| Citizenship Act 2004 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of Samoa | |
| |
| Citation | No. 3/2004 |
| Enacted by | Government of Samoa |
| Commenced | 21 January 2004 |
| Administered by | Ministry of the Prime Minister |
| Repeals | |
| Citizenship Act 1972 | |
| Related legislation | |
| Citizenship Investment Act 2015 | |
| Status: Current legislation | |
Samoan nationality law is regulated by the 1962 Constitution of Samoa, as amended; the Citizenship Act 2004, and its revisions; the Citizenship Investment Act 2015; and international agreements entered into by the Samoan government.[1][2][3] These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Samoa. The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship.[4][5] Samoan nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli (by birth in Samoa) or under the rules of jus sanguinis (by birth abroad to parents with Samoan nationality).[6] It can be granted to persons who have lived in the country for a specific period of time, who have contributed to the country's development, or who have an affiliation to the country through naturalisation.[7]
- ^ Dziedzic 2020, pp. 6, 16, 20.
- ^ Buchanan 2016.
- ^ Jivan & Forster 2007, p. 299.
- ^ Fransman 2011, p. 4.
- ^ Rosas 1994, p. 34.
- ^ Dziedzic 2020, p. 7.
- ^ Dziedzic 2020, pp. 12, 17.