Dual citizenship

How do I find out if I'm a citizen of more than one country?

Contact the embassy or consulate of the country in question. You will have to provide your place and date of birth, citizenship of your parents and/or grandparents and immigration details.

If the country has no representatives in Canada, you can contact:

• The Protocol Service of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
  Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2

Or:

• Contact the Citizenship and Immigration call centre: 1 888 242 2100

Most countries define citizenship based on one or more of these traits:

• You were born on territory belonging to, or claimed by, that country.
• One or both of your parents were citizens of that country.
• You married a citizen of that country.
• You (or one or both of your parents) obtained that country's citizenship by going through a legal process of naturalization (living there for a period of time, passing a citizenship exam)
• You lived in that country for an extended period of time.

Canada's Citizenship Act allows people to be citizens of two or more countries at the same time. This also means a person should know the rights and obligations required of them when they are in those countries of citizenship. The laws of the country where you are located take priority over the laws of any other country where you hold citizenship. International treaties, though, may override local laws.

Some people may have dual nationalities and not realize it

In some countries, such as the Republic of Korea, if your grandparents or parents were born there, the Korean government will classify you as a Korean citizen, even if you were born and brought up solely in Canada.

Approximately 90 countries officially permit dual or multiple citizenship

In some parts of the world, those born in a particular area are automatically entitled to citizenships of two countries. For example, those born in Northern Ireland are British citizens, but they can claim Irish citizenship as well, because the Republic of Ireland extends its full citizenship benefits to Northern Ireland.

Some other countries take away citizenship the moment the person acquires another nationality

Numerous countries either ignore or prohibit dual citizenship. These include: Burma, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Other countries, such as Japan or Germany, allow dual nationalities until a certain age

In Germany, for instance, children of foreign-born parents have dual nationality until the age of 23, when they must decide which passport to keep. Only in exceptional cases, for example, if ''unreasonable conditions'' are imposed for giving up a foreign passport, will dual citizenship be permitted to continue.

Some countries have loosened restrictions on dual citizenship

In 1998 Mexico changed its laws permitting Mexican-born citizens of other countries to reclaim their Mexican citizenship. Previously, the citizenship of Mexicans was automatically rescinded when they took on new citizenship. The law also applied to anyone born outside Mexico whose mother or father was born in Mexico.

Some countries recognize dual citizenship but strongly discourage it

In the U.S., new citizens must relinquish their previous national standing unless that country permits dual citizenship; a person with two citizenships may not be granted security clearance, and a person who acquires foreign citizenship by voluntarily applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country.

Hazards of dual citizenship

Dual citizenship can cause difficulties. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. has made it more difficult for certain Canadians to enter America. Canadians with dual citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria may come under suspicion at the border and be fingerprinted.

Certain countries may forbid a person from travelling with two passports

If you travel to a country that prohibits dual citizenship and you have both a Canadian passport and one from your other country of citizenship, your Canadian passport may be confiscated or you may be subjected to a fine. You may be required to enter and exit a country using the same passport. If you run into trouble, Canadian consular services may try to help, but if the country considers you one of its citizens, there is little Canadian officials can do — their interest would be seen as meddling in internal affairs.

Some countries require citizens to perform compulsory military service, or pay special taxes

Others may require you to reimburse the costs of post-secondary education, or inheritances may not be allowed for people with dual citizenship. Some countries do not accept ignorance of the law as an excuse. You may be imprisoned or sent to military service. Even dual citizens who have passed the age for active military service may be considered in breach of their obligations for failing to report at the required time.

Marriage, divorce and child custody

Sometimes marriages performed in Canada may not be considered legal in other countries. As well, Canadian divorce and child custody documents may not always be recognized.

Travel with your Canadian passport

The Canadian government encourages people to travel with their Canadian passports, so it can intervene should something happen abroad. For example, the government has an agreement with China that anyone of Chinese ancestry who enters China with a Canadian passport is recognized as a Canadian citizen.

If you run into problems abroad, you can place a collect call to the 24-hour Operations Centre, Consular Affairs Bureau, Foreign Affairs Canada: (613) 996-8885. From within Canada dial: 1-800-267-6788 or (613) 996-6788. Or you can send an email to sos@international.gc.ca.

Renunciation of foreign citizenship

If you prefer to give up other citizenships, you may be required to go through an official process to renounce your nationality. This will entail formal approval from the authorities of that country. Even then, some countries don't recognize renunciation.