Maldivian Citizenship Act | |
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People's Majlis | |
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Enacted by | Government of Maldives |
Status: Current legislation |
Maldivian nationality law is contained in the provisions of the Maldivian Citizenship Act and in the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Maldives. A person may be a citizen of the Republic of the Maldives through birth, descent, marriage to a Maldivian citizen or through naturalisation.
Birth in the Republic of the Maldives does not automatically confer to citizenship unless
A person is a Maldivian citizen by descent if, at the time of his or her birth, at least one of his or her parents was a Maldivian citizen. The place of that person's birth is not a deciding factor. [1]
All adoptions performed or recognised under Maldivian law confer Maldivian citizenship on the adopted child (if not already a Maldivian citizen) if at least one of the adopters was a Maldivian citizen at the time of the adoption.
Foreign spouses of Maldivian citizens are not automatically granted citizenship, and are not required to obtain Maldivian citizenship.
Any person, who wishes to become a citizen of Maldives, shall submit a written application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided they fulfill the following conditions; [2]
The president of the Maldives may, at his discretion, grant the citizenship to any person, who makes or has made an application for registration as a Maldives, subject to his qualification of the provisions of this Act.
Voluntary renunciation of Maldivian citizenship is permitted by law. Final permission must be granted by the President of the Maldives.
There are no provisions for the involuntary loss of Maldivian citizenship. Persons who acquire a new citizenship should not assume that they have lost their Maldivian citizenship by default. [1]
Dual citizenship is recognised in the Maldives and any Maldivian citizen acquiring citizenship will not lose their original citizenship in the Maldives. Maldivian citizens are not required to register or justify their dual citizenship status.
Maldivians are also Commonwealth citizens.
Naturalization is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the United Nations excludes citizenship that is automatically acquired or is acquired by declaration. Naturalization usually involves an application or a motion and approval by legal authorities. The rules of naturalization vary from country to country but typically include a promise to obey and uphold that country's laws and taking and subscribing to an oath of allegiance, and may specify other requirements such as a minimum legal residency and adequate knowledge of the national dominant language or culture. To counter multiple citizenship, some countries require that applicants for naturalization renounce any other citizenship that they currently hold, but whether this renunciation actually causes loss of original citizenship, as seen by the host country and by the original country, will depend on the laws of the countries involved.
Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British Overseas Territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth or ancestry. The requirements for belonger status, and the rights that it confers, vary from territory to territory.
Nationality law is the law of a sovereign state, and of each of its jurisdictions, that defines the legal manner in which a national identity is acquired and how it may be lost. In international law, the legal means to acquire nationality and formal membership in a nation are separated from the relationship between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Some nations domestically use the terms interchangeably, though by the 20th century, nationality had commonly come to mean the status of belonging to a particular nation with no regard to the type of governance which established a relationship between the nation and its people. In law, nationality describes the relationship of a national to the state under international law and citizenship describes the relationship of a citizen within the state under domestic statutes. Different regulatory agencies monitor legal compliance for nationality and citizenship. A person in a country of which he or she is not a national is generally regarded by that country as a foreigner or alien. A person who has no recognised nationality to any jurisdiction is regarded as stateless.
This article concerns the history of British nationality law.
Dutch nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds Dutch nationality. The primary law governing these requirements is the Dutch Nationality Act, which came into force on 1 January 1985. Regulations apply to the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands, which includes the country of the Netherlands itself, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
The primary law governing nationality of Portugal is the Nationality Act, which came into force on 3 October 1981. Portugal is a member state of the European Union (EU) and all Portuguese nationals are EU citizens. They are entitled to free movement rights in EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and may vote in elections to the European Parliament.
Maltese nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of Malta. The primary law governing nationality regulations is the Maltese Citizenship Act, which came into force on 21 September 1964. Malta is a member state of the European Union (EU) and all Maltese nationals are EU citizens. They have automatic and permanent permission to live and work in any EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country and may vote in elections to the European Parliament.
Icelandic nationality law details the conditions by which an individual is a national of Iceland. The primary law governing these requirements is the Icelandic Nationality Act, which came into force on 1 January 1953. Iceland is a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). All Icelandic nationals have automatic and permanent permission to live and work in any European Union (EU) or EFTA country.
Slovenian nationality law is based primarily on the principles of jus sanguinis, in that descent from a Slovenian parent is the primary basis for acquisition of Slovenian citizenship. However, although children born to foreign parents in Slovenia do not acquire Slovenian citizenship on the basis of birthplace, place of birth is relevant for determining whether the child of Slovenian parents acquires citizenship.
Philippine nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of the Philippines. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines and the 1939 Revised Naturalization Law.
Turkish nationality law is based primarily on the principle of jus sanguinis. Children who are born to a Turkish mother or a Turkish father are Turkish citizens from birth. The intention to renounce Turkish citizenship is submitted in Turkey by a petition to the highest administrative official in the concerned person's place of residence, and when overseas to the Turkish consulate. Documents processed by these authorities are forwarded to the Ministry of Interior (Turkey) for appropriate action.
The Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness is a 1961 United Nations multilateral treaty whereby sovereign states agree to reduce the incidence of statelessness. The Convention was originally intended as a Protocol to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, while the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons was adopted to cover stateless persons who are not refugees and therefore not within the scope of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
Singapore nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds Singapore nationality. The primary law governing nationality requirements is the Constitution of Singapore, which came into force on 9 August 1965.
The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself and the Crown dependencies, and the 14 British Overseas Territories.
The nationality law of Bangladesh governs the issues of citizenship and nationality of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The law regulates the nationality and citizenship status of all people who live in Bangladesh as well as all people who are of Bangladeshi descent. It allows the children of expatriates, foreigners as well as residents in Bangladesh to examine their citizenship status and if necessary, apply for and obtain citizenship of Bangladesh.
Monégasque nationality law determines entitlement to Monégasque citizenship. Citizenship of Monaco is based primarily on the principle of jus sanguinis. In other words, citizenship is conferred primarily by birth to a Monégasque parent, irrespective of place of birth.
Multiple citizenship is a person's legal status in which a person is at the same time recognized by more than one country under its nationality and citizenship law as a national or citizen of that country. There is no international convention that determines the nationality or citizenship status of a person, which is consequently determined exclusively under national laws, that often conflict with each other, thus allowing for multiple citizenship situations to arise.
San Marino nationality law is contained in the provisions of the Law on Citizenship (2000) which was amended in 2004 and 2016 and in the relevant provisions of the San Marino Constitution. A person may be a citizen of San Marino through birth, descent or through naturalisation.
Batswana nationality law is regulated by the 1966 Constitution of Botswana, as amended; the Citizenship Act 1998, and its revisions; and international agreements entered into by the government of Botswana. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Botswana. The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. The Botswana nationality is typically obtained on the principle of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth to parents with Botswana nationality. It can be granted to persons who have lived in the country for a specific period of time, who have performed distinguished service to the nation or who have an affiliation to the country through naturalisation.
Zambian nationality law is regulated by the Constitution of Zambia, as amended; the Citizenship of Zambia Act; and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Zambia. The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation. Commonwealth countries often use the terms nationality and citizenship as synonyms, despite their legal distinction and the fact that they are regulated by different governmental administrative bodies. Zambian nationality is typically obtained under the principals of jus soli, i.e. birth in Zambia, or jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth to parents with Zambian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through registration.