naturaliser

Naturaliser is a noun formed from the verb naturalise. In contemporary usage, a naturaliser is a person who has acquired citizenship of a country through the process of naturalisation. The term is primarily seen in British English; American English more commonly uses naturalized citizen or naturalized person, and the agent noun is typically naturalizer. The sense referring to someone who grants naturalisation to others is rare and would usually be described in other terms such as the official or authority performing naturalisation rather than as “naturaliser.”

Naturalisation is the legal act by which a non-citizen becomes a citizen. Procedures and requirements vary by country but commonly include residency, language or civic knowledge tests, submission of proof of status, and an oath of allegiance. Naturalisation creates new rights and duties, including the right to vote in national elections in most jurisdictions; it may also confer eligibility for public office and access to social benefits.

Etymology and usage notes: the word derives from the Latin naturalis via Old French naturaliser, with the English noun appearing in the early modern period. In modern practice, the preferred terms in many contexts are naturalised citizen, naturalised person, or simply citizen, with naturalisation referring to the process itself rather than to the person who completes it. See also naturalisation, naturalize, citizenship.