Nationality and citizenship are two terms that are usually complicated as two words that offer an accurate description when there is a difference between them. Due to this distinction between nationality and citizenship, they need to be known differently and should not interchange. Both phrases are used about an individual’s status within a nation. These phrases are essential when it comes to residing in a country. They are, therefore, vital for everyone. This writing will explore their importance and the distinction between nationality and citizenship.
What is Nationality?
The concept of nationality describes the location or nation where a specific individual was born. It’s critical to understand that nationality is inherited from one parent. Nationality can also be derived from a natural occurrence. The ability to change one’s nationality is a significant difference between nationality and citizenship. An individual cannot be offered nationality. As such, there can not be a situation in which a nation grants an individual an honorary nationality. Nationality is a term that also describes the shared language, culture, and customs of individuals who are part of the same nation.
What is Citizenship?
Contrarily, citizenship has to do with the nation, whereby a specific individual or person has recorded his name for citizenship. Citizenship can also be obtained through birth; an individual is instantly a citizen of the nation in which they are born. Other grounds for granting citizenship have to do with being wedded to a citizen, having one or both parents who are both citizens or naturalization. This demonstrates that an individual of a particular nationality does not need to hold citizenship in that nation. He is also capable of holding citizenship in another country. Consider an individual who was birthed in the united states of America as an instance. He is typically an American citizen. He nevertheless registers as a resident with the UK administration. Even though he is an American by nationality, he has acquired British citizenship.
Additionally, an individual can only acquire citizenship in a certain nation or become a resident of a specific country if the political system of that nation approves their application. To put it differently, it can be asserted that a particular individual can only become a resident of a particular nation if everything goes according to law. Moreover, a person can become a citizen of a particular country or attain citizenship of a particular country only if the political framework of that particular country accepts their application. Otherwise, his application for citizenship in a certain country can be modified based on the individual’s desire. Therefore, individuals can possess various nationalities and citizenship at a specific time. The two don’t have to mean the same thing.
It is fascinating to understand that there are illustrations of some nations providing honorary citizenship to specific individuals, primarily celebrities and other individuals of tremendous significance in social and general life. However, citizenship is a term that may not be described to individuals of the same class. For instance, an African may possess the citizenship of the united states and yet does not become a part of the American citizen.
Difference Between Nationality and Citizenship
Nationality is a word that specifies the location or the nation in which a particular person is born. An individual automatically becomes a resident of a country by birth. On the contrary, citizenship is not usually involuntary but can be approved by the nation’s administration due to various motives. This is the significant difference between nationality and citizenship.
An individual of a particular nationality may possess citizenship in another nation. Heritage and birth can be methods of acquiring nationality. Nonetheless, citizenship can be acquired in a country other than birth if the administration of the relevant nation approves the citizenship application.
One of the most significant distinctions between these two systems is that nationality can not be altered. Citizenship can be changed depending on one’s desire. Another important difference between nationality and citizenship shows that nationality is a term that has to do with the ordinary cultures, customs, and language of other individuals of the same country, whereas citizenship may not be so.
