What are the correct criteria for determining one's nationality?

Question:

What are the correct criteria for determining one's nationality?

There appear to be two different methods viz. one's place of birth or from one's father's nationality, but from whence comes his ? I was born in Wales, my father was born in England and his father was born in Wales. I know we are all three considered British but I only mean to illustrate the point. If we depend on our antecedents' declared nationality then we are all African because we are told that is where the human race originated (unless you believe in the story of Adam and Eve). Cliff Richards (sorry, Sir Cliff) and georgeous Joanna Lumley were both born in India - are they Indian ?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: You're confusing nationality with ancestry. The two are completely unrelated. Your nationality is British. How do we know? Because you are a British citizen and have not declared your allegiance to any other sovereign. THAT ALONE is the criteria for determining your nationality. If you want to travel to the US, you would need a passport. Which country would offer you a passport? That country is the one of whom you would be declared a "national", which is the term for a person living or traveling abroad. You coming to my country makes you a "British national." Me going to your country makes me an "American national", though I do have a passport from the Ile de Miquelon and St-Pierre, so I can also be considered a French national...small fluke of history paid off. I have dual citizenship...ergo I have dual nationalities. It's allowed in most countries.

Sir Cliff and Ms. Joanna are both British. Place of birth is only relevent if you're claiming that country's citizenship. People are citizens of countries they've never been to because they were born abroad and they haven't made it back to the country of which they're citizens. But that's still their nationality.

Your antecedent's or parents' nationality only comes in to play when you're a child. If your father is Pakistani, your mother British and you're born in India, you are allowed to choose either British or Pak citizenship, but you would be denied Indian citizenship because your parents are not citizens. Once your parents decide which nationality you'll hold, they file papers with that country's embassy and the embassy will add you to that parent's passport. You have until the age of emancipation +5 years to request that citizenship be revoked and the citizenship of the other country be granted to you.

So the real factors are:

The laws of the country where you're born (not all grant citizenship to children born in their country...only in the West, and even that's getting tougher...and only if your parents weren't in the military or service to another government)

The nationalities of your parents.

The documents filed after your birth to establish your citizenship.

Then don't forget that you can renounce your citizenship as an adult and accept allegiance to another sovereign. When that happens, your nationality changes.