China, North Korea, and 3 Other Popular Countries Where Dual Citizenship is Illegal
- Most countries allow foreigners to naturalise while keeping their original citizenship, but several nations have taken a firm stance against the practice
- China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and Austria are among the countries where holding dual citizenship is explicitly prohibited by law
- Foreigners wishing to become citizens of these countries may be required to give up their original nationality before any application is considered
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There are hundreds of countries in the world, and the majority of them have a way to make a person who is not originally a citizen of the country become a citizen by following certain processes.
While this exists, there are also some countries in the world that do not allow their citizens to be recognised as citizens of any other country.
Source: Getty Images
5 countries where dual citizenship is illegal
Foreigners who want to become citizens of these countries may have to surrender the citizenship of their original countries.
Many countries do not accept dual citizenship in the world. However, this article, Legit.ng, considers only a few countries where dual citizenship is illegal, and a citizen cannot be a legal member of another country, nor can a foreigner claim citizenship of the country without first renouncing the citizenship of their country of origin.
1. China citizenship
China, a country in East Asia with over a million people, is at the top of our list.
The government of China doesn't recognise dual citizenship, and this means that a person cannot become a citizen of China and also be a citizen of a foreign country.
On the Chinese website, the government of China explicitly wrote:
"The People's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national."
2. Malaysian citizenship
Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia, is also one of the countries that do not allow a foreigner to acquire citizenship while holding the citizenship of his or her country of origin.
Unlike the US, UK, and many other countries, an individual cannot obtain the citizenship of Malaysia and still be a citizen of another country.
This can be confirmed on the website of the Malaysian government.
Source: Getty Images
3. Saudi Arabia citizenship
While Saudi Arabia is a notable country for its economic endowment and also welcomes foreigners to enjoy many opportunities in the country, its citizenship has a limit.
According to the UK government, it explained that in Saudi Arabia, dual citizenship is not legal, as a foreigner cannot be a citizen of the country and also be recognised as a citizen of another country.
The link attached to this sentence shows where that is written on the UK website.
4. North Korea citizenship
North Korea, a country known for its military strength and located in East Asia, also has a law that forbids a person from holding the citizenship of the country while also being a citizen of another country.
Canada confirms this on its website, as it mentions that dual citizenship is not recognised in North Korea.
To access this information on the Canadian website, follow this link.
Source: Getty Images
5. Austria citizenship
The government of Austria openly wrote on its website to enable foreigners to know about the law of the country.
It states that dual citizenship is not permitted or that the law of the country does not permit or recognise dual citizenship.
The statement on the website reads:
"In general, Austrian citizenship law does not permit dual or multiple citizenship."
Nigerian lady with dual citizenship opens up
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that a Nigerian woman with dual citizenship had revealed why she preferred living in Nigeria rather than the United States.
She cited the lower frequency of natural disasters in Nigeria and said she had also developed a strong taste for Nigerian food.
Source: Legit.ng
