04.2005 - Source: UK Border Agency (Home Office)

Citizenship and Nationality ("Country Report - April 2005") [#31980],  [ID 8469]

"[...]5.2 According to the US Defense Security Service in their 2001 report on citizenship criteria, citizenship is based upon the Iranian Civil Code which stipulates that in general, birth within the territory of Iran does not automatically confer citizenship. Some instances where birth does confer citizenship is when a child is born to unknown parents, children born to non-citizens, one of whom was born within Iran or a child born of a father of foreign nationality, if immediately after reaching the age of 18 the child continues to live within Iran for at least one year. [32] A child born to an Iranian father regardless of the country of birth is Iranian by descent. [32]
5.3 As reported by the BBC Monitoring Service on December 2002 Iran's laws allow a male national to acquire Iranian citizenship for his wife and children, while women are not entitled to the same privilege. In December 2002 it was announced that the Majlis were to debate a bill to grant Iranian citizenship to foreign spouses of Iranian women with a view to removing this discrimination. The bill sought to solve the problem of Iranian women who had married foreigners, particularly Afghan nationals. [21aw] In January 2003 according to Payvand News, the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission unanimously rejected the bill when the commission's rapporteur, Hamid-Reza Hajji-Babaei, was reported as saying that the sole article of the bill authorized the cabinet to issue permanent residence permits to Afghan nationals married to Iranian women whose marriages were solemnized within the period 21 March 1979 to 20 March 2002 and that "Under the bill, costs that may be incurred by the Interior Ministry in Afghan naturalization proceedings are to be paid by the applicants. However, given the results of expert studies into the issue, the commission thinks the costs and likely consequences of the plan would not be favorable to the country." [53a]
5.4 According to the US Defense Security Service in their 2001 report on citizenship criteria Iranian citizenship may be acquired upon fulfillment of the following conditions: the person must have reached the full age of 18, have resided in Iran for five years, whether continuously or intermittently, not be a military service escapee and not have been convicted of a major or non-political crime in any country. [32] [68a]The wives and minor children under 18 of naturalised citizens are also considered Iranian citizens. [32] Dual citizenship is not recognised. [32] The British Embassy Consular Section in Tehran stated on August 2004 that "In Iran, if you are a holder of both Iranian and British passports, you are recognised only as an Iranian national and the level of assistance we can provide is very limited." [...]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2002 - Source: UK Border Agency (Home Office)

UK Home Office: Basic requirements for citizenship ("Country Assessment - October 2002") [#9556],  [ID 8472]

"4.6. Citizenship is based upon the Iranian Civil Code which stipulates that in general, birth within the territory of Iran does not automatically confer citizenship. Some instances where birth does confer citizenship is when a child is born to unknown parents, child born to non-citizens, one of whom was born within Iran or a child born to non-citizens, if after reaching the age of 18 the child continues to live within Iran for at least one year. A child born to an Iranian father regardless of the country of birth is Iranian by descent.

4.7. A foreign woman married to an Iranian man is entitled to citizenship.

4.8. Iranian citizenship may be acquired upon fulfillment of the following conditions: Person must be at least 18 years of age, have resided in Iran for five years, not to be a military service escapee and not to have been convicted of a major crime in any country. The wives and minor children (under 18) of naturalised citizens are also considered Iranian citizens. Dual citizenship is not recognised. ran allows individuals to hold dual nationality, but will treat a dual national as Iranian and ignore the second nationality."

Document(s): Open document

01.10.2000 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Danish Immigration Service: Admission to citizenship ("Report on fact-finding mission to Iran; 9 - 17 September 2000") [#9593],  [ID 8470]

"A person who was born in Iran and who is not an Iranian citizen by birth can acquire Iranian
citizenship on reaching the age of 18. An application must be made, and it is a prerequisite for the
processing of the application that the applicant does not leave Iran between the ages of 18 and 19.
The Iranian police force will check whether the person concerned has left Iran during that period.
When asked whether a refugee residing in Iran can apply for Iranian citizenship, Ahmad Sobhani
said that if the person concerned has refugee status in Iran, he can apply for citizenship. However,
he stressed that it is extremely difficult for a refugee to acquire Iranian citizenship. This was
confirmed by Hojatol-Islam Ebrahimi.
The circumstances are somewhat different if the refugee can prove that his father or paternal
grandfather is of Iranian origin. There is no problem in acquiring Iranian citizenship in such cases.
According to Ahmad Sobhani, around 5 000 persons acquired Iranian citizenship in that way
in 1999. Whether the applicant is male or female makes no difference in such cases.
When the delegation asked whether a person can change his name in connection with acquiring
Iranian citizenship, Ahmad Sobhani replied that this is possible but not easy to do.
Ahmad Sobhani did not answer the delegation's question as to whether the Iranian authorities
maintain a central register of applications for and accordances of Iranian citizenship. All he would
say was that applicants' names are recorded – without further elaboration. He added that it was
possible to ask the Iranian authorities whether an individual had applied for and been granted
Iranian citizenship.
Formal responsibility for processing applications for Iranian citizenship lies with the Iranian
Government. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the authority to process and decide on
Report on fact-finding mission to Iran
such applications.
Applications for Iranian citizenship must be submitted to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If
the applicant resides outside Tehran, the application is submitted to the branch of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs in his place of residence, which will forward the application to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in Teheran. Applications from abroad must be submitted via an Iranian
representation. The fee for an application submitted in Iran is around USD 10-20 (USD 30-40 for
an application submitted from abroad).
When processing an application, the Iranian authorities examine the person's circumstances outside
Iran, inter alia via Interpol.
If an application for Iranian citizenship is approved, the individual concerned must go in person to
the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will then be sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
where he will swear an oath and take a language test.
Dual nationality is not permitted in Iran. If a person wishes to retain his other nationality, he must
surrender his Iranian citizenship. If he does not do so, the Iranian authorities will regard him as an
Iranian citizen and he will be entitled to an Iranian passport and identity card. According to a
Western embassy, in practice it is virtually impossible to surrender Iranian citizenship.
According to Ahmad Sobhani, an Iranian woman cannot change her Iranian citizenship unless her
Iranian husband does likewise.
A request for the suspension of Iranian citizenship cannot be approved if the person concerned is
below the age of 25, or if he has matters outstanding with the Iranian authorities.
When entering Iran, a person who has surrendered his Iranian citizenship will be treated in exactly
the same way as any other foreigner.
A person who has surrendered his Iranian citizenship may at any time apply for his citizenship to be
reinstated."

Document(s): Open document

01.10.2000 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Danish Immigration Service: Acquisition of citizenship ("Report on fact-finding mission to Iran; 9 - 17 September 2000") [#9593],  [ID 8471]

"By way of introduction, Ahmad Sobhani said that any person born of Iranian parents is an Iranian
citizen. Whether the person in question was born inside or outside Iran is of subsidiary importance
in that respect. However, the birth must be registered with the authorities in order for an Iranian
identity card to be issued. If a child is born outside Iran, his birth must be registered at an Iranian
embassy.
A child born of an Iranian mother who is married to a non-Iranian father is regarded as having the
same nationality as his father. If the child is born in Iran, he may be granted Iranian citizenship
after residing in Iran for 18 years.
A child born in Iran of parents of unknown identity will be an Iranian citizen.
If a child is born in Iran of an Iranian mother outside marriage, he will be regarded as an Iranian
citizen if his father is an Iranian citizen. However, the child's identity card will contain his mother's
family particularly. In cases where the child's father is not an Iranian citizen, the Iranian authorities
will regard the child as having the same nationality as his father.
According to Ahmad Sobhani, an Iranian woman who gives birth to a child out of wedlock in Iran
may be held criminally responsible for such an act. The relationship in question may be regarded as
constituting infidelity, and thus liable to punishment. Ahmad Sobhani stressed that a relationship
between two unmarried persons will not be dealt with as severely as a relationship in which either
or both of the partners is married to someone else. If the parents marry after the birth, this may
resolve the problems with regard to the Iranian authorities, there being no liability to punishment,
provided that the marriage is registered with the authorities. No distinction is made between
marriages contracted inside or outside Iran. If the marriage takes place outside Iran, it may be registered by contacting an Iranian representation.
A foreign woman who marries an Iranian citizen automatically acquires Iranian citizenship."

Document(s): Open document