- How can you get Andorran citizenship?
- Other conditions for obtaining Andorran citizenship
- Naturalization - citizenship on a general basis
It is not known for what reasons, but many immigrants dream of seeing one of the dwarf states located in the heart of Europe as their final place of residence. Perhaps they believe that in a small country it is easier to adapt, integrate into the local society, and find oneself. The request for how to obtain Andorran citizenship is as common as the request for Belgium, France or Spain.
Below we will talk about why this country is attractive for immigrants, what mechanisms are spelled out in Andorran citizenship legislation, are there any simplified schemes for obtaining an Andorran passport.
How can you get Andorran citizenship?
Making a decision to immigrate to Europe is a rather serious step for any person, the choice of the country of future residence will be even more important, since not all European powers are open to foreigners who dream of moving here forever. Legal issues of obtaining, losing or, for example, restoring Andorran citizenship are covered, first of all, in the Constitution of the state, as well as in the Law "On Citizenship", the last edition of which was approved in 1997. With regard to obtaining civil rights in the principality, there are several principles: "the right of blood"; the principle of equality between women and men; "Soil right"; the principle of residence.
Let us dwell on these grounds in more detail. A newborn will automatically receive Andorran citizenship, provided that his parents are citizens of this state. The place of birth of the child in this case does not play a role, the child becomes a citizen by descent. The peculiarity of this important principle is that it applies only to the first generation, if one who has become a citizen of Andorra continues to live abroad, then his children will no longer be able to obtain citizenship of the principality on the basis of this principle.
The principle of "citizenship by birth" applies to those children who were born on the territory of Andorra, and their mothers and fathers are either unknown or at the time of birth are stateless. A child born to foreign parents will be able to obtain citizenship of the principality, if the mother or father has lived in the country for more than 18 years. And he himself, having reached the age of majority (the same eighteen years), can become an Andorran citizen if he lives in this dwarf state all the time.
The principle of “gender equality” means that a child can become a citizen of Andorra if one of the parents has the citizenship of the principality. This principle is proclaimed in article 1 of the Constitution.
An important nuance of the state's policy in relation to citizenship is that the institution of dual citizenship does not operate on the territory of the country. Immigrants who are going to become part of Andorran society should also know about this. Before receiving the cherished passports, they will have to renounce the citizenship of the country where they lived before moving to Andorra.
Other conditions for obtaining Andorran citizenship
In this state, there are other mechanisms, using which, you can get a general civil passport. For example, citizenship through adoption, it is only important that the adopted child is less than 14 years old.
Another way that is suitable for adult foreigners is to enter into an official marriage with an Andorran citizen. Registration of relations makes it possible to quickly go through legal procedures, reduce the residency requirement, the spouse will need to prove that the period of his stay on the territory of the principality is at least three years. Moreover, this period includes the time lived before marriage, in marriage, or in the aggregate of two periods.
Naturalization - citizenship on a general basis
In the absence of all other opportunities that provide citizenship of Andorra under simplified schemes, foreigners have only one way - naturalization. It is quite long; in this regard, a rather tough policy is being pursued in the principality. Firstly, the residency requirement is 20 years, that is, a potential applicant must prove that during this time he has permanently resided in the country.
Secondly, a certificate is required that he has completed a compulsory education course, and it is in the territory of Andorra. Courses abroad, no matter in which country they were taken, are not taken into account. Thirdly, the applicant for Andorran citizenship will be required to prove their integration into the local society and renounce their previous citizenship.
And yet, many foreigners agree to go such a long way to obtain an Andorran passport, since they know about all the benefits of obtaining citizenship. Further, it is important to comply with the Constitution, the laws of the country, including on citizenship, so as not to lose the document obtained by such labor.
