Bhutan does not permit dual citizenship, and acquiring another nationality means losing Bhutanese citizenship. For a family in the United States that is a decision with real and irreversible consequences, and it should be understood before anyone naturalises.
Quick facts
Bhutanese citizenship law is among the more demanding anywhere, with categories depending on whether one or both parents are citizens and on registration in the census. Those distinctions matter, and they are not something to work out from a website.
What to establish
| Question | Why it matters | Where to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Effect of naturalising in the U.S. | Bhutanese citizenship would be lost | The mission, before acting |
| Are both parents citizens? | The category differs | Family records |
| Census registration | Central to the system | The authorities in Bhutan |
| Children born abroad | Status is not automatic | The mission |
| Land at home | Tied to citizenship | A lawyer in Bhutan |
Anyone whose position in the United States is unresolved should take immigration advice here before approaching any authority, and before making a decision that could leave them without their original citizenship.
What to do
- Take immigration advice in the United States first.
- Ask the mission what naturalising elsewhere would mean for you.
- Do that before applying, not afterwards.
- Establish the family’s census and citizenship categories.
- Ask about the children separately.
- Take advice on land before making plans involving it.
Required documents
- Bhutanese passport and citizenship identity card.
- Census registration details.
- Parent’s documents where the claim is by descent.
- Marriage certificate where applicable.
- U.S. naturalisation certificate where relevant.
- Legal advice specific to your case.
Where to enquire
At the Permanent Mission in New York; decisions rest with the authorities in Bhutan.
Additional notes
The consequence is real
Where dual citizenship is prohibited, taking another nationality is a choice rather than an addition. Understand it fully first.
Census registration is central
Much of Bhutanese citizenship law turns on it. Establish your family’s position.
Children
Their status does not follow automatically. Ask specifically.
Take proper advice
A lawyer familiar with Bhutanese citizenship law is the right source. A website is not.