mystery questionair asked:
I was born in Iceland Europe while my dad was stationed there in the Navy. But after a year or so after I was born my family moved back to the United States. My whole family is American but since my birth citificate says that I was born in Europe does that give me the right to visit or move there as a citizen without needing a Visa or passport or whatever.
I was born in Iceland Europe while my dad was stationed there in the Navy. But after a year or so after I was born my family moved back to the United States. My whole family is American but since my birth citificate says that I was born in Europe does that give me the right to visit or move there as a citizen without needing a Visa or passport or whatever.
And does that make me European as well?
Well you need to know if your on a green card or not. That’s step 1.
If you are, then you are a legal citizen of Europe
If not, then you are a legal citizen of the United States and can NOT go back to Europe without a passport/green card.
Just being born in Iceland does not make you a citizen, and since your father was in the Navy you are a US citizen only.
So as far as rights you may visit Iceland visa free anytime as long as you have a valid passport to travel.
You always need a passport once you leave the US.
Most of the European countries do not apply jus soli by which nationality or citizenship can be recognized to any individual born in the territory of the related country.
Icelandic citizenship is aquired at birth if one of the parents is an Icelandic citizen and not if born in Iceland.
In other words, you are American citizen since your whole family is American as you have stated. As U.S. passport holder you can visit most of Europe for short stays without a visa, however in order to move there would require prior immigration procedures.
Iceland is not a member of the European Union, but their citizen have the same travel rights based on membership of the European Economic Area.
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You pretty much always need a passport when travelling between countries. Passports are a way to prove who you are and what your citizenship is, so that they know whether you are allowed to enter the country and whether you need a visa or not.
Regarding the right to visit or move to other countries, it’s your citizenship that matters, not where you were born. If you are an American citizen and want to move to or work in Iceland/Europe, then you need a residence permit and a working visa, as well as a passport. Being born in the U.S. Navy base in Iceland does not give you any extra rights.
Your whole family is American, you were born in a U.S. territory (a U.S. Navy base), your citizenship is (presumably) American. You are an American. You are not European, despite having geographically been born in Europe.