Dual Citizenship UK: Do You Need to Give Up Your Passport?

The UK's Position on Dual Citizenship

GOV.UK states that dual citizenship, also known as dual nationality, is allowed in the UK. Under UK law:

• You can become a British citizen while retaining your existing nationality
• You can acquire another country's citizenship without losing British citizenship. There is no provision in UK law for automatic loss: British citizenship ends only through a registered declaration of renunciation, or a deprivation order
• You can hold citizenship of multiple countries simultaneously
• The Home Office does not require you to renounce another citizenship during the naturalisation process

This means that from the UK's perspective, there is no barrier to holding dual citizenship. Check the good character requirement and other criteria for naturalisation. The only question is whether your other country allows it.

The Other Country's Rules

The UK is relaxed about this. Many countries are not. If the country you are already a citizen of does not permit dual nationality, becoming British may cost you that nationality. That is decided by that country's law, and it changes: the form AN guidance itself tells applicants to check whether their country of nationality allows dual citizenship, and to seek advice from that country before applying.

Rowan does not keep a list of foreign nationality laws, because a list that goes stale is worse than no list at all. A few examples, each with the official source that states it, give a sense of the range:

• India: The Ministry of External Affairs of India states that dual citizenship is not allowed. Under the Citizenship Act 1955, an Indian citizen who voluntarily acquires another citizenship ceases to be an Indian citizen. Former citizens can apply for an Overseas Citizen of India card, which is a lifelong visa rather than citizenship.
• China: The Chinese Embassy in the UK cites article 9 of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China: a Chinese citizen who settles abroad and voluntarily acquires foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality. The law does not recognise dual nationality.
• Japan: The Japanese Ministry of Justice says a person who holds more than one nationality must choose one by a set deadline, and may lose Japanese nationality if they do not. The ages in those deadlines changed on 1 April 2022, so check the Ministry's own page for the current figures.
• Singapore: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority states that the government has no plans to allow dual citizenship, and that someone becoming a Singapore citizen should expect to give up their foreign nationality. Renunciation of Singapore citizenship is only possible at 21 or over and after acquiring another citizenship, and may be refused for a male citizen with outstanding National Service obligations.
• Bangladesh: The Bangladesh High Commission in London states that a former Bangladeshi passport holder who has become a British citizen does not need a Dual Nationality Certificate, and can hold and renew a Bangladeshi passport on evidence of Bangladeshi origin.

For every other country, the source is that country's own authorities: its embassy or high commission in the UK, or its nationality department. Any figure or rule taken from a third-party website is only as current as that website, which is exactly the risk here.

Practical Considerations for Dual Citizens

Passports and Travel

• Entering the UK: GOV.UK says a dual national can travel to the UK using a valid UK passport, an Irish passport, or a certificate of entitlement in a foreign passport. After naturalising you cannot use a biometric residence permit, an eVisa or your citizenship certificate to enter as a British citizen, and British citizens cannot get an electronic travel authorisation, so one of those documents is what you travel on.
• Use your other passport to enter your home country: Many countries require their citizens to enter on that country's passport. Using a British passport to enter a country of which you are also a citizen can cause confusion.
• Consular help has a limit: GOV.UK states that as a dual national you cannot get diplomatic help from the British government while you are in the other country where you hold citizenship. Check the entry requirements section of the GOV.UK foreign travel advice for that country before you go.

Tax Implications

The UK taxes based on residence, not citizenship. If you live in the UK, you pay UK tax regardless of your nationality. However, some countries tax their citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live:

• The United States: US citizens file US tax returns wherever they live. Anyone who is or becomes a US citizen should take that into account.
• Most other countries: Tax based on residence, not citizenship. Double taxation agreements between the UK and most countries prevent being taxed twice on the same income.

Military Service

Some countries require military or national service from their citizens, and the obligation can survive living abroad. The form AN guidance makes this point directly: if the country of which you are a citizen continues to recognise you as one of its citizens, you may continue to be subject to the duties of its citizens while you are in its territory, and it says this may include obligations to undergo military service. Whether that applies to you is a question for that country's authorities.

Making the Decision

Where the other country does not allow dual nationality, the choice is a real one, and it is yours. The things that usually sit on each side of it are:

• What do you lose? Consider what you lose by giving up your original citizenship: right to live in your home country freely, property rights, inheritance rights, voting rights, and passport travel benefits.
• What do you gain? A British passport, voting rights in the UK, travel benefits, permanent status that cannot be lost through absence, and the ability to pass citizenship to children born abroad.
• Alternative status: Some countries offer a status for former citizens that carries many rights short of citizenship. India's Overseas Citizen of India card is the best-known example.
• Staying settled: Naturalising is not compulsory. Indefinite leave to remain lets you live and work in the UK with no time limit while keeping your existing nationality. It is not identical to citizenship: it lapses after 2 years of continuous absence, and it can be revoked in serious cases.

The Process for Dual Nationals Applying for British Citizenship

If your country allows dual citizenship, the process is straightforward. You apply for British citizenship through the normal naturalisation process and retain your existing nationality. No additional steps are needed.

If your country does not allow dual citizenship, you may need to:

• Renounce the other citizenship: Some countries require a formal renunciation, before or after the foreign citizenship is acquired, and the timing and process are set by that country. Our citizenship renunciation guide covers the UK side, which is the reverse case: giving up British citizenship.
• Apply for alternative status: Check if your country offers a special status for former citizens (such as the Overseas Citizen of India card, or a long-term residence permit).
• Automatic loss: In some countries the citizenship goes automatically on acquiring another, with no formal renunciation involved. Article 9 of the Chinese Nationality Law works this way. Confirm the position with that country's embassy or high commission.

Dual Citizenship for Children

Children can hold dual citizenship from birth if they are entitled to citizenship of more than one country. Common scenarios:

• Born in the UK to a settled or citizen parent: Automatically British (see our citizenship by birth guide), and may also be a citizen of their parent's country.
• Born abroad to a British citizen: Usually British by descent, and also a citizen of the country where they were born (depending on that country's rules).

Some countries require children with dual nationality to choose one citizenship when they reach adulthood (typically 18 or 22). See our citizenship for children guide for registration routes. Check the rules for each country of citizenship.

Getting Specific Advice

Dual citizenship rules are country-specific and can be complex. Before making a decision:

• Contact your home country's embassy in the UK: They can confirm the current rules on dual citizenship for your specific nationality.
• Take regulated advice on the UK side: Advice about an individual immigration or nationality case is regulated in the UK: it comes from a solicitor, or from an adviser registered with or exempted by the Immigration Advice Authority, which took over from the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner on 16 January 2025. See our guide to applying alone or with a solicitor. A UK adviser is not the right source on another country's nationality law.
• Check GOV.UK: The GOV.UK dual citizenship page confirms the UK's position.

Questions and answers