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Republic of Naoero · citizenship by descent
Citizenship by descent and citizen-parent birth status
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.
Establish citizenship through a qualifying citizen parent, or assess the narrower statutory grandparent application after parents renounced citizenship.
- Processing time
- No case-specific decision time established; evidence investigation and the competent status/grant process must be completed.
- Government fees
- AUD 100 application fee; separate AUD 100 grant and AUD 100 citizenship-certificate fees under Schedule 3. Confirm the actual assessment and any other document charges. The application fee is not the total cost; no ordinary passport price is established here.
- Typical duration
- Citizenship status or grant under the actual qualifying provision; no visa validity period
- Filing and qualifying evidence
- Qualifying citizenship basis and authority evidence; not employer sponsorship
- Outcome
- Citizenship status or grant; see qualifying basis
In short
Establish citizenship through a qualifying citizen parent, or assess the narrower statutory grandparent application after parents renounced citizenship. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.
Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/nauru/citizenship-by-descent#answer
What is the Citizenship by descent and citizen-parent birth status in Republic of Naoero?
Qualifying citizenship basis and authority evidence; not employer sponsorship. This is a citizenship procedure. Indicative government fees are AUD 100 application fee; separate AUD 100 grant and AUD 100 citizenship-certificate fees under Schedule 3. Confirm the actual assessment and any other document charges. The application fee is not the total cost; no ordinary passport price is established here; indicative processing time is No case-specific decision time established; evidence investigation and the competent status/grant process must be completed; typical duration is Citizenship status or grant under the actual qualifying provision; no visa validity period. This procedure concerns citizenship status or a citizenship grant, rather than a permanent residence visa.
Primary guidance checked with RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database on 15 November 2026.
Overview
Section 9 covers birth in the Republic to one or both citizen parents; section 12(1) deems a person born abroad a citizen where one or both parents were citizens at the time of birth. Section 12(2) separately allows an application where the parents renounced citizenship and the specified maternal or paternal grandparent condition is met at application. A grandparent checkbox on Form 2 does not remove that statutory renunciation condition or establish citizenship for every grandchild.
Additional sources
Primary source
Constitution of Naoero — citizenship Articles 71–76, PDF pages 41–42 ↗ · RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database
Link last verified:
Primary source
Citizenship and Adoption Division — actual citizenship and adoption procedures ↗ · Department of Justice and Border Control
Link last verified:
Primary source
Government currency guidance — Australian dollar legal tender ↗ · Government of the Republic of Naoero
Link last verified:
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Identify birth location, date and the parent’s citizenship at birth; distinguish section 9 or section 12(1) status from a section 12(2) application.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
- ✓For the grandparent application, establish the parents’ renunciation and the qualifying grandparent citizenship condition; ancestry alone is insufficient.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
- ✓Section 7 applications use the prescribed form and an applicant/principal over 20; ask the Division how an existing child’s citizen-parent status is evidenced, rather than applying an adult grant threshold to all births.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
Common blockers
- !No qualifying citizen parent at birth and the separate renunciation/grandparent application conditions are not met.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
- !A family tree, grandparent or form checkbox is treated as automatic citizenship without establishing the actual provision.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Birth certificate and certified identity records establishing applicant, parent and birth details.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
- ·Parent citizenship evidence at the relevant birth date; relationship records connecting the generations.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
- ·Where relying on section 12(2), parents’ renunciation and qualifying grandparent records; prescribed Form 2 and additional evidence required for the actual basis.RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database ↗
Application pathway
Check the route fit
Ask the Citizenship Division whether this is confirmation of existing birth/descent status or an application under section 12(2).
Build the evidence pack
Build certified birth, citizenship, relationship and, where applicable, renunciation evidence; use the correct Form 2 procedure.
Submit through the official channel
For an application, submit the prescribed evidence and assessed fee to the Secretary and complete the investigation and Minister/Cabinet process.
After approval
Obtain formal status evidence or the required grant/certificate; complete any applicable oath before separately arranging passport documentation.
After a successful citizenship decision
For Citizenship by descent and citizen-parent birth status, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.
- 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
- 2. Establish the travel step. Check whether an oath, registration, certificate or passport application remains outstanding. Do not assume that approval of citizenship is itself a travel document.
- 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
- 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
- 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Check passport-use obligations and the effect on any other nationality before renouncing or using another passport.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- Official guidanceApplicantRead Citizenship and Adoption Division — actual citizenship and adoption procedures ↗
Use the current Division instructions to establish the legal basis, correct form, evidence, fee and submission process.
Department of Justice and Border Control · verified
- Official guidanceApplicantRead Naoero Citizenship Act 2017, Forms and Fees Regulations and 30 October 2026 oath rules — Service 6 ↗
Read the actual provision, prescribed form and fee schedule; a legal PDF does not lodge a claim.
RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database · verified
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Related routes
Citizenship through birth in the Republic and qualifying residence
Section 11 requires birth in the Republic to non-citizen parents and 20 continuous years of residence; it is not a general residence-only naturalisation route.
Minor or dependent child following a parent’s citizenship grant
Section 19A permits a qualifying minor under 20 or wholly dependent child to seek citizenship concurrently with or after a parent’s grant under the 2017 Act.
Former citizen reapplication after renunciation
A former citizen who renounced citizenship may reapply under section 17 and the section 7 procedure; restoration is not automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Is any Naoero grandparent enough?+
No. Section 12(2) concerns a person whose parents renounced citizenship and requires the specified grandparent condition. Form 2’s grandparent field does not create a broader legal entitlement.
Is a foreign-born child of a citizen parent applying for naturalisation?+
Section 12(1) deems the child a citizen if one or both parents were citizens at birth. Obtain the Division’s assessment and documentation of that status; do not confuse it with the distinct grandparent application.
Can the oath be taken remotely?+
Where an oath is required, section 20 provides a ceremony before the Chief Justice or a Supreme Court Judge unless the Minister exempts it. The 30 October 2026 rules allow audiovisual participation at judicial discretion, with identity/connection checks, immediate signing before a foreign notary or Chief Justice-approved person, certification and transmission. Remote participation is not an automatic entitlement.
Does applying establish citizenship or a right to travel?+
No. Establish the actual status or obtain the required grant and certificate through the competent authority. Citizenship documentation and passport/entry arrangements are separate. Section 16 allows dual citizenship under Naoero law, but the other country’s rules must be checked. Cancellation provisions can apply; citizenship is not promised to be irrevocable.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
Find a regulated advisor in Naoero (Nauru)How we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: RONLAW — Naoero's Online Legal Database
Last checked: 15 November 2026