4. Citizenship by descent, person born before the appointed date.
5. Citizenship by descent in the case of persons born on or after the appointed date.
5A. Eligibility of person born prior to the date of commencement of this Act.
6. Certificate of citizenship of Sri Lanka by descent in case of doubt.
6A. Issue of Certificate of citizenship on application made.
8. Resumption of citizenship by descent.
10. Posthumous persons.
CITIZENSHIP BY REGISTRATION
11. Persons entitled to registration as citizens.
12. Registration of spouse, widow or widower of citizen of Ceylon or Sri Lanka.
13. Registration as citizens of persons to whom sections 11 or 12 do not apply.
13A. Registration as citizens of persons registered in a Resident Guest Scheme.
14. Minor children of applicants for registration as citizens of Sri Lanka.
15. Persons who are not to be granted citizenship by registration.
17. Certificates of registration.
18. Effect of certificates of registration.
LOSS OF CITIZENSHIP
19. Renunciation of citizenship and special provisions relating to dual citizenship.
20. Restrictions against dual citizenship of persons who are citizens by descent.
21. Restrictions against dual citizenship of persons who are citizens by registration.
22. Cases of invalid or ineffective renunciations of foreign citizenship.
AN ACT to make provision for Citizenship of Sri Lanka and for matters connected therewith.
[Date of Commencement: 15 th November, 1948 ]
This Act may be cited as the Citizenship Act.
CITIZENSHIP OF SRI LANKA
(1) With effect from the appointed date, there shall be a status to be known as “the status of a citizen of Ceylon”, and, with effect from the 22nd day of May, 1972, to be known as “the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka”.
(1A) Every person who immediately prior to the 22nd day of May, 1972, was a citizen of Ceylon shall, on and after that date, be entitled to be, and to be called, a citizen of Sri Lanka.
(2) A person shall be or become entitled to the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka in one of the following ways only:
( a ) by right of descent as provided by this Act;
( b ) by virtue of registration as provided by this Act or by any other Act authorising the grant of such status by registration in any special case of a specified description.
(3) Every person who has possessed of the aforesaid status is hereinafter referred as a “Citizen of Sri Lanka”.
[S 2(3) subs by s 2 of Act 16 of 2003.]
3. Citizenship and nationality.
A citizen of Sri Lanka may, for any purpose in Sri Lanka, describe his nationality by the use of the expression “Citizen of Sri Lanka”.
CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT
4. Citizenship by descent, person born before the appointed date.
(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Part, a person born in Sri Lanka before the appointed date shall have the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka by descent, if:
( a ) his father was born in Sri Lanka; or
( b ) his paternal grandfather and paternal great grandfather were born in Sri Lanka.
(2) Subject to the other provisions of this Part, a person born outside Sri Lanka before the appointed date shall have the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka by descent, if—
( a ) his father and paternal grandfather were born in Sri Lanka; or
( b ) his paternal grandfather and paternal great grandfather were born in Sri Lanka.
5. Citizenship by descent in the case of persons born on or after the appointed date.
(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Part, a person born in Sri Lanka on or after the appointed date shall have the status of a “citizen of Sri Lanka” if at the time of his birth either of his parents is or was a citizen of Sri Lanka.
[S 5(1) am by s 3(1) of Act 16 of 2003.]
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