Countries with Birthright Citizenship 2025
Restricted
Unrestricted
Type of Birthright Citizenship
Country | Type of Birthright Citizenship↑ | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | India | Restricted | If one parent is citizen and the other a citizen or legal migrant (as of 2020). |
 | Pakistan | Restricted | Children of refugees are ineligible. |
 | Japan | Restricted | If born to "stateless" or unknown parents. |
 | Egypt | Restricted | If one parent was also born in Egypt. |
 | Iran | Restricted | If one parent was born in Iran. |
 | Germany | Restricted | If at least one parent has a permanent residence permit and has lived in Germany at least 8 years. |
 | Thailand | Restricted | If parents are legal residents for at least five years. |
 | United Kingdom | Restricted | If one parent is citizen or legally settled in the country or if child has lived in country for 10 years. |
 | France | Restricted | If one parent is French citizen or born in France. Or upon 18th birthday if you've lived in France at least 5 years since age 11. |
 | South Africa | Restricted | If parents are citizens or permanent residents. |
 | Italy | Restricted | If one of parent's descendant was a citizen, or if child has lived in country untill 18th birthday, or if child is 21 and has lived in country for 3 years. |
 | Colombia | Restricted | If one parent is citizen or legal resident. |
 | Sudan | Restricted | If father was born in Sudan. |
 | Spain | Restricted | If one parent was born in Spain or if parents are stateless. |
 | Ukraine | Restricted | If parents have refugee status in Ukraine, or if child is stateless. |
 | Morocco | Restricted | If parents were born in Morocco, child can register for citizenship. |
 | Malaysia | Restricted | If one parent is a citizen or permanent resident. |
 | Australia | Restricted | If one parent is citizen or permanent resident or if child has lived in country for 10 years. |
 | Taiwan | Restricted | If parents are Taiwanese citizens or if parents are stateless or unknown. |
 | Netherlands | Restricted | If one parent is a citizen and lives in the country at the time of the child's birth, or if a grandparent had their main residence in the country on the day of the parent's birth. |
 | Cambodia | Restricted | If parents are living legally in Cambodia. |
 | Tunisia | Restricted | If father and grandfather were born in Tunisia. Child must claim citizenship before age 20. |
 | Belgium | Restricted | If one parent was born in Belgium and has lived there for 10 years, or 5 years before child's birth. |
 | Dominican Republic | Restricted | Mildly restricted. |
 | Sweden | Restricted | If one parent is citizen (for children born before April 1, 2015). |
 | Portugal | Restricted | If child is born with no other nationality, or child petitions for citizenship and one parent lived in Portugal for 2+ years before child's birth. |
 | Greece | Restricted | If parents live in Greece 5-10 years and child attends preschool, or if child has unknown or no other nationality at birth. |
 | Israel | Restricted | Children born in Israel who have no other citizenship can apply for Israeli citizenship between ages of 18-21. |
 | Hong Kong | Restricted | Complicated compatibilities with mainland China. |
 | Finland | Restricted | If mother is citizen and born in country or if father is a citizen and married to mother. |
 | Ireland | Restricted | If one parent is citizen of Ireland or Britain or is legal resident three of last four years. |
 | New Zealand | Restricted | If one parent is citizen or permanent resident or if child is stateless. |
 | Mongolia | Restricted | If parents are valid residents or unidentified. Child must accept citizenship at age 16. |
 | Namibia | Restricted | If one parent was also born in or regularly lives in Namibia. |
 | Bahrain | Restricted | If father was born in Bahrain. |
 | Cyprus | Restricted | If one parent is citizen or born in country. |
 | Macau | Restricted | Complicated compatibilities with mainland China. |
 | Luxembourg | Restricted | If at least one parent was born in country, or if child has lived in country 5 straight years after the age of 12. |
 | Malta | Restricted | If one parent is citizen or born in country. |
 | Sao Tome and Principe | Restricted | If parents are residents. |
 | United States | Unrestricted | |
 | Brazil | Unrestricted | |
 | Mexico | Unrestricted | |
 | Tanzania | Unrestricted | |
 | Argentina | Unrestricted | |
 | Canada | Unrestricted | |
 | Peru | Unrestricted | |
 | Venezuela | Unrestricted | |
 | Chad | Unrestricted | Unrestricted, but child chooses to opt in or out at age 18. |
 | Chile | Unrestricted | Child can choose to opt in or out. |
 | Guatemala | Unrestricted | |
 | Ecuador | Unrestricted | |
 | Bolivia | Unrestricted | |
 | Honduras | Unrestricted | |
 | Cuba | Unrestricted | |
 | Paraguay | Unrestricted | |
 | Nicaragua | Unrestricted | |
 | El Salvador | Unrestricted | |
 | Costa Rica | Unrestricted | |
 | Panama | Unrestricted | |
 | Uruguay | Unrestricted | |
 | Jamaica | Unrestricted | |
 | Lesotho | Unrestricted | |
 | Trinidad and Tobago | Unrestricted | |
 | Fiji | Unrestricted | |
 | Guyana | Unrestricted | |
 | Belize | Unrestricted | |
 | Barbados | Unrestricted | |
 | Saint Lucia | Unrestricted | |
 | Grenada | Unrestricted | |
 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Unrestricted | |
 | Antigua and Barbuda | Unrestricted | |
 | Dominica | Unrestricted | |
 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Unrestricted | |
 | Tuvalu | Unrestricted |
- Unrestricted birthright citizenship is also known as jus soli.
Birthright citizenship is a governmental policy under which any child born within a country’s borders or territory is automatically granted citizenship in that country—even if their parents are not citizens. At present, 33 countries in the world (and two territories) have unrestricted birthright citizenship, also known as jus soli, and another 32 nations have some form of restricted birthright citizenship (see table after body text).
Every Country with Unrestricted Birthright Citizenship (jus soli)
The following countries have unrestricted birthright citizenship: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chad, Child, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Nuances of Birthright Citizenship
Interestingly, nearly every nation that offers birthright citizenship is located in North or South America. This is considered by many scholars to have begun in colonial times, in which European countries eager to populate their settlements in the “New World” established more lenient and immigration-friendly citizenship policies. It should also be noted that birthright citizenship often has at least one exception: The children of foreign ambassadors or other diplomats serving in a country for work are frequently excluded.
In addition to the nations listed above, various other countries may offer birthright citizenship under certain circumstances. For instance, Luxembourg, Guinea-Bissau, Azerbaijan, and Chad will sometimes grant jus soli when the child is orphaned. Chad extends jus soli, but not until the child reaches the age of 18, when they can choose whether to accept Chadian citizenship or that of their parents. Tanzania has a similar system in which a newborn child is granted jus soli until the age of 18, at which time they must choose one citizenship or the other.
Benefits of Living in a Country that Offers Birthright Citizenship
One of the most significant benefits to living in a country that upholds birthright citizenship is that it grants citizenship to anyone born in that country with no other requirements. This can give the child valuable legal rights, such as protecting them from unwarranted extradition or enabling them to benefit from social programs that would not otherwise be available to them.
Benefits such as this are the reason expectant parents are sometimes compelled to move to a country that offers birthright citizenship. Depending upon their current situation, they can sometimes secure a better life for their children simply by giving birth in a different country—provided it has birthright citizenship.
Birthright citizenship also has opponents. These are typically citizens of the “host” nation who feel the policy enables foreigners to enter the country for the sole purpose of giving birth to “anchor babies”, a practice which exploits the system and siphons off funds that would otherwise be used to benefit existing citizens. Such “birth tourism” is illegal in the United States, though the procedures used to deter or detect the perpetrators and enforce the laws are not always clear.
The Difference between jus soli and jus sanguinis
In contrast to jus soli, nearly every other country on Earth offers jus sanguinis, which grants citizenship as long as one parent (or sometimes both parents) are citizens. Examples of this include Poland (both parents), Andorra (mother), Bahrain (father) and Iran (father). This is sometimes referred to as establishing citizenship through inheritance rather than residence.
How Birthright Citizenship, jus soli, and jus sanguinis Work in Various Countries:
Antigua and Barbuda
There are three ways of receiving citizenship in the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda. Birthright citizenship is one way. Any individual born in Antigua and Barbuda on or before October 31, 1981 (the date the policy went into effect) is considered a citizen by birth.
The other two ways of acquiring citizenship are descent (having a parent or grandparent who is a citizen) and naturalization (live three years with a spouse who is a citizen or live unmarried in the country for seven years). These two variations of obtaining citizenship are still valid. Still, they involve playing an active part in getting your citizenship rather than receiving it at the time of your birth.
Pakistan
In 1951, the Pakistan Citizenship Act established an all-encompassing birthright citizenship policy, declaring that anyone born in Pakistan is naturally and officially considered a citizen of the country of Pakistan—even if they were born before the Act had entered into force. The Pakistan Citizenship Act also defines two other ways of obtaining citizenship: descent or legal migration. These three ways of acquiring citizenship in Pakistan are very similar, if not identical, to other countries’ citizenship processes around the world.
United States
The United States of America declared birthright citizenship for USA-born individuals in 1868, as part of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which was created in the wake of the Civil War. In addition to granting citizenship to all former slaves in the United States, the 14th Amendment officially established that any child born on U.S. soil (meaning any U.S. state or territory) was automatically a citizen of the United States.
