When Place of Birth Is at Sea

apl.wisc.edu

4 pointspigtailgirl2 comments

> Today, people born in transit are generally considered citizens of the nation in which the vessel is registered.

Is this true universally, or just from the US side? Could one wind up being born stateless?

It may vary a lot, depending - besides the general conventions on born at sea - on the Law of the countries the parents of the newborn and/or the ship/aircraft belong to.

The world is divided between jus soli and jus sanguinis:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_sanguinis

The US jus soli applies to births (on US ships/aircrafts) only if within the territorial waters:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_aboard_aircraft_and_ship...

So, in practice, it is almost a case by case decision, to which you add the complication of different Laws about double citizenship.

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