Myanmar nationality law


Myanmar nationality law currently recognises three categories of citizens, namely citizen, associate citizen and naturalised citizen, according to the 1982 Citizenship Law. Citizens, as defined by the 1947 Constitution, are persons who belong to an "indigenous race", have a grandparent from an "indigenous race", are children of citizens, or lived in British Burma prior to 1942.
Under this law, citizens are required to obtain a National Registration Card, while non-citizens are given a Foreign Registration Card. Citizens whose parents hold FRCs are not allowed to run for public office.
Myanmar has a stratified citizenship system, similar to the distinction between US nationals and US citizenship. Burmese citizens' rights are distinctively different depending on the category they belong to and based on how one's forebearers acquired their own citizenship category.
Dual citizenship is not recognised by Myanmar.

Naturalisation

Foreigners can become naturalised citizens of Myanmar, if they can prove a close familial connection to the country. Foreigners who have been in the country since 1948 can also apply for nationality. They can also apply if they have married a Myanmar national.

Rohingya citizenship

The law does not recognise Rohingyas as one of the 135 legally recognised ethnic groups of Myanmar, thus denying most of them Myanmar citizenship. The official stance of the Government of Myanmar is that the Rohingya peoples are citizens of Bangladesh, as a result of the British partitioning of their Asian possessions.