Mauritian
Mauritians (singular Mauritian; french: Mauricien; Creole: ''Morisien'') are nationals or natives of the Republic of Mauritius and their descendants. Mauritius is a multi-ethnic society, with notable groups of people of South Asian (notably I ...
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 Mauritius
The Constitution of the Republic of Mauritius (french: La Constitution de Maurice) is the supreme law of Mauritius, according to Chapter I, Section 2 of the constitution, if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution, that other law sha ...
, as amended; the Mauritius Citizenship Act, 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 Mauritius. 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. In Britain and thus the
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
, though the terms are often used synonymously outside of law, they are governed by different statutes and regulated by different authorities. Mauritian nationality is typically obtained under the principle of
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 Mauritius or abroad to parents with Mauritian 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 naturalisation.
Acquisition of nationality
Nationality can be acquired in Mauritius at birth or later in life through naturalisation.
By birth
Children born anywhere to at least one parent with Mauritian nationality who was born in Mauritius can acquire nationality at birth; however, children born abroad to Mauritian nationals may not pass on their nationality to their children.
By naturalisation
Naturalisation can be granted to persons who understand English or another dialect of the territory and have resided in Mauritius for a sufficient period of time to confirm they understand the customs and traditions of the country. General provisions are that applicants have good character and an understanding of the responsibilities of a citizen. Applicants must typically have resided in the country for six years. Besides foreigners meeting the criteria, other persons who may be registered include:
* Children legally adopted by a Mauritian parent, at the time of completion of a legal adoption automatically acquire Mauritian nationality, with the caveat that if the adoption is by two parents, the male parent must be Mauritian;
* Minor children may be naturalised, at the discretion of authorities, when their parent acquires nationality;
* The spouse of a Mauritian national after four years of residency;
* Commonwealth citizens are granted preferential naturalisation; or
* Persons who have made a substantial investment into the development of the country, $500,000 US since 1999, after completing a two-year residency requirement.
Loss of nationality
Mauritian nationals can