What determines a persons nationality?

Question:

What determines a persons nationality?

Is it the place of birth, a parents nationality, place of residence or what?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Nationality is a relationship between a person and their state of origin, culture, association, affiliation and/or loyalty. Nationality affords the state jurisdiction over the person, and affords the person the protection of the state.

Traditionally under international law and conflict of laws principles, it is the right of each state to determine who its nationals are. Today the law of nationality is increasingly coming under more international regulation by various conventions on statelessness, as well as some multilateral treaties such as the European Convention on Nationality.

Generally, nationality is established at birth by a child's place of birth (jus soli) and/or bloodline (jus sanguinis). Nationality may also be acquired later in life through naturalisation. Corporations and other legal persons also have a nationality, generally in the state under whose laws the legal person was formed.

The legal sense of nationality may often mean citizenship, although technical differences do exist between the two. Citizens have rights to participate in the political life of the state of which they are a citizen, such as by voting or standing for election. Nationals need not immediately have these rights; they may often acquire them in due time.