Can Iranian Citizenship Be Revoked?

Short Answer: No—except in rare cases, and only with government approval

Many Iranians living abroad who have acquired a second nationality often wonder: “Have I lost my Iranian citizenship?” or “Can I revoke it?” According to Iranian law, citizenship is considered permanent and irrevocable, unless very specific legal conditions are met and the government formally approves it.

Legal Foundation: Citizenship is non-revocable

Under Article 42 of the Iranian Civil Code:

“No Iranian citizen may be deprived of their nationality, except as provided by law.”

This means that Iranian nationality is generally permanent and cannot be revoked unless certain strict legal conditions are satisfied.

Article 988 of the Civil Code: Conditions for Renouncing Iranian Citizenship

Iranian law does not consider acquiring foreign nationality as grounds for losing Iranian citizenship. To formally renounce it, all of the following must be true:

The applicant must be at least 25 years old

They must have already obtained foreign nationality

The Council of Ministers (Cabinet) must approve the renunciation

All taxes and debts to the Iranian government must be settled

The applicant must not be employed by the Iranian government at the time of the request

The renunciation must not endanger national security or public interest

Even if all conditions are met, citizenship is only revoked after the Cabinet’s formal approval. Until then, the person remains legally Iranian.

No Forced Revocation in Iranian Law

Iranian law provides no mechanism for involuntary revocation of citizenship. Even dual nationals are considered solely Iranian within Iran’s borders, and their foreign citizenship is not legally recognized while in Iran.

What Dual Nationals Should Know

In Iran, you are treated only as an Iranian citizen