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National Laws

NOTE: This information on national legislation has been collected on the basis of the data available and may not always be up-to-date and complete.

Part I: Member States of the Council of Europe
Part II: Non-member States of the Council of Europe

Part I: Member States of the Council of Europe

MEMBER STATES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

NATIONALITY LEGISLATION

Albania

1. Constitution (Article 19)
2. Law No.8389 of 5 August 1998 “On the Albanian Nationality” – in Albanian only
3. Law No. 8422 of 21 January 1999 – in Albanian only

Andorra

1. Constitution (Article 7).
2. Nationality Act of 5 October 1997 – in Catalan only

Armenia

1. Constitution
2. Law on Citizenship
3. Government Decree No. 192 of 25 June 1996 on the implementation of the Nationality Act

Austria

1. Nationality Act of 1985

Azerbaijan

1. Constitution , in particular Articles 52 and 53
2. Law on Citizenship of 30 September 1998
3. Regulation “Rules for Examination of Issues concerning Azerbaijani Citizenship and their Resolution” of 30 August 1999

Belgium

1. Constitution (in particular, Articles 8, 9, 10, 64, 69, 74, 97, 104 and 191)
2. Nationality Code – in French only

Bosnia and Herzegovina

1. Law on Citizenship of 27 July 1999 (and amendments of 5 March and 23 April 2003)
2. Amendments to the Law on Citizenship of 16 November 2005.

Bulgaria

1. Constitution (1991), in particular Article 25
2. Citizenship Act

Croatia

1. Law on Citizenship

Cyprus

1. Treaty concerning the Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus (Article 6 and Annex D)
2. Constitution (Article 198)
3. Citizenship Law, 1967, Law No. 43 of 1967
4. Citizenship (Amendment) Law, 1972, Law No. 1 of 1972
5. Citizenship (Amendment) Law, 1983, Law No. 74 of 1983
6. The Republic of Cyprus Citizenship Regulations 1969
7. The Republic of Cyprus Citizenship (Amendment) Regulations 1985
8. The Republic of Cyprus Citizenship (Amendment) Regulations 1990

Czech Republic

1. Constitution
2. Act on the acquisition and loss of nationality No. 40/1993 (amended by Acts N° 357/2003)
3. Act on nationality of some former Czechoslovak nationals No. 193/1999
4. Regulation No. 137/1993 of the Ministry of Education and Youth on criteria for proving knowledge of the Czech language by applicants for naturalization in the Czech Republic

Denmark

5. Consolidated Act on Danish Nationality No. 113 of 20 February 2003
6. Circular No. 55 of 12 June 1999 on New Guidelines for Listing in a Naturalisation Bill

Estonia

1. Citizenship Act (1995)
2. Language Act ( 1995)

Finland

1. Constitution (731/1919), paragraph 5
2. Nationality Act (359/2003)

France

1. Civil Code (Articles 17 to 33-2 )
2. Law No. 98-170 of 16 March 1998 on nationality – in French only
3. Decree No. 98-720 of 20 August 1998 concerning application of the Law No. 98-170 of 16 March 1998 on nationality and concerning declarations, requests, decisions and notes in the field of French nationality

Georgia

1. Constitution (in particular, articles 12-13)
2. Law on Citizenship of 1993
3. Decree No. 380 of the President ”Regulation on Granting Citizenship of Georgia to a Citizen of a Foreign State” of 9 September 2004

Germany

1. Nationality Act

Greece

1. Constitution of 1975/1986 Articles 4 par. 1, 2 and 3 and 116 par. 6
2. Code of Greek Nationality.

Hungary

1. Act No. L.V. of 1993 on Hungarian Nationality
2. Government Decree No. 125 of 1993

Iceland

1. Constitution
2. Icelandic Nationality Act of 1952

Ireland

1. Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956 and 1986
2. Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1994
3. Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 2001
4. Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Fees) Regulations, 1993

Italy

1. Law N o. 91 of 5 February 1992 containing ne w citizenship r ules

Latvia

1. Constitution
2. Citizenship Law
3. Law on the Status of the Former USSR Citizens Who Are not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State
4. Law on the Status of Stateless Persons

Liechtenstein

1. Act of 4 January 1934 on the Acquisition and Loss of Citizenship

Lithuania

1. Constitution, paragraphs 12 and 13, 1992
2. Law on Citizenship of 17 September 2002
3. Law on Implementation of the Law on Citizenship of 17 September 2002

Luxembourg

1. Constitution, in particular Articles 9 and 10
2. Law on citizenship of 23 October 2008 – in French only
3. Brochure

Malta

1. Constitution
2. Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap 188).

Moldova

1. Constitution (29 July 1994), Articles 17, 18 and 19
2. Law on Citizenship (June 2000)

Netherlands

1. Netherlands Nationality Act

Norway

1. Norwegian Nationality Act
2. Circular G-2899 (March 1999)

Poland

1. Act on Citizenship of 15 February 1962
2. Act on Citzenship of 20 January 1920
3. Act on Citizenship of 8 January 1951

Portugal

1. Legislative Decree No. 322/82 of 12 August 1982 – in Portuguese only
2. Decree-Law No. 237-A/2006 of 14 December 2006 – in Portuguese only

Romania

1. Law on Citizenship No. 21/1991
Text in force since 17^th of May 2009

Russian Federation

1. Constitution (1993) (Article 6).
2. Nationality Act (November 2003)
3. Regulations relating to the procedure for examining questions of nationality (December 2003).

San Marino

1. Ordinary Roman Law Prior to Act No. 32,1984
2. Act No. 98, 1986

Slovakia

1. Act No. 40/1993 – Bulletin

Slovenia

1. Citizenship Act

Spain

1. Constitution (in particular, Article 11)
2. Civil Code (Articles 17 to 26)
3. Act No. 29/95 of 2 November 1995 amending the Civil Code

Sweden

1. Citizenship Act (2001:82)
2. Ordinance on Citizenship (2001:218)

Switzerland

1. Federal Law of 29 September 1952 on the acquisition and loss of Swiss nationality
2. Ordinance of 25 November 1991 on fees charged in application of the nationality law

"The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"

1. Constitution
2. Law on Nationality

Turkey

1. Nationality Act No. 403
2. Regulation on Turkish Nationality Act no. 403
3. Settlement Act no. 2510

Ukraine

1. Constitution of 1996
2. Law on Citizenship of 18 January 2001
Amendments to the Law on Citizenship of 16 June 2005
Consolidated version of the Law on Citizenship (incorporating amendments of 16 June 2005)
3. Law of Ukraine on Refugees No.2557-III of 21 June 2001

United
Kingdom

1. British Nationality Act 1981
2. British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983
3. Hong Kong Act 19 85
4. British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990
5. Hong Kong (War wives and Widows) Act 1996
6. British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997
7. British Overseas Territories Act 2002
8. Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
9. Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004
10. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) (No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2005
11. Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
12. Terrorism Act 2006

Part II: Non-member States of the Council of Europe

NON-MEMBER STATES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

NATIONALITY LEGISLATION

Canada

1. Citizenship Act, 1974-75-76
2. Citizenship Regulations, 1993

Holy See

1. Law on citizenship and residence (III/29)

Kyrghyzstan

1. Constitution (Articles 13, 14)
2. Law on Citizenship (1993)
3. Law on the legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Territory of the Kyrghyz Republic (1993)