Botswana

Last Updated: 2026-04-02

Official Portal: Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs

Embassy Finder: Botswana Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	10 years of continuous lawful residence (reduced to 5 for spouses of citizens)
Language requirement	No formal language test; applicants must demonstrate adequate knowledge of Setswana or English
Civics test	No formal exam
Processing time	12—24 months (decisions are made by the Minister; significant discretion involved)
Naturalization fee	BWP 50 application fee (modest; additional costs for documentation)
Dual citizenship	Not permitted — one of Africa’s strictest prohibitions
Citizenship by birth in Botswana	Conditional — at least one parent must be a citizen of Botswana
Citizenship by descent	Yes, for children born abroad to at least one Botswana citizen parent
Governing law	Citizenship Act of 1998 (Chapter 01:01), as amended; Constitution of Botswana (1966), Sections 20—28

Dual Citizenship

Botswana does not allow dual citizenship under any circumstances. This is one of the strictest prohibitions in Africa, and the government has actively enforced it.

Constitutional and statutory basis:

Section 22 of the Constitution provides that any citizen of Botswana who acquires the citizenship of another country automatically ceases to be a citizen of Botswana.
Section 14 of the Citizenship Act of 1998 reinforces this: a Botswana citizen who voluntarily acquires the nationality of another country loses Botswana citizenship on the date of acquisition.
Section 15 requires persons who hold dual nationality at birth (e.g., born to one Botswana parent and one foreign parent) to renounce the foreign nationality by age 21, or lose Botswana citizenship.

Enforcement:

Botswana has taken enforcement seriously. The government has conducted periodic reviews and required citizens returning from abroad to demonstrate they have not acquired foreign citizenship. In 2021, the Ministry publicly reiterated that dual citizenship remains illegal and warned citizens abroad against acquiring second passports.

Reform debate:

There has been periodic public discussion about allowing dual citizenship, particularly among the diaspora communities in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As of 2026, no legislative reform has been enacted. A 2023 parliamentary motion to study the issue was referred to committee but has not produced legislation.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Sanguinis with Conditional Jus Soli)

Botswana primarily follows the jus sanguinis principle. Birth in Botswana alone is not sufficient to acquire citizenship.

Section 4 of the Citizenship Act:

A person born in Botswana acquires citizenship at birth if:

At least one parent is a citizen of Botswana at the time of birth.

A person born outside Botswana acquires citizenship at birth if:

At least one parent is a citizen of Botswana at the time of birth, AND
The birth is registered at a Botswana diplomatic mission or with the Registrar of National Affairs.

Key notes:

Before the 2004 amendment (following the landmark Unity Dow v. Attorney General case in 1992), citizenship could only be transmitted through the father. The law now provides equal transmission through either parent.
Children born in Botswana to two non-citizen parents do not acquire Botswana citizenship.

By Descent

A child born outside Botswana to at least one Botswana citizen parent acquires citizenship by descent, subject to registration.

Generational limit: The Citizenship Act does not explicitly limit generational transmission, but practical enforcement requires that each generation register births with Botswana authorities. Failure to register may result in inability to prove citizenship.

By Adoption

Adoption of a minor child (under 18) by a citizen of Botswana confers eligibility for citizenship, subject to:

The adoption being legally finalized under Botswana law (Adoption of Children Act).
Application to the Minister for a citizenship certificate.
The adopted child is not automatically a citizen; ministerial approval is required.

By Marriage

Marriage to a Botswana citizen does not confer automatic citizenship. A foreign spouse may apply for naturalization under reduced residency requirements.

Requirements:

The marriage must have existed for at least 5 years.
The applicant must have been lawfully resident in Botswana for at least 5 years (the general 10-year requirement is halved).
The marriage must be genuine and subsisting.
Standard naturalization conditions apply (good character, economic self-sufficiency).

By Naturalization

Standard pathway (Section 12, Citizenship Act):

Requirement	Details
Lawful residence	10 years of continuous residence in Botswana (5 years immediately preceding the application must be continuous)
Age	At least 21 years old
Character	Good character; no convictions for serious criminal offenses
Language	Adequate knowledge of Setswana or English
Economic means	Must demonstrate capacity for self-support and not be a charge on public funds
Intention to reside	Must intend to continue residing in Botswana
Renunciation	Must renounce all other nationalities before or upon grant of Botswana citizenship
Ministerial discretion	The Minister has absolute discretion to grant or refuse; there is no right of appeal on the merits

Important: Naturalization in Botswana is not a right; it is an exercise of ministerial discretion. Even applicants who meet all requirements may be refused without detailed explanation. This has been criticized by civil society organizations but remains the legal position.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A citizen of Botswana may renounce citizenship by written declaration to the Minister (Section 18 of the Citizenship Act), provided:

They are at least 21 years old.
They hold or are assured of acquiring another nationality.
The renunciation is registered by the Minister.

The Minister may delay registration if the country is at war.

Involuntary Loss

Ground	Details
Voluntary acquisition of foreign nationality	Automatic loss on the date the foreign nationality is acquired (Section 14)
Failure to renounce foreign nationality by age 21	Persons who hold dual nationality at birth must choose by age 21; failure to renounce the foreign nationality results in loss of Botswana citizenship (Section 15)
Fraud or misrepresentation	Citizenship obtained through fraud, false representation, or concealment may be deprived by the Minister (Section 17)
Disloyalty or disaffection	A naturalized citizen may be deprived of citizenship for acts of disloyalty toward Botswana, or for being sentenced to imprisonment for 12 months or more within 7 years of naturalization (Section 17)

Restoration of Nationality

There is no statutory right to restoration of Botswana citizenship for persons who voluntarily acquired a foreign nationality.

Practical pathway: A former citizen must apply for naturalization as a foreign national, meeting the standard 10-year residency requirement. The Minister has discretion to consider the applicant’s former citizenship as a favorable factor, but there is no expedited procedure.

Former citizens who lost nationality involuntarily (e.g., through the pre-2004 gender discrimination provisions) may petition the Minister directly. The 2004 constitutional amendment and subsequent legislative changes addressed the gender discrimination issue prospectively but did not create a formal restoration mechanism for those who lost citizenship under the old law.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Botswana is not a party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Foundlings: The Citizenship Act provides that a child of unknown parentage found in Botswana is presumed to be a citizen of Botswana until the contrary is proven (Section 5). This presumption is rebuttable if the parents are subsequently identified and found to be non-citizens.

Stateless persons: There is no specific statutory framework for the naturalization of stateless persons. UNHCR has identified residual statelessness risks among certain populations in Botswana, including descendants of San communities and persons of Zimbabwean or Zambian origin. These cases are handled on a discretionary basis by the Ministry.

Document Checklist

Completed Form C (Application for Naturalization) from the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs

Valid passport or travel document from country of current nationality

Birth certificate (certified and translated into English if necessary)

Marriage certificate (if applying under spousal pathway)

Police clearance certificate from country of origin and Botswana

Proof of 10 years continuous lawful residence (residence permits, employment records, utility bills, lease agreements)

Two character references from Botswana citizens of good standing

Proof of economic self-sufficiency (employment letter, business registration, bank statements)

Renunciation declaration or certificate from country of prior nationality

Two passport-sized photographs

Application fee payment receipt

Sources

Constitution of Botswana (1966, as amended) — Sections 20—28 on citizenship. https://www.gov.bw/
Citizenship Act of 1998 (Chapter 01:01) — Primary nationality legislation. https://www.laws.gov.bw/
Unity Dow v. Attorney General [1992] — Landmark High Court decision striking down gender-discriminatory citizenship transmission; led to 2004 constitutional amendment.
UNHCR — Refworld: Botswana Nationality Documentation. https://www.refworld.org/
Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Botswana Country Profile. https://globalcit.eu/
Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs. https://www.gov.bw/ministries/ministry-nationality-immigration-and-gender-affairs

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