Cameroon

Dual Citizenship Cameroon

Not Allowed

The Cameroonian Nationality Code provides six major modes by which to acquire Cameroonian citizenship: descent, birth, declaration, marriage, naturalisation, and reintegration. The primary basis for Cameroonian citizenship is through descent or ius sanguinis. A child will be deemed to be a citizen of Cameroon by birth if he/she is born in Cameroon, yet to unknown parents.

While there is no legal provision which addresses the issue of dual citizenship, Article 31 of the Cameroonian Nationality Code of 1968 mentions instances where a Cameroonian nationality can be lost.

Specifically, Article 31(a) of the law stipulates that a Cameroonian of age of majority (21 years old who acquires or voluntarily keeps a foreign nationality, is subject to the loss of Cameroonian nationality. Therefore, dual citizenship is neither recognised nor allowed in Cameroon. However, one exception is singled out in Article 32 of the Nationality Code. Under said article, a Cameroonian woman who marries a foreigner may keep her Cameroonian nationality unless she expressly declares her wish to renounce her Cameroonian nationality at the time of marriage. Furthermore, such a declaration would only serve as being valid if the law of the foreign country allows for the acquisition of citizenship by the woman.