For parents, the birth of a child is the main event in life and great happiness. And for the state in which this child was born - this is the appearance of a new citizen, which is accompanied by a number of formalities. One of these formal moments is the confirmation and documenting of the citizenship of the child.
What conditions determine the citizenship of children?
In different countries of the world, the conditions that determine the citizenship of the child at birth may differ. The scientific term for determining citizenship by birth is a branch. In the world there are three main forms of the branch:
1. Jus sanguinis (lat.) - "by the right of blood" - when the citizenship of the child depends on the citizenship of his parents (or one parent). This form of the branch is accepted in most countries of the world, including throughout the post-Soviet space.
More details of the conditions for acquiring citizenship "by the right of blood" on the example of the Russian Federation. Under Russian law, a citizen of the Russian Federation is a child if his parents (or one parent) at the time of his birth had Russian citizenship. In this case the birthplace of the child does not matter. Accordingly, pay attention to what documents are needed to register citizenship for the child. This is primarily the documents that confirm the citizenship of parents: a passport with a note on citizenship or (if such a mark in the passport there is no) military ticket, an extract from the home book, certificate from the place of study, etc. And if the child has one parent, then another document will be needed to confirm the absence of a second parent (death certificate, court decision on deprivation of parental rights, etc.). If one of the parents is a citizen of another state, a certificate must be submitted to the Federal Migration Service that the child does not have the citizenship of that state. On the basis of these documents and (in some cases) applications of the established form, the citizenship of the child is verified: a corresponding stamp is placed on the back of the child's birth certificate. A birth certificate with such a stamp is itself a document certifying the Russian citizenship of the child. If the birth certificate is foreign, the stamp is placed on the reverse side of the notarized translation of the certificate. Prior to February 6, 2007, for birth certificates, birth certificate inserts were issued.
2. Jus soli (Latin) - "by the right of soil (land)" - the second form of the branch, in which the citizenship of children is determined by the place of birth. Those. the child receives the citizenship of the state on whose territory he was born.
Countries that give citizenship by birth in their territory to children (who even have both parents foreigners) are mostly the countries of North and South America (which is understandable by historical realities). Here is their list: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mexico, Nicaragua , Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela. There is also among the former CIS countries a state that provides citizenship "by right of soil" - this is Azerbaijan. By the way, the "right of blood" acts simultaneously in the republic.
Many countries supplement the "right of soil" with other requirements and restrictions. For example, in Canada, it works for everyone, except children born in the territory of the country tourists. And in Germany this right is supplemented by the requirement of residence of parents in the country for at least 8 years. All the nuances of this issue are spelled out in the legislation of each state. From them will depend also how to issue citizenship to the concrete child.
3. By inheritance - the most rare form of the branch, which takes place only in several countries of Europe. For example, citizenship of Latvia is received by all whose ancestors were citizens of the Republic of Latvia before June 17, 1940.
Do I need a citizenship for my child?
Confirmation of the citizenship of the child is necessary to obtain a passport, without a mark on citizenship, not to receive maternity capital, and in the future a document certifying the child's nationality will be needed to obtain a general passport.