Honorary citizenship explained

Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer any change to citizenship or nationality.

North America

Canada

Honorary Canadian citizenship requires unanimous approval in both houses of Parliament. The only people to ever receive honorary Canadian citizenship are Raoul Wallenberg posthumously in 1985; Nelson Mandela in 2001; the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso in 2006; Aung San Suu Kyi in 2007 (revoked in 2018); Prince Karim Aga Khan in 2009; and Malala Yousafzai in 2014.

United States

By act of United States Congress and presidential assent, an individual may be named an honorary citizen of the United States. Since 1963, it has been awarded to only eight individuals.

Europe

Germany

See also: List of honorary citizens of Munich. In Germany, Section 14 of the Nationality Act allows the Federal Minister of the Interior to naturalise any foreigner without any requirements, regardless of whether they live in Germany or not, if there are "ties to Germany that justify naturalisation".

Within the Federal States, honorary citizenship (Ehrenbürgerschaft) is the highest distinction that can be awarded to an individual by a municipality.^[1] It is awarded by cities, towns, and sometimes federal states. The honorary citizenship is perpetual and persists after the death of the honoree, but can be revoked in exceptional cases by the council or parliament of the city, town, or state. In the case of war criminals, all such honours were taken away by "Article VIII, section II, letter i of the directive 38 of the Allied Control Council for Germany" on 12 October 1946.

Greece

In Greece, provisions are in place for the naturalization of foreigners residing in the country who have Greek national origin (expatriates/co-ethnics). Primarily, this applies to expatriates from Albania and those from the countries of the former USSR, under Articles 23 of Law 3838/2010 and 39 of Law 4606/2018, respectively. The Greek Nationality Code (Article 10) also allows for the naturalization of expatriates living abroad. Furthermore, the Code offers honorary naturalization (Article 13) for foreign nationals who have rendered special services to Greece or whose naturalization may serve the country's best interest. Such individuals can be granted Greek citizenship through a Presidential Decree, upon a justified proposal by the Minister of Interior. ^[2]

Ireland

In Ireland, honorary citizenship bestowed on a foreigner is full legal citizenship including the right to reside and vote.^[3]

Russian Empire

In Russian Empire, constituted a social estate (sosloviye, sostoyaniye) which was a privileged subcategory of the .

Asia

Israel

Members of the Righteous Among the Nations may be conferred honorary Israeli citizenship by Yad Vashem, or commemorative citizenship if deceased. Those who choose to live in Israel are entitled to a pension, free health care, and assistance with housing and nursing care.

In 2010, legislation was passed by the Knesset to confer honorary Israeli citizenship to all members of the Israeli defense forces and paramilitary organizations that operated in Mandate Palestine who died between 29 November 1947 and 31 December 1948.^[4]

Oceania

Australia

In Australia honorary citizenship is conferred by the Governor-General and as of 2024 has only been granted once.

Examples

• Berlin awarded Lucius D. Clay 1962 for his role as military governor and for creating the Berlin airlift^[5] and Mikhail Gorbachev for his change in world politics that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.^[6]
• In 2002 South Korea awarded honorary citizenship to Dutch football (soccer) coach Guus Hiddink who successfully and unexpectedly took the national team to the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Honorary citizenship was also awarded to Hines Ward, an American football player of Korean and African-American descent, in 2006 for his efforts to minimize discrimination in Korea against half-Koreans.^[7]
• To mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest the Nepalese government conferred honorary citizenship upon Edmund Hillary at a special Golden Jubilee celebration in Kathmandu, Nepal. He was the first foreign national to receive that honour.^[8]
• At the end of their studies, all the students of the College of Europe are invited to the city hall by the mayor of Bruges to become honorary citizens of the city of Bruges.^[9]
• In 2011, Lady Gaga received the title of honorary citizen of Sydney for her support of the LGBT+ community.^[10]
• In April 2013, Raoul Wallenberg became the first person to be granted an honorary Australian citizenship.^{[11] [12]}
• In August 2013, French actor Gérard Depardieu received an honorary citizenship by Belgium.^[13]
• In October 2013, Argentinian football coach José Pekerman received Colombian citizenship after he qualified Colombia to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the first World Cup for the country after a 16-year hiatus.^[14]
• On 12 April 2017, Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan was awarded honorary Canadian citizenship by PM Justin Trudeau for her work on providing education to girls in her hometown Swat during Taliban occupation.
• On 12 July 2017, Ariana Grande was made an honorary citizen of Manchester for her efforts to raise funds for victims of 22 May 2017 terrorist attack in Manchester Arena.^[15]
• In August 2019, Guillermo Rodriguez, a security guard on Jimmy Kimmel Live, became an honorary citizen of Dildo, Newfoundland, Canada, after TV host Jimmy Kimmel ran for mayor.
• On 7 October 2019, Afghanistan granted honorary Afghan citizenship to Japanese physician Tetsu Nakamura for his long-standing humanitarian work in the country.^[16]
• On 9 June 2022, a House Resolution granted the title of honorary Brazilian citizen to British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.^[17]

See also

• Freedom of the City

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ehrenbürger der Landeshauptstadt . Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken . 16 May 2022 . de . 3 August 2023.
2. Pathways to citizenship for third-country nationals in the EU Member States National Report: Greece . European Migration Network . 10 March 2024 . en . 10 March 2024.
3. Web site: Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956 Section 12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070210221826/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA26Y1956S12.html . 2007-02-10.
4. https://main.knesset.gov.il/Activity/Legislation/Laws/Pages/LawBill.aspx?t=LawReshumot&lawitemid=318012 חוק הענקת אזרחות כבוד לחללי מלחמת הקוממיות, התש"ע-2010
5. Web site: Berliner Ehrenbürger: Lucius Dubignon Clay . de . Berlin honorary citizen: Lucius Dubignon Clay . . 17 January 2016.
6. Web site: Berliner Ehrenbürger: Michael Sergejewitsch Gorbatschow . de . Berlin honorary citizen: Michael Sergejewitsch Gorbatschow . https://web.archive.org/web/20140304141716/http://www.parlament-berlin.de/de/Das-Haus/Berliner-Ehrenbuerger/Michael-Sergejewitsch-Gorbatschow?open&ref=9BV9PW136SHEQ . 2014-03-04 . . 17 January 2016.
7. https://news.seoul.go.kr/economy/honorary-citizenship-system-major-honorary-citizens Notable Honorary Citizenship of Seoul
8. News: Mountaineering Great Edmund Hillary passes away. gorkhapatra.org.np. 12 January 2008 . The Rising Nepal . https://web.archive.org/web/20080304025552/http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=34096 . 4 March 2008 .
9. Web site: Welcome to Bruges . College of Europe . 16 October 2022 . en.
10. News: 2011-07-11 . Lady Gaga gets honorary Sydney citizenship . en-AU . ABC News . 2022-10-18.
11. News: Holocaust hero named Australia's first honorary citizen . . 15 April 2013 . 6 May 2013.
12. Governor-General to confer Honorary Australian Citizenship . . 1 May 2013 . 6 May 2013.
13. News: Gerard Depardieu throws house-warming barbecue in Belgium . . 24 August 2013.
14. Web site: Pékerman podrá tener la nacionalidad colombiana cuando quiera: Santos . es . Pékerman will be able to have Colombian nationality whenever he wants: Santos . Caracol Radio . 11 October 2013 . 13 October 2013.
15. Web site: Parveen . Nazia . Ariana Grande made honorary citizen of Manchester . . 26 June 2019 . 12 July 2017.
16. News: Nakamura ishi ni meiyo shimin-ken Afugan seifu, kangai shien o hyōka . ja:中村医師に名誉市民権 アフガン政府、灌漑支援を評価 . Honorary citizenship granted to Dr. Nakamura Afghan government appreciates irrigation assistance . . ja . 2019-10-10 . 2019-12-04.
17. News: Resoluçao da camara conczde titulo de xidadao brasileiro ao piloto Lewis Hamilton . Chamber resolution grants title of Brazilian citizen to pilot Lewis Hamilton . camara br . pt . 2022-06-09 . 2022-06-09.