any other citizenship and make the Declaration of Loyalty.
    (3) If an applicant for naturalization so requests, any child of the applicant who is under voting age at the time when the applicant is naturalized becomes a citizen by naturalization on the naturalization of the applicant.
    … (Sec. 67)
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) Subject to Section 64, a citizen who has reached voting age and is of full capacity who-
    (a) obtains the nationality or citizenship of another country by a voluntary act (other than marriage);

    loses his citizenship.
    … (Sec. 70)
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) Subject to Subsection (2), citizenship once lost can be regained-
    (a) in the case of citizenship by virtue of Section 65 (automatic citizenship on Independence Day) or 66 (citizenship by decent) only after five years continuous residence in the country after the loss of citizenship, and in the deliberate judgement (but subject to Division 4 (Citizenship Advisory Committee)) of the Minister responsible for citizenship matters; and
    (b) in the case of citizenship by naturalization only in accordance with the law relating to naturalization, for which purpose any period of residence in the country before the loss of citizenship shall be disregarded.
    (2) Where a person-
    (a) was a citizen by virtue of Section 65 (automatic citizenship on Independence Day) or 66 (citizenship by descent); and
    (b) married, before, on or after Independence Day, a person who was a national or citizen of another country; and
    (c) became, on or during the marriage, a national or citizen of the country of which his spouse was at that time a national or citizen, and the marriage has permanently broken up, the reference in Subsection (1)(a) to a period of five years shall be read as a reference to a period of three years commencing-
    (d) if the person was, at the time when the marriage broke up, resident in the country on the date on which it broke up; or
    (e) if the person was at that time resident outside the country on his return to reside in the country. (Sec. 73)
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) Where-
    (a) a parent of a child loses his citizenship; and
    (b) the Minister is satisfied on application on behalf of the child that it is for the welfare of the child to do so,
    the Minister responsible for citizenship matters may, by order, deprive the child of his citizenship.
    (2) A person aggrieved by an order under Subsection (1) may appeal to the National Court.
    (3) An Act of the Parliament may make special provision to facilitate the regaining of citizenship by persons who lose their citizenship by reason of the loss of citizenship by a parent. (Sec. 74)
Links to all sites last visited 1 March 2024
2
Section 65 on Automatic Citizenship on Independence Day, Section 66 on Citizenship by Descent and Marriage, Section 67 on Citizenship by Naturalization.
3

Section 64 on Dual Citizenship.

4
Division 3 on Basic Rights.
5

Division 3 on Basic Rights.

6

Division 3 on Basic Rights.

7

Division 3 on Basic Rights.

8
Subdivision C on Qualified Rights.