Can I keep my other citizenship if I become a US citizen?

This page explains what U.S. law says about keeping a second citizenship and how to check your other country's rules. It is general information, not legal advice. DNLH is not a law office. Laws change, so your consulate's answer is the one that counts. For the citizenship process itself, see Becoming a U.S. citizen: the complete guide.

This question matters. Your birth country is part of who you are. For many people it also means land, family, a pension or a vote. You can get a clear answer before you decide.

Does the United States make me give up my other citizenship?

No. The State Department says U.S. law does not require a U.S. citizen to choose between U.S. citizenship and another nationality (U.S. Department of State, Dual Nationality).

What happens to your other citizenship is decided by that country's law, not by the United States.

Doesn't the oath make me give up my country?

The oath has you say that you renounce allegiance to any foreign country you have been a citizen of (8 CFR 337.1). Many people stop here, worried.

Here is what we know. The State Department says U.S. law does not make you choose, and it describes dual nationals owing allegiance to both countries (State Department, Dual Nationality). Whether the oath's words end your other nationality is a question for your other country's law. Some countries treat becoming a U.S. citizen as ending their citizenship. Others ignore it.

If your conscience troubles you about the oath's wording, talk to a lawyer before the ceremony. You can also ask about the oath changes the law allows in Asking for help at your citizenship interview and oath. There is no option to remove the renunciation clause.

What decides whether I keep my other citizenship?

Your other country's nationality law. Countries fall into roughly three groups:

1. You keep it automatically. Becoming a U.S. citizen does not change your status there.
2. You keep it only if you act. You file a form, take an oath or register at the consulate, sometimes within a deadline.
3. You lose it. The country ends your citizenship when you voluntarily take another one. Some offer a special visa or residence card for former citizens instead.

Some countries also treat people differently based on whether they were citizens by birth or by naturalization.

What do some countries' laws say?

These are short summaries of official sources we read on October 21, 2026. They are examples, not the full rules. Confirm with your consulate.

Mexico. Mexico's Constitution says no Mexican by birth can be deprived of Mexican nationality (Constitution of Mexico, Article 37(A), Supreme Court of Mexico transcription). A person born Mexican keeps Mexican nationality after becoming a U.S. citizen. People who became Mexican by naturalization may follow different rules; ask the consulate.

The Philippines. Under Republic Act 9225, natural born Filipinos who become citizens of another country keep or reacquire Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Philippines (Republic Act No. 9225, Section 3). Unmarried children under 18 of someone who reacquires citizenship are also covered (Section 4). The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco has run these oath ceremonies, including at outreach events. Ask the consulate how and where to take the oath now. Those who want to run for office in the Philippines must formally renounce the other citizenship (Section 5).

China. China's Nationality Law says a Chinese national who has settled abroad and voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality (Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, Article 9, National People's Congress).

India. After acquiring foreign citizenship, Indian nationals must surrender their Indian passport to the Indian consulate, which cancels it and issues a renunciation or surrender certificate. The San Francisco consulate says the certificate can be obtained within 3 years of acquiring foreign citizenship, and that new U.S. citizens need a copy of their U.S. passport to apply (Consulate General of India, San Francisco, Renunciation FAQs). Ask the consulate about the Overseas Citizen of India card and whether you qualify.

Every other country. Check your country's embassy or consulate website for "dual nationality", "nationality law" or "loss of citizenship". If the answer is unclear, call and ask for it in writing.

What do I owe each country as a dual citizen?

The State Department says dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the other country, must obey the laws of both, and either country can enforce its laws on you (State Department, Dual Nationality).

That can include things like military service rules, taxes or registration duties in the other country. Ask the consulate what applies to you, especially for sons who may face a service duty.

U.S. help abroad can be limited. When you are in your other country, the State Department warns that the help U.S. consular officers can give may be restricted, because that country may treat you only as its own citizen.

How do I travel as a dual citizen?

Use your U.S. passport to leave and enter the United States. The State Department says U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must do this (Dual Nationality; 8 USC 1185(b)). Using your other passport to enter your other country is not against U.S. law. Your other country may even require it.

So plan ahead. Get your U.S. passport soon after the oath: see You are a citizen now: how to get a passport and register to vote. If you keep your other citizenship, keep that passport current too. Renewing it in the Bay Area is covered in How to renew a passport or consular ID at a consulate.

Could I lose my U.S. citizenship by keeping the other one?

Not just by keeping it. Under federal law, a U.S. citizen loses U.S. nationality only by voluntarily doing certain acts with the intention of giving up U.S. nationality. The acts include becoming a citizen of another country on your own application after age 18, or formally swearing allegiance to another country after 18 (8 USC 1481(a)). The key words are "with the intention." The State Department adds that a U.S. citizen may naturalize in another country without risk to U.S. citizenship (Dual Nationality).

What can take away naturalized citizenship is a different issue: lying or hiding facts to get it. See Can my U.S. citizenship be taken away?

What about my children?

Your children's status in your other country follows that country's rules. Many countries let parents register children born abroad. See Can my U.S. born child get my home country's nationality or passport?

If your children under 18 have green cards, they may have become U.S. citizens when you did. See Did my child become a citizen when I did?

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Trusting a relative's experience. Rules differ by country, by how you got that citizenship, and by year. Check for yourself.
• Waiting until after the oath. In countries where you must act to keep citizenship, a deadline may start the day you naturalize.
• Flying home on your old passport alone. You need a U.S. passport to leave and come back.
• Using your old passport without checking. If your country ends citizenship when you naturalize, ask the consulate before you use that passport again.
• Paying a "dual citizenship agent". Your consulate is the official source. Watch for immigration scams.

Questions people ask

Will USCIS ask if I plan to keep my other citizenship? The rules we read don't require you to give it up. Answer every question on your forms and at your interview honestly.

Can I vote in both countries? Your other country decides whether its citizens abroad can vote there, and how. Ask the consulate.

Can I own land back home? That depends on the other country's law. Ask the consulate before you naturalize if property matters to you.

My country doesn't allow dual citizenship. Should I still become a U.S. citizen? That is a personal decision. Weigh what you would gain here (voting, a U.S. passport, protection from deportation, petitions for family) against what you would lose there. A lawyer and your consulate can help you see the full picture.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service. Details checked October 18 to 21, 2026.

• Your country's consulate. It is the official source on your other citizenship. Search its website or call.
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440, for low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties (CLSEPA).
• Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Redwood City: free first consultation by appointment, (650) 587-1558 (IIBA).
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services.

More options: Free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area.

Is there a question list I can print?

You don't have to choose between where you came from and where you are now, unless your other country's law says so. Find out first, then decide with clear eyes.