Iran does not permit dual citizenship. What the statute actually says, the notification duties that go with it, and what it means if you are considering a second passport.
Whether you can keep your Iranian passport while holding another one is decided by Iran, not by the country issuing the second document. This page sets out the current position, the statute behind it, and what it means in practice for someone considering a second citizenship.
Short answer: Iran does not permit dual citizenship. The detail below matters more than the headline, because the consequences of getting it wrong fall on the individual — usually years later, at a passport renewal or a border.
No. Iran does not recognise dual nationality. An Iranian who holds another passport is still treated by Iran exclusively as an Iranian citizen.
The rule to establish first is always the one that applies to you at home. A second country can only grant its own status; it cannot preserve a nationality that your own law terminates. What a prohibition means in practice — and what it does not — is explained in the guide to dual citizenship rules, with the country-by-country table.
| Question | Position in Iran |
|---|---|
| Dual citizenship | Not permitted |
| Governing law | Civil Code, arts. 976–991 |
| Status of a second nationality | Not recognised — Iran continues to treat you as Iranian only |
| Effect on the original nationality | None — Iranian nationality is retained; renunciation only by Council of Ministers approval |
| Basis of taxation | Residence |
| Military service obligation | Yes, for men |
The Civil Code treats Iranian nationality as retained unless it is formally renounced, and renunciation requires approval at Council of Ministers level — a discretionary process that is rarely completed. Acquiring a foreign nationality does not, by itself, end Iranian nationality; it simply goes unrecognised.
The authoritative source is the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rules in this area change by amendment and by notification, so the position should be confirmed at the time you act, not from any article.
Iranian nationality passes through the father and is retained indefinitely. A person born abroad to an Iranian father is Iranian in Iran's view for life, whatever other passport they hold, and there is no "choice of nationality" procedure at adulthood as there is in some other countries.
Acquiring a foreign nationality does not terminate Iranian nationality. Iran simply does not recognise the new status: you remain Iranian on Iranian territory, with the same obligations. Formal renunciation exists but requires Council of Ministers approval and is rarely completed.
Vanuatu does not accept applications from current Iranian nationals, so this is an eligibility question before it is anything else. Long residence outside Iran is sometimes considered individually, but it is discretionary and cannot be relied on. Establish eligibility first; never pay a fee against a promise that it will be waived.
The mistakes below account for most of the cases where people discover a problem years after the event, typically when renewing a passport or crossing a border.
Before any of that matters, eligibility does. The Vanuatu Citizenship Commission does not accept applications from current nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria and Yemen, and Iranian nationals are on that list. The restriction attaches to the nationality you currently hold: a second, unrestricted passport does not remove it while Iranian nationality is retained. Applicants who have lived outside the country of that nationality for many years are sometimes looked at individually. That is a discretionary exception and not an entitlement: nobody can promise it in advance, and we will not take a fee on the strength of it. Separately, and regardless of any programme, Iran will continue to treat an Iranian national as Iranian — a foreign passport is an additional legal identity abroad, never an exit from Iranian nationality.
If you are weighing this up anyway, start with a conversation rather than with the price list: the first question is whether you would be giving up a status you intend to keep.
The same question, answered for comparable jurisdictions:
Before applying anywhere, get the rule for your own citizenship confirmed in writing. We do that check first and tell you if the answer is no.