Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
an
nationality law
Nationality law is the law of a sovereign state, and of each of its jurisdictions, that defines the legal manner in which a national identity is acquired and how it may be lost. In international law, the legal means to acquire nationality and for ...
is regulated by the
Constitution of Djibouti, as amended; the Djiboutian Nationality Code, and its revisions; and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Djibouti. The legal means to acquire
nationality
Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the ...
, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
. Djiboutian nationality is typically obtained under the principle of
jus soli
''Jus soli'' ( , , ; meaning "right of soil"), commonly referred to as birthright citizenship, is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship.
''Jus soli'' was part of the English common law, in contras ...
, i.e. by birth in Djibouti, or
jus sanguinis
( , , ; 'right of blood') is a principle of nationality law by which citizenship is determined or acquired by the nationality or ethnicity of one or both parents. Children at birth may be citizens of a particular state if either or both of t ...
, born abroad to parents with Djiboutian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization.
Acquisition of nationality
Nationality can be acquired in Djibouti at birth or later in life through naturalization.
By birth
Those who acquire nationality at birth include:
* Children born anywhere who have at least one parent who is a Djiboutian national by birth; or
*
Abandoned children or
orphans
An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died.
In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
discovered in the territory whose parents are unknown.
By naturalization
Naturalization can be granted to persons who have resided in the territory for a sufficient period of time to confirm they understand the language, customs and traditions of the society. General provisions are that applicants have good character and conduct; have no convictions that resulted in a sentence of six months or more; have good health; and have resided in the country for ten years. Besides foreigners meeting the criteria, other persons who may be naturalized include:
* The spouse(s) of a Djiboutian national after ten years of marriage, or five years if the couple have children;
* Adopted children of Djiboutian nationals;
* Minor children can be automatically naturalized when their parent acquires nationality; or
* Persons who have performed exceptional services to the nation can be naturalized after meeting a residency requirement of five years.
Loss of nationality
Djiboutian nationals can