Honorary citizenship

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.

A certificate of honorary citizenship.
Honorary Texas Citizen certificate issued to Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol.

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

In Germany, 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.

See also: List of honorary citizens of Munich

Ireland

In Ireland, honorary citizenship bestowed on a foreigner is full legal citizenship including the right to reside and vote.[2]

Russian Empire

In Russian Empire, honorary citizens constituted a social estate (sosloviye, sostoyaniye) which was a privileged subcategory of the estate of urban dwellers.[3]

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]

Examples

See also

References
  1. "Ehrenbürger der Landeshauptstadt". Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken (in German). 16 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  2. "Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956 Section 12". Archived from the original on 10 February 2007.
  3. "Гражданство почетное" . Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.
  4. חוק הענקת אזרחות כבוד לחללי מלחמת הקוממיות, התש"ע-2010 (in Hebrew)
  5. "Berliner Ehrenbürger: Lucius Dubignon Clay" [Berlin honorary citizen: Lucius Dubignon Clay]. Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin (in German). Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  6. "Berliner Ehrenbürger: Michael Sergejewitsch Gorbatschow" [Berlin honorary citizen: Michael Sergejewitsch Gorbatschow]. Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin (in German). Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  7. Notable Honorary Citizenship of Seoul
  8. "Mountaineering Great Edmund Hillary passes away". The Rising Nepal. 12 January 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008 – via gorkhapatra.org.np.
  9. "Welcome to Bruges". College of Europe. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  10. "Lady Gaga gets honorary Sydney citizenship". ABC News. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  11. "Holocaust hero named Australia's first honorary citizen". The Australian. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  12. "Governor-General to confer Honorary Australian Citizenship" (Press release). Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  13. "Gerard Depardieu throws house-warming barbecue in Belgium". BBC News. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  14. "Pékerman podrá tener la nacionalidad colombiana cuando quiera: Santos" [Pékerman will be able to have Colombian nationality whenever he wants: Santos]. Caracol Radio (in Spanish). 11 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  15. Parveen, Nazia (12 July 2017). "Ariana Grande made honorary citizen of Manchester". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  16. "Jimmy Kimmel - Mayor of Dildo!", Jimmy Kimmel Live, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 19 August 2019 – via YouTube
  17. "Nakamura ishi ni meiyo shimin-ken Afugan seifu, kangai shien o hyōka" 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]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  18. "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 (in Portuguese). 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
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