KATHMANDU, Dec 7: If a foreign woman married to a Nepali citizen wishes to acquire a Nepali citizenship, she will be entitled to a naturalized citizenship if the constitution amendment bill registered in parliament were endorsed.

Clause 6 of Article 11 under the Citizenship Provision of the Constitution of Nepal has laid down this provision, according to which a foreign woman will get a Nepali naturalized citizenship upon getting married to a Nepali citizen, after she initiates the process of ‘relinquishing’  the citizenship of her country of origin.

‘Relinquishing’ here does not, however, mean that she will be entitled to the Nepali citizenship only after having abandoned the citizenship. No sooner the process is initiated, she will be entitled to get naturalized citizenship of Nepal.

Indian women married to Nepali citizens in Tarai are receiving naturalized citizenships in accordance with this provision.

If the constitution amendment bill were endorsed, she will not have to produce the document to prove that she has renounced the citizenship of her country of origin to acquire Nepali naturalized citizenship.

In India, the country which is happy with the constitution amendment bill that grants Hindi language an official business status, Nepali daughters married to Indian citizens do not enjoy the same citizenship legal provision as foreign women married to Nepali citizens do in Nepal.

In India, a foreign woman married to an Indian citizen will have to wait for seven years to be entitled to a nationalized citizenship.

 
• naturalized citizenship
 
• india
 
• nepal
 
• 7 years