For many immigrants, including Nigerians, Europe remains one of the top four global destinations for migration, offering opportunities for education, employment, and the prospect of long-term settlement.
A 2024 report from the EU’s migration‑policy platform estimates that over 260,000 Nigerians currently reside in the European Union, highlighting the continent’s growing appeal to those seeking new prospects abroad
For many, obtaining the citizenship of these countries is the ultimate goal, a milestone that promises greater security, mobility, and access to opportunities.
Yet, in some EU nations, achieving this goal is complicated by strict dual‑citizenship restrictions.
These rules prevent individuals from holding multiple nationalities, meaning that migrants may be required to renounce their original citizenship to acquire a new one. Dual‑citizenship restrictions are designed to ensure clear lines of allegiance and accountability, addressing concerns such as taxation, military service, and political rights.
In some nations, culture plays a role, as citizenship is closely tied to national identity and social cohesion, and allowing multiple nationalities is seen as potentially weakening that unity.
Understanding which countries enforce these restrictions and the limitations at stake is therefore crucial for anyone planning to migrate.
Here are the 12 EU countries that restrict or do not allow dual citizenship
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, dual citizenship is allowed only when there is a bilateral agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the other country.
As of now, those agreements are only in force with a few countries, namely Croatia, Serbia and Sweden.
For individuals who do not come from one of those countries, acquiring Bosnian citizenship through naturalisation (or voluntarily obtaining another nationality while holding Bosnian citizenship) generally requires renunciation of the other citizenship, or leads to loss of Bosnian citizenship.
To acquire Bosnian citizenship, a person must be at least 18 years old, have lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a permanent registered residence for at least eight years, speak one of the official languages, pose no threat to national security, have not been sentenced to more than three years for a premeditated crime within the past eight years, and must renounce their original citizenship.
