What is dual citizenship?
Answer
Being a citizen of two countries
Explanation
Dual citizenship means being a citizen of two countries at the same time, holding the legal rights and obligations of citizenship in both. The United States allows dual citizenship as a matter of policy but does not formally encourage it. The Oath of Allegiance taken at naturalization includes a renunciation of allegiance to other sovereigns, but U.S. law (since the Supreme Court's decision in Afroyim v. Rusk, 387 U.S. 253 in 1967, and Vance v. Terrazas, 444 U.S. 252 in 1980) does not strip a person of U.S. citizenship for holding another citizenship, voting in foreign elections, serving in foreign militaries (with limited exceptions), or otherwise exercising rights of foreign citizenship.
The U.S. State Department's policy, set out in 7 FAM 1200, recognizes that a U.S. citizen may also be a citizen of another country and notes that dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country.
Common dual citizenship situations include: a U.S. citizen by birth who acquires a second citizenship by descent (a parent's citizenship), by marriage (some countries grant citizenship to foreign spouses), or by naturalizing in another country without renouncing U.S. citizenship; a foreign citizen who naturalizes as a U.S. citizen and whose country of origin permits retention of the original citizenship; a child born in the United States to foreign citizen parents, who is a U.S. citizen by birth under the Fourteenth Amendment and may also be a citizen of the parents' country by descent.
Practical implications of dual citizenship include: dual nationals may travel on either passport (the U.S. State Department requires U.S. citizens to use their U.S. passport when entering and leaving the United States), dual nationals are subject to the laws of both countries when in the territory of either, dual nationals may have voting rights and military service obligations in both countries, dual nationals may face tax obligations in both countries (the United States taxes citizens on worldwide income regardless of residence; tax treaties with many countries reduce double taxation), and dual nationals may inherit property in both countries under the local rules.
The United States does not require dual nationals to choose one citizenship; the choice rests with the individual and the laws of each country.
Why this matters for your test
Understanding dual citizenship clarifies a common point of confusion: U. S. naturalization does not automatically end original citizenship in countries that allow dual nationality.
Many naturalized citizens retain their original citizenship for inheritance, family, or business reasons, and U. S. law accepts that arrangement.
Source: USCIS Application Guide (2025)
