Nationality

Nationality is a legal relationship between a person and a state, conferring rights and duties such as protection by the state and participation in political life, including the right to reside in the country and access to public services, and the duty to obey laws and pay taxes. It is distinct from ethnicity, culture, or personal identity; in some contexts nationality and citizenship are used synonymously, while in others they are legally separate concepts.

Acquisition of nationality varies by country. It can be acquired at birth through jus soli (right of the soil) or jus sanguinis (right of blood). It can be obtained later through naturalization after meeting residence, language, and knowledge requirements, and sometimes through marriage or parental transmission. Nationality can be lost or renounced, and it may be revoked in certain circumstances, depending on national law.

Many states allow dual or multiple nationality, but others prohibit or restrict it. Nationality affects eligibility for passports, consular protection, and certain civic privileges, and it can influence rights and duties within a country. Complex cases arise at borders or in disputed regions and can involve tensions between international law and domestic law.

Statelessness remains a concern in international law. Efforts to reduce statelessness are outlined in the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Nationality regimes continue to adapt in response to migration, gender equality, and debates about identity and inclusion.