Dual citizenship
Dec 21st 2013, 10:49 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 3
Dual citizenship
Does anyone know the route one takes to get dual citezenship?
I have absolutely no idea who to contact or how to go about doing it.
I was born in Malta in 1974, my parents lived there while my Dad was in the royal marines based there. I've been back a few times, and hoping to get dual'ed up by may. Is this possible?
I have absolutely no idea who to contact or how to go about doing it.
I was born in Malta in 1974, my parents lived there while my Dad was in the royal marines based there. I've been back a few times, and hoping to get dual'ed up by may. Is this possible?
Dec 22nd 2013, 12:03 am
#2
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,192
Re: Dual citizenship
So you have British citizenship through your father/parents and you're looking to gain Maltese citizenship?
Any person born in Malta between 21/09/1964 and 31/07/1989 automatically acquired Maltese citizenship at birth. However you would have lost it when you turned 19 as you didn't renounce your British citizenship as Malta didn't allow adults to possess dual citizenship.
The law was changed in 2000 and any former Maltese citizen by birth or descent who had lost was conferred with citizenship retrospective to the date it was lost. In this sense you are deemed never to lost your Maltese citizenship so in theory you are already Maltese.
You'll need your Maltese birth certificate to apply for your passport.
http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=407
Any person born in Malta between 21/09/1964 and 31/07/1989 automatically acquired Maltese citizenship at birth. However you would have lost it when you turned 19 as you didn't renounce your British citizenship as Malta didn't allow adults to possess dual citizenship.
The law was changed in 2000 and any former Maltese citizen by birth or descent who had lost was conferred with citizenship retrospective to the date it was lost. In this sense you are deemed never to lost your Maltese citizenship so in theory you are already Maltese.
You'll need your Maltese birth certificate to apply for your passport.
http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=407
Dec 22nd 2013, 1:32 am
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 3
Re: Dual citizenship
So I just need to be looking at point 1 instead of citezenship?
So my journey starts with a phonecall To book an appointment?
This looks straight forward. Do you know how long it will all take? I see all data gets sent to Malta so I assume at the very least a month.
Thanks for the info!!!
So my journey starts with a phonecall To book an appointment?
This looks straight forward. Do you know how long it will all take? I see all data gets sent to Malta so I assume at the very least a month.
Thanks for the info!!!
Dec 23rd 2013, 1:01 am
#4
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: SW Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,960
Re: Dual citizenship
Hi... Chipping in as someone going through Maltese bureaucracy for citizenship, same as you except I am applying by registration/descent
As BritInParis said, you will need to have your Maltese birth certificate, which if you don't have, you *should* be able to obtain from www.certifikati.gov.mt
It will be shipped to your home in the UK.
But before you can apply for a passport, you need to apply for confirmation of your Maltese nationality. My Mum has automatic Maltese nationality from her birth in 1972 but when she wanted to apply for her Maltese passport along with myself, she had to apply for confirmation of her nationality before she could go right away and apply for the passport. This is due to the change of laws, and the fact that she "lost" Maltese nationality upon acquiring Canadian, then was supposed to be treated like she never lost it. They just need to confirm the people who are applying for passports actually are entitled
The other reason you need to apply for confirmation first [specific to your case] is that since your father was working in Malta for the Royal Marines, he may have enjoyed diplomatic immunity, in which case any claim you may have to Maltese nationality would be invalid. Obviously the confirmation check will figure that out, and you may want to ask your father if he was enjoying diplomatic immunity at the time. If not, you're good to go and should be eligible for Maltese nationality and passport!
Source: http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Informati.../CEA1-BIR4.pdf
You will need to fill out form: http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Informati...0-%20DualB.pdf
and form : http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Informati...ship/CEA27.pdf
Once your birth certificate is acquired (or if you have it in your possession already) and you fill out those forms along with the required documents listed, you will need to send them to the Maltese High Commission in London. Their website is here: http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=407 (Thanks BritInParis!
)
Let me know if you need any further assistance as my mum and I went through the same process!
As BritInParis said, you will need to have your Maltese birth certificate, which if you don't have, you *should* be able to obtain from www.certifikati.gov.mt
It will be shipped to your home in the UK.
But before you can apply for a passport, you need to apply for confirmation of your Maltese nationality. My Mum has automatic Maltese nationality from her birth in 1972 but when she wanted to apply for her Maltese passport along with myself, she had to apply for confirmation of her nationality before she could go right away and apply for the passport. This is due to the change of laws, and the fact that she "lost" Maltese nationality upon acquiring Canadian, then was supposed to be treated like she never lost it. They just need to confirm the people who are applying for passports actually are entitled
The other reason you need to apply for confirmation first [specific to your case] is that since your father was working in Malta for the Royal Marines, he may have enjoyed diplomatic immunity, in which case any claim you may have to Maltese nationality would be invalid. Obviously the confirmation check will figure that out, and you may want to ask your father if he was enjoying diplomatic immunity at the time. If not, you're good to go and should be eligible for Maltese nationality and passport!
Source: http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Informati.../CEA1-BIR4.pdf
You will need to fill out form: http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Informati...0-%20DualB.pdf
and form : http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Informati...ship/CEA27.pdf
Once your birth certificate is acquired (or if you have it in your possession already) and you fill out those forms along with the required documents listed, you will need to send them to the Maltese High Commission in London. Their website is here: http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=407 (Thanks BritInParis!
)Let me know if you need any further assistance as my mum and I went through the same process!
Dec 23rd 2013, 1:17 am
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 3
Re: Dual citizenship
I see!
He was not a diplomat, he was a soldier based there. He did many tours from Malta, to jungle tours...but purely as a soldier.
He passed away a year ago, and earlier this year I scattered his ashes in Malta.
It may seem stupid to most, but for me it's spiritual.
----
Just clicked on your links for the forms....I see the documents as pretty impossible to get hold of.
My mother is the only living elder I know that can supply me with the infomation, but I'm 100% sure she won't have my grandparents paperwork at all. ( she will also not know where they were born, when they were married, Place of birth, etc etc).
He was not a diplomat, he was a soldier based there. He did many tours from Malta, to jungle tours...but purely as a soldier.
He passed away a year ago, and earlier this year I scattered his ashes in Malta.
It may seem stupid to most, but for me it's spiritual.
----
Just clicked on your links for the forms....I see the documents as pretty impossible to get hold of.
My mother is the only living elder I know that can supply me with the infomation, but I'm 100% sure she won't have my grandparents paperwork at all. ( she will also not know where they were born, when they were married, Place of birth, etc etc).
Last edited by Malta74; Dec 23rd 2013 at 1:23 am. Reason: Updated post
Dec 23rd 2013, 1:57 pm
#6
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: SW Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,960
Re: Dual citizenship
Hey Malta74, I know what you mean. My family (Mums side) is from Malta and I feel great affinity to the place even though I am raised Canadian... I feel both Canadian and Maltese, and one day I want to live down there, but with the economy in Malta down the crapper it will be hard, but one day I hope it'll happen
With regards to the forms, I don't believe you will need to furnish your grandparents information if you don't have it, as you were born in Malta to British parents and British grandparents (I am assuming) and the law at the time was that any person born in Malta was a national of Malta. So your claim to nationality is irrelevant to your parents/grandparents places of birth (which i am assuming is UK)
Check with the High Commission, or the citizenship department in Valletta directly at [email protected]
With regards to the forms, I don't believe you will need to furnish your grandparents information if you don't have it, as you were born in Malta to British parents and British grandparents (I am assuming) and the law at the time was that any person born in Malta was a national of Malta. So your claim to nationality is irrelevant to your parents/grandparents places of birth (which i am assuming is UK)
Check with the High Commission, or the citizenship department in Valletta directly at [email protected]
