Hi guys I know there’s been a couple posts like this but just wanted some clarification on what to do. I was born in Ireland to a Japanese mother and Irish father and this is my first time at 33 renewing my passport after the age of having to declare nationality. On the passport application form, I’ve come to the section about declaring whether I have a second nationality. I’ve seen some people say to lie and say no, and others to tell the truth that I’ve a second citizenship through my father.
I would have been inclined to lie and assume the embassy here would turn a blind eye as by being born in Ireland I have the right to live here.
What did you guys do?
by Sponge-97
14 comments
You should never lie to the embassy, they’re trained to catch liars
The good news is that you are Japanese and can’t be deprived of being Japanese. So long as you are also Irish by birth it is considered an “involuntary” citizenship and you do not lose Japanese citizenship. There is also a myth that somehow people need to choose after a certain age, that is not legally true so long as the other citizenship/s are involuntary (usually by birth).
In practice authorities can be a pain in the ass about it, so most people I’m aware of simply renew inside Japan where they don’t necessarily have to declare any additional citizenships – (some use this to stay dual covertly if they did assume another nationality voluntarily).
Lie by omission could be the case so it is better to declare and try, I would talk to a lawyer about it if the passport application is refused.
As long as you are “working on” relinquishing your other passport you are good.
Yeah, you could fuck around and find out … or just tell the truth – especially when it comes to passports and international borders.
If whatever country border you pass through starts to question you in the future, you could be denied entry, fined, or even worse.
If you are unsure, check with a local notary or some sort of immigration authority.
You shouldn’t lie to the government. I don’t even know why people would even tell you to do so.
Most government forms require you to sign that you aren’t lying and subject to the law.
Do you need dual citizenship? Where do you live more often? Factor these in. Honestly it’s better to tell the truth, especially for government documents.
I wonder if it makes a difference whether you’re born in Ireland or in Japan?
I’d be grateful if you followed up this post to tell us what you decided to do and how it turned out, as I have immediate family members in a very similar situation.
I’m a dual citizen. JP by blood, born in US.
In previous Ward related docs I had put I’m not dual citizen, but i felt it was probably not ideal.
So when I renewed my passport at 25 I checked the box that said I was a dual citizen.
The lady at the counter said, “you know you’re not supposed to be dual citizen.”
And I replied, “uh, yeah”
And then she gave me my passport.
And that’s it.
I did this recently, if you want you can dm me. I have some rather stunning things i will share with you but won’t post out of superstition :).
You aren’t a dual citizen as far as Japanese MOJ is concerned. Just lie.
I’m not a lawyer, but I am seeing people in this thread state things in very authoritative tones that flatly contradict both each other and lots of other things I’ve read from credible sources in the past.
I don’t know what claims are true and which aren’t, so I’d take everything here with a huge grain of salt.
no. i want to live in constant fear.
I hate being American, am Irish by heritage, and want to live in Japan. May I assume your identity
>I was born in Ireland
To my understanding, Then that should mean your dual nationality is already mentioned on your Koseki, right? Due to you losing Japanese nationality at birth (Article 12 of the nationality law) but then reserving it, within 3 months of birth (Article 104 of the family registration act)
So like, if dual nationality is mentioned on your Koseki… then that’s even more reason you probably don’t want to by giving false information on the passport application form. Especially given the penalty which can come with that as per Article 23 (item 1) of the passport act: https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=326AC0000000267
Penalty is up to ¥3 million and/or up to 5 years in prison per offense
I’m a dual citizen and renewed my passport at the Los Angeles embassy. I did not lie on the form, and they asked me to bring my American passport. I got my renewal no problem, and no one mentioned choosing. I’m in my 30s.
I have heard it can depend on the embassy – I imagine LA would have a ton of dual citizens coming through. I wouldn’t lie personally, I’d rather explain the truth than be called out on a lie.