Ivorian 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 Ivory Coast
The Constitution of Ivory Coast was approved by referendum on October 30, 2016 and officially adopted on November 8, 2016.
Ivory Coast has had three constitutions in its history.
Previous Constitutions 1960 Constitution
On October 31, 1960, the ...
, as amended; the Ivorian 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 Ivory Coast. 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 ...
. Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation. Ivorian 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 Ivory Coast, 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 ...
, i.e. by birth in Ivory Coast or abroad to parents with Ivorian 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 Ivory Coast at birth or later in life through naturalization.
By birth
Those who acquire nationality at birth include:
* Children born in Ivory Coast to at least one parent with Ivorian nationality; or
* Children born abroad to at least one parent with Ivorian nationality, after completion of an administrative registration process; or
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 customs and traditions of Ivory Coast. General provisions are that applicants have good character and conduct; are in good physical and mental health; and have adequate means to be self-sufficient. Applicants must typically have resided in the country for five years. Besides foreigners meeting the criteria, other persons who may be naturalized include:
* Children legally adopted by an Ivorian parent, at the time of completion of a legal adoption automatically derive Ivorian nationality;
* The spouse of an Ivorian national;
* Minor children may automatically naturalize when their parent acquires nationality;
* Persons who have rendered important service to the nation may naturalize after a two-year residency; or
* Persons who have performed exceptional service to the nation without a residency period.
Loss of nationality
Ivorian nationals can