How to Get Another Nationality / Citizenship

If you are looking into how to get another nationality we expect you have done some basic research already. Another nationality can be obtained through a number of ways. The basic methods are:

• Automatic through birth from your parent(s). Easy!
• Through adoption or acknowledgment.
• Nationality direct through marriage.
• Reacquiring a previous nationality through Option or Naturalisation.
• Nationality through your Option (your own right/decision, a diversity of rights/situations).
• Naturalisation through marriage.
• Naturalisation through residency (often requiring anything from 2 to 10 years residency).
• Naturalisation through skills (mostly requiring residency as well).
• Naturalisation through investment, business.
• Naturalisation through investment, property.
• Nationality as a gift from a Monarch or government.

Habsburg Legal Services ltd works together with experts on respective nationality laws in several countries. Not all are listed on our website, so always good to ask. We assist you in the best setup for the outcome you want.

WARNING!

Is dual nationality allowed or not?
Not all countries their nationality laws allow dual nationality, or multiple nationalities. Each country has their own laws and processes. When getting another nationality both countries their nationality laws need to be considered.

A few countries such as the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, China, North Korea, Kuwait, Austria and Botswana follow the principle of only allowing a single nationality, what a great club to be part of. However, often there are exceptions in their laws as well.

Countries like Spain and Germany are a bit in between and allow dual nationality in certain situations, and in others not. However, most European countries allow dual nationality these days (terrorists excepted). Laws have changed over the years/decades. From the British in 1948 to Norway in 2020, most European countries have changed their laws and now allow multiple nationalities fully or in some form.

In the light of the cold war era and 19th century attitudes towards nationality there is an international treaty/convention from 1963 which was supposed to stop cases of multiple nationality and conflicting military duties for individuals. You belong to and can serve only one master was the premise at the time. However, many countries didn’t sign up to the restrictions on dual nationality, and many others later denunciated the convention.

Convention on reduction of cases of multiple nationality and military obligations in cases of multiple nationality, 2nd protocol
(Strasbourg 1963/1993-to today at time of writing)

So what is this Convention on reduction of cases of multiple nationality and military obligations in cases of multiple nationality and this 2nd protocol? Well it all started with the Netherlands wanting to formalise its single nationality principle in an international setting. More or less these countries confirmed to each other that they would not allow dual nationality between its members/signatories. This was a rather strict agreement and a second protocol followed in 1993 adjusting the agreement to allow more flexibility. More exceptions allowing dual nationality. The world was changing and modernising the agreement was necessary as most of its members/signatories stepped away from trying to reduce multiple nationalities. In fact, except for two all signatory countries have now denounced Chapter 1 on (dual) Nationality.

Dutch Nationality Law and its many conditional Exceptions

We purposely do not go into detail of each and every possible exception. The reason is that the Dutch nationality law is complex and readers may make mistakes. Unfortunately we come across quite a few cases where people lost their nationality because they didn’t know, got the wrong end of the stick, or worse got misinformed by friends or even government officials. So, if you know that there is a risk of loss, get in touch with a nationality lawyer (not necessarily ourselves) to verify your situation. Get any official answer or recommendations in writing and check it against the actual law.

Note that when you lose your nationality due to the fault of an official it is not easily repairable. Someone else’s fault or not, the law is the law. So, here some of the basics of these exceptions. Don’t forget the exceptions are often conditional, and there can be exceptions to the conditions and sub-conditions to the conditions. Remember mathematics, + and + =?, + and – =?, + and (+ and -) =?, etc? Well, this can be even more complex. Below the exceptions today, if you are looking at all the historic law changes (some major ones in 1964, 1985, 2003, 2010 and 2022) then it becomes even more complex.

For minors/children there are a number of exceptions, more than for adults. You are a minor before the age of 18, unless you became an adult earlier through marriage.

• A minor will remain Dutch in as long as at least one parent stays Dutch.
• A minor can indeed lose his nationality together with his parent(s), although there are exceptions to that.

For adults there are three CONDITIONAL exceptions:

• a) You were born in the country of the nationality you obtain, and resident there when you get the nationality.
• b) You have as a minor been resident for at least 5 years in the country of the nationality you obtain.
• c) You are married to someone who has the same nationality you obtain.

Even reading here that you may comply with an exception, verify if this does really apply to you as well. And can you evidence you comply with an exception? Will your evidence be accepted? And what can go wrong in the process?