Little rectification about dual nationality

[Maciamo]

Turning Japanese no simple process

This is taken out of an article by Arudo Debito in the Japan Times :

If you can tolerate this degree of third degree, and don't mind giving up your original citizenship (Japan is the only OECD country which forbids dual nationality), then things become surprisingly easy.

This is a gross misinformation. Among the 30 member countries of the OECD, several forbid dual nationality and more restrict it. Have a look at the world map of dual nationality. Denmark and Belgium strictly prohibit dual nationality like Japan and South Korea, but most other European countries also generally prohibit it (Germany, Austria, Czech Rep., the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Iceland, Finland, etc.).

Among the 30 OECD members, no less than 12 countries don't recognise dual nationality, which means almost half of them.

It is rather strange inside the EU, as dual nationality already exist for all EU citizens (everybody has the European nationality since 1992). I am in favour of dual (or even triple) nationality and I find it a pity that so many European countries don't accept it.

[thomas]

Originally posted by Maciamo
Turning Japanese no simple process

It is rather strange inside the EU, as dual nationality already exist for all EU citizens (everybody has the European nationality since 1992). I am in favour of dual (or even triple) nationality and I find it a pity that so many European countries don't accept it.

Uh oh, Debito didn't do his homework!


Dual nationality is indeed a boo-boo for European politicians, I remember the heated debates they had in Germany when they indended to introduce dual nationality for children of immigrants.

I was once told that the main reason for Europe's restrictive stance is fear of tax evasion. Perhaps these are just remnants of a patriarchalic view of state ("You cannot share your loyalty").

[sentofuno]

does that apply to children too?? i've still got dual nationality, it only became a 'secret' when i turned 18 tho..

[Sakura]

my friend is half german and half japanese, and has both passports. ???

[Mandylion]

How old is your friend? Officals usually don't get upset until the person reaches the legal age of adulthood. I honestly don't know what it is in Japan or Germany, but I imagine it is around 20?

[Sakura]

my friend 24, but has just re-newed german passport. has lived in both countries growing up.is fluent in both languages, and now fluent in english too.very clever!

[Sakura]

my mother's passport ran out years ago, but now she can't travel outside of this country because she can't apply for new passport, and she doesn't see why she should pay alot of money to become british citizen just so she can get passport.I think she can't re-new her native passport because she has been in this country for a very long time, (maybe she moved here 30 years ago) I can't really remember reason.So now my mother has no nationalty maybe? wakaranai!

[Maciamo]

Does she have to pay to become a British citizen ?

[nrese]

I'm a dual citizen of the US and Spain which makes me doubt the other countries that you said do not allow dual nationality along with Japan.

[Maciamo]

Originally posted by nrese
I'm a dual citizen of the US and Spain which makes me doubt the other countries that you said do not allow dual nationality along with Japan.

I don't see why. Spain is categorised under "Dual nationality is generally prohibited with considerable exceptional allowance" (please look at the map in the link above).

What is more, dual nationality laws apply only in one country. For example, it is possible to be recognised as Japanese and American in the USA, but only Japanese in Japan, because laws in each countries are different. In your case, even if you were recognised as both Spanish and American in the States, there is still a chance that the Spanish government only recognise one of these 2 nationalities. But, as is said above, Spain makes considerable allowances regarding dual nationality.

Just for your information, it is technically possible to have 2 nationalities, but that in any case only one of them at a time is recognised depending on the country where the person is. For instance, Denmark and Japan both prohibid dual nationality, but if a Danish person takes on Japanese nationality without informaing the Danish authorities, he/she will still be officially only Danish in Denmark (and Europe), but officiallly only Japanese in Japan. I've asked the embassy, and this is totally possible, though not perfectly legal, with the risk of losing the first nationality if the Danish goverment in this case, came to know that that citizen and become Japanese. However, government nomally don't inform each other on all naturalisations, which is why it is possible and commonly happen.

[Kintaro]

Dual Nationality is a problem in the world today.

Ever hear of Maher Arar.

Apparently since the U.S. *thought* he was linked to terror groups, and saw Canadian + Syrian nationality, they chucked him off to Syria.