Seychelles 1993 Constitution (reviewed 2017)

CHAPTER II. CITIZENSHIP

1. 1. A person who, immediately before the coming into force of this Constitution, was a citizen of Seychelles by birth, descent, naturalization or registration shall, on and after that date, continue by virtue of this article to be a citizen of Seychelles by birth, descent, naturalization or registration, as the case may be.
   2. Subject to article 9, a person born in Seychelles on or after the coming into force of this Constitution, shall become a citizen of Seychelles at the date of birth.

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1. 1. 1. A person shall not become a citizen of Seychelles by virtue of article 8 if, at the date of birth, neither of the person’s parents is a citizen of Seychelles.
      2. A person shall not become a citizen of Seychelles by virtue of article 8 if, at the date of birth, —
         1. either of the person’s parents possesses such immunity from suit and legal process as is accorded to an envoy of a foreign sovereign power accredited to Seychelles; or
         2. either of the person’s parents is a citizen of a country with which Seychelles is at war and the birth occurs in a place then under occupation by that country, and neither of the person’s parents is a citizen of Seychelles.

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1. 1. This article shall apply to a person —
      1. who would not, but for this article, be or become a citizen of Seychelles;
      2. who was born outside Seychelles before Independence Day; and
      3. any one of whose grand parents or parents was born in Seychelles.
   2. Subject to any Act, a person to whom this article applies shall be eligible to become a citizen of Seychelles by naturalization or registration.
2. A person born outside Seychelles on or after the Independence Day but before the 5th June, 1979 whose mother was a Seychellois at the time of the person’s birth is eligible to become a citizen of Seychelles by naturalization or registration.
3. A person born outside Seychelles on or after the coming into force of this Constitution shall become a citizen of Seychelles at the date of birth if at that date the person’s father or mother is a citizen of Seychelles.

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1. A person who, on or after the coming into force of this Constitution, marries another person who is or becomes a citizen of Seychelles shall, subject to any Act, be eligible to become a citizen of Seychelles by naturalization.
2. Clause (1) shall apply to a person who is not a citizen of Seychelles or eligible to become a citizen of Seychelles under article 10 and who, on or after Independence Day, and before the coming into force of this Constitution, married another person who was or became, or who becomes, a citizen of Seychelles, as it applies to a person such as is referred to in clause (1).

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1. Provision may be made by or under an Act —
   1. for the acquisition of citizenship of Seychelles by any person who is not eligible or who is no longer eligible to become a citizen of Seychelles under this Chapter;
   2. for depriving any person of citizenship of Seychelles, if it was unlawfully acquired;
   3. for the renunciation of citizenship of Seychelles by any person; and
   4. for the maintenance of a register of citizens of Seychelles who are also citizens of other countries.
2. A person who is a citizen of Seychelles may concurrently possess the citizenship of another country and a law made for the purposes of clause (1) (a) shall not require, as a condition for the acquisition of citizenship of Seychelles, that a person renounces any other citizenship that the person may possess at the time.

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1. For the purposes of this Chapter-
   1. a person born on a registered ship or aircraft shall be deemed to have been born at the place where the ship or aircraft was registered; and
   2. a person born on an unregistered ship or aircraft belonging to the government of a country shall be deemed to have been born in that country.
2. Any reference in this Chapter to the national status of the father or mother of a person at the time of the birth of that person shall, in relation to a person born after the death of the father or mother, be construed as a reference to the national status of the father or mother at the time of the father’s or mother’s death; and accordingly, where that death occurred before the coming into force of this Constitution, the national status that the father or mother would have had if he or she had died on the coming into force of this Constitution shall be deemed to be his or her national status at the time of his or her death.