At birth Any child born within the territory of San Marino is automatically a citizen of San Marino if both parents were citizens of San Marino. In the case of only one parent being a citizen of San Marino, 12 months after the child turns 18, both of the parents must declare that the child wishes to choose the citizenship of the parent that is a citizen of San Marino. Citizenship by birth can also happen if: • The parents of the child born in San Marino are stateless. • The child is found abandoned where both parents are unknown.
By descent Any child born outside of San Marino has a claim to citizenship if at least one of his/her parents are a citizen of San Marino. The children of all San Marino citizens of 18 years of age, who permanently reside within the territory of San Marino for a minimum of 10 years, are eligible for citizenship.
By naturalisation Anyone with a valid residence permit who has lived in San Marino for 20 years can apply for naturalisation through the
Grand and General Council provided they: • Have never been convicted of a criminal offence in San Marino or abroad. • Have never received a prison sentence of more than 1 year. The period of residence is reduced to 10 years for spouses of Sammarinese citizens. ==Loss of citizenship==