Native-born citizen

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A native-born citizen of a country is a person who was born within the country's territory and has been legally recognized as that country's citizen from birth. Such a person is a citizen-at-birth by virtue of jus soli or birthright citizenship.

A person born outside a country, but who gained citizenship of the country at birth through descent from a citizen, is a citizen-at-birth through jus sanguinis, not a native-born citizen nor a naturalized citizen. A person who was born in a country that did not recognize him as its citizen at birth but later naturalized as its citizen is also not a native-born citizen.

In many countries (such as Japan), being native-born is not sufficient to confer citizenship. For example, Sadaharu Oh is not a Japanese citizen despite being born in Japan and having a Japanese mother.

The Republic of Ireland extends its citizenship laws on an extra-territorial basis to Northern Ireland. People from Northern Ireland (a region of the UK) who are Irish citizens by virtue of having been born on the island of Ireland are considered native-born citizens (see Irish nationality law).

In some countries (including Brazil), native birth is a requirement for certain high offices, such as the head of state or head of government.

[edit] See also

• Citizenship
• Nationality