Bahrain: Bahraini Citizenship Act – 1963

Title

Date of adoption

16 September 1963

(Last amended: 13 July 1989)

Entry into force

Text versions

English

Source:

– Legislation & Legal Opinion Commission, Kingdom of Bahrain, accessed: 30 July 2014, http://www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/Media/LegalPDF/K0863.pdf

– Bahraini Citizenship Act,  16 September 1963, accessed 30 July 2014, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3fb9f34f4.html

Abstract

Art. 3 (Amended) considers anyone who has acquired the citizenship of Bahrain by virtue of Notice No. 20/1356 dated May 8^th 1937 to be a Bahraini if he has obtained a valid or renewed passport of Bahrain since 1959, or a Bahraini nationality or a final judicial decision.

Articles 4, 5 and 6 list the conditions for being considered a Bahraini by descent, birth and naturalization respectively.

Bahraini citizenship may be granted upon request to a foreigner who meets the following requirements: legally residing in Bahrain for at least 25 consecutive years (15 for Arab nationals) from the date of this law; good conduct; fluency in Arabic; having a registered real estate in Bahrain. However, a foreigner granted citizenship under this article shall not be entitled to voting rights, representation, nomination or appointment in local councils for 10 years. His wife and children shall be regarded as Bahraini by naturalization (Art. 6).

In accordance with Art. 7, a foreign woman marrying a Bahraini shall acquire Bahraini citizenship and may not lose it upon the dissolution of marriage unless she reclaims her original nationality or acquires a new one. A Bahraini woman marrying a foreign national shall not lose her Bahraini nationality unless she acquires the nationality of her husband. She may reclaim her Bahraini nationality upon the dissolution of marriage if she establishes residence in Bahrain.

Cases that lead to withdrawal of Bahraini nationality from persons who acquired it through naturalization include the acquisition of citizenship through deception, false statements or hiding of information and being found guilty in a case connected with honor and honesty within five years of acquiring citizenship (Art. 8).

A Bahraini citizen may lose his nationality if he voluntarily acquires another nationality or renounces his Bahraini nationality and His Majesty issues an order to withdraw his nationality. The loss of nationality would also apply to under-aged children (Art. 9).

A Bahraini citizen may be denaturalized by an order of His Majesty if he enters the military service of a foreign country, is ordered to leave it and does not comply; if he helps or joins the service of an enemy country and if he causes harm to the security of the State (Art. 10)