Can you keep your Pakistan citizenship when you become a U.S. citizen?
Allowed with conditions
Only in some cases
Pakistani citizens who become U.S. citizens generally keep their Pakistani citizenship because the United States is one of the countries with a bilateral dual nationality arrangement with Pakistan.
What the law says
- Pakistani nationals who naturalise in the United Kingdom or another country specified by the federal government no longer automatically lose Pakistani nationality.
- The government negotiates bilateral dual nationality treaties with participating states, under which nationals of either country need not renounce their nationality before naturalising in the other.
- The United States is among the 22 countries with such a dual nationality arrangement with Pakistan.
- Although the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951 provides for deprivation when a Pakistani becomes a citizen of another country, the Lahore High Court ruled this is not automatic and does not apply unless acquiring the foreign citizenship is conditional on renouncing Pakistani citizenship.
- Dual nationals are constitutionally prohibited from serving in the Parliament of Pakistan and, since 2013, barred from public office in Punjab.
“Pakistan has concluded a series of bilateral agreements with other countries that explicitly allow dual nationality with the participating states.”
What about the U.S. side?
The United States allows dual citizenship. At the oath ceremony you promise to renounce allegiance to other countries, but U.S. law does not make you formally give up your other passport. The question is only whether Pakistan lets you keep yours.
Source: Pakistani nationality law (Wikipedia, summarized on 2026-11-11). Laws change — confirm with the Pakistan embassy or consulate before your oath ceremony. This is not legal advice.
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