Vatican City
Last Updated: 2026-03-31
Official Portal: Holy See — Vatican City State
Embassy Finder: Apostolic Nunciatures (Holy See Diplomatic Missions)
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Residency for naturalization | Not applicable — citizenship is granted only by function, office, or authorization of the Pope |
| Language requirement | None formally — Italian and Latin are working languages |
| Civics test | None |
| Processing time | Not applicable — granted by papal authority or administrative act |
| Naturalization fee | None |
| Dual citizenship | Fully permitted — Vatican citizenship is always held alongside another nationality |
| Citizenship by birth in Vatican City | No — birth in Vatican City does not confer citizenship |
| Citizenship by descent | No — Vatican citizenship is not hereditary |
| Governing law | Law No. CXXXI on Vatican Citizenship (22 February 2011), replacing the 1929 Law on Citizenship |
Dual Citizenship
Vatican City requires dual citizenship in practice. Because Vatican citizenship is purely functional — tied to office, employment, or authorized residence — and is non-hereditary and temporary, virtually all Vatican citizens simultaneously hold citizenship of another state (most commonly Italy).
Key provisions:
- Vatican citizenship is granted in addition to existing nationality. No one is asked to renounce their prior citizenship.
- When Vatican citizenship is lost (upon cessation of the qualifying condition), the person reverts to their other nationality.
- If a person losing Vatican citizenship holds no other nationality, Italian citizenship is granted automatically under the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy (Article 9). This is one of the only cases in the world where a bilateral treaty guarantees citizenship of a third state as a safety net against statelessness.
Acquisition of Nationality
Vatican citizenship is entirely unlike any other nationality in the world. It is not based on birth, descent, or naturalization in the traditional sense. It is a functional citizenship tied to service, office, or authorized residence within Vatican City State.
By Birth
Birth in Vatican City does not confer citizenship. There is no jus soli. A child born within Vatican City’s walls acquires the citizenship of the parents, not Vatican citizenship.
By Descent
Vatican citizenship is not hereditary. The child of a Vatican citizen does not acquire Vatican citizenship by descent. However, a child residing in Vatican City with a parent who holds Vatican citizenship may be granted citizenship for the duration of that parent’s qualifying status (see below).
By Adoption
Adoption does not confer Vatican citizenship.
By Marriage
Marriage to a Vatican citizen does not automatically confer citizenship. However, a spouse authorized to reside in Vatican City with a Vatican citizen may be granted citizenship for the duration of that authorization.
If a spouse who holds Vatican citizenship loses that citizenship (e.g., upon leaving office), the other spouse also loses Vatican citizenship, unless they independently qualify.
By Authorization (the Primary Pathway)
Vatican citizenship is granted to the following categories of persons:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Cardinals residing in Vatican City or Rome | Automatically granted citizenship upon taking up residence |
| Diplomats of the Holy See | Apostolic Nuncios and diplomatic staff accredited to foreign governments |
| Persons who reside in Vatican City by reason of office or service | Members of the Roman Curia, Swiss Guard, Vatican employees residing within the walls |
| Persons authorized to reside by the Pope | Discretionary grants by the Pontiff for any reason |
| Spouses and children of the above | Granted citizenship for the duration of the qualifying person’s status, provided they reside in Vatican City |
How citizenship is processed:
The Governorate of Vatican City State (Governatorato dello Stato della Citta del Vaticano) administers citizenship matters. The process is entirely internal:
- A person is appointed to a qualifying office or authorized to reside in Vatican City.
- The Governorate registers the person as a citizen and issues identity documentation.
- A Vatican passport may be issued for official travel.
- The person remains a citizen for as long as the qualifying condition persists.
There is no application form, no waiting period, and no public procedure. Citizenship follows automatically from the qualifying appointment or authorization.
There are approximately 800 persons holding Vatican citizenship at any given time (out of a total population of roughly 450 residents within the walls, plus cardinals and diplomats stationed worldwide).
The Swiss Guard: Members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, the Pope’s personal security force, are granted Vatican citizenship for the duration of their service. Recruits must be Swiss citizens, Catholic, male, between 19 and 30 years old, and have completed Swiss military basic training. Upon completing their service (minimum 2 years), they lose Vatican citizenship and revert to Swiss citizenship.
Non-citizen residents: Vatican City also has authorized residents who do not hold Vatican citizenship. These include lay employees who work within Vatican City but reside in Rome, religious community members, and other personnel. The distinction between citizen and authorized resident is significant — only citizens hold Vatican passports.
Vatican passport: The Vatican passport is one of the rarest travel documents in the world. It is recognized by most countries and provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 160 countries. Approximately 500 passports are in circulation at any given time. Diplomatic passports are issued to members of the Holy See’s diplomatic corps.
Loss and Renunciation
Automatic loss: Vatican citizenship is lost automatically when the qualifying condition ceases:
- Leaving the office, employment, or service that justified the grant of citizenship
- Ceasing to reside in Vatican City (for those whose citizenship is tied to residence)
- For spouses and children: when the principal holder loses citizenship, or the child reaches adulthood and does not independently qualify
Voluntary renunciation: A person may decline or renounce Vatican citizenship, though this is extremely rare in practice. A person who voluntarily renounces would revert to their other nationality, or receive Italian citizenship under the Lateran Treaty if they hold no other.
Safety net (Lateran Treaty, Article 9): Any person who loses Vatican citizenship and does not hold citizenship of any other state automatically acquires Italian citizenship. This provision, established in the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy, has been maintained in all subsequent accords and prevents statelessness.
Restoration of Nationality
There is no formal restoration procedure. A person who previously held Vatican citizenship and ceased to hold it (by leaving office or residence) would need to re-qualify under the same criteria — be re-appointed to an office, re-authorized to reside, or receive a new papal grant. There is no right to restoration.
Historical note: When the Vatican City State was created by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, citizenship was initially granted to all persons who were residing in Vatican City at that time and who did not opt out. The original 1929 citizenship law established the functional basis that continues today under the 2011 replacement law. The fundamental principle has never changed: Vatican citizenship exists to serve the mission of the Holy See, not as a hereditary or territorial right.
Stateless Persons and Foundlings
Vatican City is not a party to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. However, the Lateran Treaty’s automatic Italian citizenship provision (Article 9) effectively prevents any person losing Vatican citizenship from becoming stateless.
There are no provisions for foundlings specific to Vatican City law, as the territory is entirely enclosed within Rome and any child found would fall under Italian jurisdiction in practice.
Given that all Vatican citizens hold at least one other nationality (or receive Italian citizenship upon loss of Vatican citizenship under the Lateran Treaty), statelessness is structurally impossible for persons connected to Vatican City. This makes Vatican City unique among sovereign states in having a built-in, treaty-guaranteed mechanism against statelessness.
Population note: Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both area (0.44 square kilometers) and population. Its citizenship population fluctuates as officials are appointed and leave office. The total has ranged from approximately 600 to 900 over the decades. The majority of the daily workforce (approximately 4,000 persons) commutes from Italy and does not hold Vatican citizenship.
Document Checklist
Vatican citizenship is not applied for through a standard document submission process. It is granted administratively by the Governorate of Vatican City State upon:
Appointment to a qualifying office or position within the Holy See or Vatican City State
Authorization of residence within Vatican City by the competent authority
Papal grant (for discretionary cases)
For spouses/children: documentation of the family relationship and the principal holder’s qualifying status
No standard naturalization application, language test, civics test, or fee schedule applies.
For researchers and genealogists: Vatican citizenship records are maintained by the Governorate of Vatican City State. Historical citizenship records from 1929 onward are held in the Vatican Archives. Access for academic research requires a formal request to the Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive.
Sources
-
Law No. CXXXI on Citizenship and Residence (22 February 2011) — Vatican City State. https://www.vaticanstate.va/
-
Lateran Treaty (1929), Article 9 — Provisions on citizenship and the Italian citizenship safety net. https://www.vatican.va/
-
Fundamental Law of Vatican City State (26 November 2000). https://www.vaticanstate.va/
-
Holy See — Vatican City State Official Portal. https://www.vaticanstate.va/en/
-
Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Vatican City country profile. https://globalcit.eu/
-
UNHCR — Refworld — Vatican City nationality law references. https://www.refworld.org/