How to Get Yemen CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- No residence route
- Language
- No route
- Dual citizenship
- Citizens abroad only
- Civic test
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Criminal record
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Income condition
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Partly accepted: for citizens who naturalise abroad onlyCitizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Asia
- 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.
Marriage or civil partnership
For spouses of citizens of Yemen, the rules below set out what this route requires. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is the wife of a male citizen and has been married for 4 years. Other naturalisation requirements do not apply.
Descent (citizen parent)
This route covers children of a citizen of Yemen, subject to the conditions below. Yemen grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Yemen to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen.
Birth in the country
Birth in Yemen is the starting point of this route, together with the conditions below.
Birth in country (two generations)
Person is born in Yemen to a father who was also born in the country.
Birth in country (acquisition after birth)
Person is born in [outside] Yemen to a citizen mother and a stateless father or whose citizenship is unknown, has resided in Yemen for at least 10 consecutive years before reaching the age of majority and submits a request at the latest one year before reaching the age of majority.
Birth in country (acquisition after birth)
Person is born in Yemen to foreign parents and has resided there until he/she reached the age of majority, speaks Arabic, of sound health, good repute, not convicted for a crime related to honour, and submits a request at the latest one year before reaching the age of majority.
Child of a new citizen
A parent acquiring citizenship of Yemen is the basis of this route. Yemen grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is the minor child of a male applicant for citizenship. Child will obtain citizenship automatically as long as the child is living with the father.
Other family members of citizens
A family tie to a citizen, former citizen or new citizen of Yemen is the basis of this route. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is the wife of a male citizen who has acquired citizenship by naturalisation and couple has 4 years of married life from the date of the application.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
Earlier citizenship of Yemen is the basis of this route. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person lost citizenship through acquiring another or through marriage and is recommended to obtain citizenship through the Minister.
Ethnic or cultural affinity
An ethnic or cultural connection to Yemen is the basis of this route. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person has been resident in the country for at least 10 years. Other conditions: proficient in Arabic, has good character, an income, and is either Arab or Muslim.
Person is of Yemenite origin (paternal line) and has resided in the country for at least five years. Other conditions: repudiate foreign citizenship.
Stateless persons
For people without any citizenship, the rules below show what the law of Yemen provides. Yemen grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is born in Yemen to unknown parents.
Special achievements
This route covers people recognised for special achievements or for contributions to Yemen, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person has special skills. No other conditions prescribed.
Not available in Yemen: Naturalisation (residence), Adoption, Citizens of specific countries, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service, Investment. Based on the GLOBALCIT coding of the law, updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Yemen accepts dual citizenship in one direction: citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- Not applicable: no residence-based route
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Compare Yemen with all countries in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Armenia | 3 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Azerbaijan | 5 years | Test or certificate | New citizens only |
 Bahrain | 25 years | Required, no test | New citizens only |
 Cyprus | 8 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Georgia | 10 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 Iraq | 10 years | None | Accepted |
Official sources
Official government page: not yet linked.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Yemen Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/yemen/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/yemen/">How to Get Yemen 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 a Yemeni citizen?
No number of years applies: Yemen has no ordinary naturalisation route. Other routes are listed on this page.
Does Yemen allow dual citizenship?
In part. The law of Yemen accepts dual citizenship for its citizens who naturalise abroad, not generally for new citizens.
Do I need a language test for Yemeni citizenship?
There is no residence-based naturalisation route for Yemeni citizenship.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Yemeni citizenship?
There is no residence-based naturalisation route for Yemeni citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Yemeni citizenship?
There is no residence-based naturalisation route for Yemeni citizenship, making this question inapplicable.
Can I get Yemen citizenship by marriage?
Yes, the law of Yemen has a route for spouses. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Yemen citizenship by descent?
Yes. A child of a citizen can acquire citizenship of Yemen by descent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Yemen citizenship by investment?
No investment route is coded in the law of Yemen.
Related pages
Also see: Yemen passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.