Afghanistan

Dual Citizenship Afghanistan

Not Allowed

Citizenship law in Afghanistan is heavily based on the principle of ius sanguinis. Thereby, a child born to at least one parent who is an Afghan citizen will be considered as a citizen of Afghanistan, regardless of the place of birth. A child born within Afghan territory to foreign parents would be granted Afghan citizenship upon reaching the age of 18 given that he/she has an intention to permanently reside there, and does not take up any of the parents’ foreign citizenships. Foreigners may also make an application for Afghan citizenship. Upon legally marrying an Afghan citizen, a foreigner will be granted citizenship of Afghanistan, subject to Article 7 of the Citizenship Law. 

Article 7 of the Afghanistan Citizenship Law states that “A person who is an Afghanistan Emirates citizen pursuant to the law, cannot be in the status of dual citizenship”. Therefore, in theory, the law does not allow dual citizenship. However, in practice, it is allowed, and no restriction or discrimination is put against those citizens who hold dual or multiple citizenships, other than their appointment for high-ranking government posts, such as ministers, supreme court high council members and president. Individuals with dual/multiple citizenship cannot be appointed to such posts without the dismissal of their foreign citizenship/s.

Although Article 7 of the law states that dual citizenship is not allowed, it is not explicitly called for in the law that a person renounces their original citizenship upon acquiring Afghan citizenship. 

This being said, the current Afghanistan Citizenship Law has many gaps in consequence of the previous Taliban Government, and it is subsequently subject to amendment. A new draft is awaiting ratification by parliament so as to be enacted in the future.