Citizenship

Citizenship is membership in a political community (a state), and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. It is largely coterminous with nationality, although it is possible to be a national without being a citizen (i.e. be legally subject to a state and entitled to its protection without having rights of political participation in it.) See nationality for further discussion of how citizenship can be acquired, etc.

See also:

• jus sanguinis
• jus soli
• dual citizenship
• Britishness test