Columbus Business Daily

How do I gain Croatian citizenship without losing my American citizenship?

I am an american citizen, but a decendent of Croatian emigrants (great grandparents). I have a croatian last name and speak a little Croatian. In the Croatian articles of citizenship, it states decendents of emigrants have the ability to gain citizenship. Is it possible to gain dual citizenship without losing my American citizenship?

Public Comments

1. Apply for dual citizenship through the Consulate.
2. not like this, I don't know... but I do know you can gain two citizenships by being born on an american base in another country...
3. No, according to American law, you cannot have two citizenships. It isn't even possible in Canada any longer.
4. If you gain dual citizenship, you'd have both. So how would you be losing your American citizenship?
5. You'd have to ask the US and/or Croatian consulates about that. They would have the answers to that.
6. It is possible to have dual citizenship. I was born in the US and applied for mexico citizenship for realty investment reasons. It might be different for Croatia but def speak to the US consulates and see what steps you have to take.
7. You cannot.
8. Loss of U.S. citizenship can result only from the citizen's voluntary actions. This is because termination of citizenship without voluntary action on the part of the citizen would deprive the citizen of freedom of choice and would likely be a denial of due process. Whether a U.S. citizen loses U.S. citizenship upon becoming a foreign citizen will be determined by the laws of the United States. While there is currently no specific prohibition on dual nationality under U.S. law, certain acts relevant to the acquisition of foreign nationality may, in appropriate circumstances, result in a loss of U.S. nationality. Two expatriating acts contained in INA §349 are relevant to the issue of dual nationality. They are: obtaining naturalization in a foreign state upon the citizen's own application or upon an application filed by a duly authorized agent, after having attained the age of eighteen years; and taking an oath or making an affirmation or other formal declaration of allegiance to a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof after having attained the age of eighteen years. Source(s) Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-653, §18, 100 Stat. 3655
9. Marry me!
10. You will never lose your american citizenship (assuming you were born there). You can apply to Croatia, but make sure that they do allow dual citizenship. I would say that great grandparents are too distant to claim any citizenship from. Its usually grandparents or parents born in the home country.