How to Get Equatorial Guinea CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 40 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Not accepted
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Not acceptedNew citizens must give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically.
- Available routes
- Region
- Africa
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
For foreign nationals living in Equatorial Guinea, this is the ordinary route based on residence. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
- Residence
- 40 years
Person has been legally resident for at least 40 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
Renunciation of citizenship of another country required.
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Person must demonstrate integration through knowledge of Spanish language/an indigenous language.
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Person must demonstrate integration through knowledge of the culture, habits and customs of Equatorial Guinea
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
No criminal record in Equatorial Guinea and no convictions for a serious crime in another country (Note: there are other conditions that appear procedural but could be seen as substantive, eg certificate of good conduct (corresponds to no convictions.)
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Certificate of tax payment (solvencia tributaria) required.
Marriage or civil partnership
For spouses of citizens of Equatorial Guinea, the rules below set out what this route requires. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is the spouse of a citizen. Other conditions: couple have lived together in Equatorial Guinea for 10 years (unless in service of state abroad).
Descent (citizen parent)
This route covers children of a citizen of Equatorial Guinea, subject to the conditions below. Equatorial Guinea grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Equatorial Guinea to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen.
Birth in the country
Birth in Equatorial Guinea is the starting point of this route, together with the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is born in Equatorial Guinea to foreign parents. Other conditions: option can be exercised from the age of 18 years provided the person has been resident for 10 years.
Child of a new citizen
A parent acquiring citizenship of Equatorial Guinea is the basis of this route. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is the minor child of a person who is acquiring citizenship and naturalisation is requested to be extended to the child.
Adoption
This route covers people adopted by a citizen of Equatorial Guinea, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is a minor formally and fully adopted by a citizen.
Other family members of citizens
A family tie to a citizen, former citizen or new citizen of Equatorial Guinea is the basis of this route. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is a direct descendant of a father or mother who was originally Equato-guinean. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (except that residence period is reduced to 1 year).
Person is second generation descendant subject to parental authority of a citizen and naturalisation was not obtained during the person's childhood. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (except that residence period is reduced to 2 years).
Former citizens (reacquisition)
Earlier citizenship of Equatorial Guinea is the basis of this route. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person has lost citizenship because of a voluntary act.
Special achievements
This route covers people recognised for special achievements or for contributions to Equatorial Guinea, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is granted naturalisation at the discretion of the head of state because s/he has rendered services in the interests of the country or its population. Other conditions: renounce citizenship of another country.
Not available in Equatorial Guinea: Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Stateless persons, Public or military service, Investment. Based on the GLOBALCIT coding of the law, updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Equatorial Guinea does not generally accept dual citizenship.
- New citizens
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically
Person has voluntarily acquired another citizenship unless a treaty of dual citizenship is in place.
Compare with neighbours
Equatorial Guinea requires 40 years, more years than the most common requirement of 5 years across Middle Africa.
Compare Equatorial Guinea with all countries in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Angola | 10 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Cameroon | 5 years | None | New citizens only |
 Central African Republic | 5 years | None | New citizens only |
 Chad | 15 years | None | Accepted |
 Gabon | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Republic of the Congo | 10 years | Assimilation only | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 7(1), 8, 9.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Equatorial Guinea Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/equatorial-guinea/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/equatorial-guinea/">How to Get Equatorial Guinea Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become an Equatorial Guinean citizen?
40 years of residence is required for ordinary naturalisation in Equatorial Guinea, plus further conditions.
Does Equatorial Guinea allow dual citizenship?
Generally no. The law of Equatorial Guinea does not accept dual citizenship in either direction.
Do I need a language test for Equatorial Guinean citizenship?
Knowledge of the language is required, yet no formal test is defined.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Equatorial Guinean citizenship?
Demonstrating civic knowledge is necessary for Equatorial Guinean citizenship, yet no test format is specified.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Equatorial Guinean citizenship?
Renouncing your current citizenship is a condition of Equatorial Guinean citizenship.
Can I get Equatorial Guinea citizenship by marriage?
Yes, the law of Equatorial Guinea has a route for spouses. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Equatorial Guinea citizenship by descent?
Yes. A child of a citizen can acquire citizenship of Equatorial Guinea by descent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Equatorial Guinea citizenship by investment?
No investment route is coded in the law of Equatorial Guinea.
Related pages
Also see: Equatorial Guinea passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.