Citizenship is the legal recognition of a person’s membership in a country. It comes with certain rights, benefits, and responsibilities. Perhaps the biggest benefit of citizenship is the right to live permanently in a country without the possibility of deportation. So does this status ever expire or can it be taken away? Let’s take a closer look.
Can citizenship expire?
In most countries, citizenship gained by birth never expires. If you’re born in a country and meet the legal requirements for citizenship at birth, you’re generally considered a citizen for life. This is known as citizenship by jus soli (right of soil) in many countries.
Citizenship can potentially expire if it is gained through naturalization, rather than birth. Naturalized citizens go through a process to gain citizenship in a country they weren’t born in. Most countries require naturalized citizens to meet certain residency requirements to maintain their citizenship status.
For example, in the United States, naturalized citizens are at risk of losing their citizenship if they:
- Spend an extended period living outside the U.S. This is typically 6 months or more per year for several years.
- Join the armed forces of another country.
- Renounce their U.S. citizenship.
- Obtain citizenship through fraud or concealment.
So for naturalized citizens, failure to meet residency requirements or other conditions can potentially lead to loss of citizenship. But this rarely happens automatically—most countries will only revoke citizenship after an administrative or legal process.
When can a country revoke citizenship?
Most democratic countries have laws in place that allow citizenship to be revoked in certain situations. Some common reasons citizenship may be revoked include:
- Fraud: Gaining citizenship by intentionally concealing or misrepresenting information.
- Serious crimes: Committing treason, acts of terrorism, or other major crimes against the state.
- Foreign military service: Voluntarily serving in the armed forces of another country.
- National security risk: Engaging in activities that pose a major threat to the country.
- Failure to fulfill duties: Refusing to fulfill basic duties of citizenship like paying taxes, jury duty, etc.
Most democratic countries will only revoke citizenship after giving the person a chance to contest the charges through an administrative hearing or court trial. Having citizenship revoked is rare and only used as a last resort in egregious cases.
Does dual citizenship affect revocation?
If a person holds dual citizenship in two or more countries, losing one citizenship generally doesn’t affect the other. However, the rules vary by country. Some key points about dual citizenship include:
- Most countries allow dual citizenship, but some (like Japan) require people to choose one citizenship by adulthood.
- Having dual citizenship can help reduce the impact of revocation, since the person still has rights in another country.
- Some countries prohibit dual citizens from serving in high government offices due to conflict of interest concerns.
- A country can only revoke its own citizenship—it cannot force a dual citizen to relinquish citizenship in another country.
So having dual or multiple citizenships provides an extra layer of protection against complete loss of citizenship rights if one country revokes citizenship. But dual citizens should be aware they can still lose citizenship in individual countries for serious offenses.
When does revocation take effect?
Loss of citizenship is not automatic in most cases. Here are some key considerations about when revocation takes effect:
- Most countries have an administrative process to consider evidence and make a formal revocation decision.
- The affected person is typically given advance notice and the chance to appeal a revocation decision.
- If the appeal fails, there is usually a set date when revocation takes effect (such as 60 days from the final decision).
- At the date of revocation, the person loses all rights and privileges of citizenship in that country.
- Some countries may deport revocation-affected individuals, while others allow them to remain as foreign residents if they have legal immigration status.
So there is due process involved in most cases before citizenship is officially revoked. The loss of citizenship does not happen immediately or automatically in democratic countries that follow the rule of law.
Can a revoked citizenship be regained?
It is sometimes possible for people who lost their citizenship to have it reinstated, but the process varies by country. Some options may include:
- Appeal/court petition: Successfully appealing the decision in a higher administrative court or judicial court.
- New application: Re-applying for citizenship after a set period of time, such as 5-10 years.
- Pardon: Obtaining a presidential or governmental pardon for the offenses that led to revocation.
- Case re-review: Having the case re-reviewed if new evidence comes to light.
But regaining citizenship after revocation is difficult and not always possible. Much depends on the laws and policies in place in the particular country at that time.
How often does revocation happen?
Citizenship revocation is quite rare in most democratic countries. Exact statistics are hard to come by, but estimates include:
- United States: Around a few hundred cases per year. Over 300,000 people naturalize per year.
- Canada: Less than a few dozen cases per year. Over 200,000 people naturalize per year.
- United Kingdom: Around 100-150 cases per year. Over 200,000 people naturalize per year.
So only a tiny fraction of overall citizens face revocation in most countries. Violent criminals, terrorists, and spies make up the majority of revocation cases.
Citizenship Revocations per Year in Select Countries
| Country | Approx. Revocations Per Year |
|---|---|
| United States | 100-300 |
| Canada | 12-24 |
| United Kingdom | 100-150 |
| France | 20-40 |
| Germany | 25-50 |
Conclusion
In summary, it is possible but extremely rare for democratic countries to revoke a person’s citizenship. Naturalized citizens face somewhat higher risks than birthright citizens. Loss of citizenship only occurs after substantial due process and does not happen automatically. Most cases involve serious crimes or fraudulent citizenship applications. The majority of citizens will never need to worry about suddenly losing their rights and status as a result of citizenship expiring or being revoked.