Citizenship can be acquired in Chad by birth or later through naturalization.

By birth

Those who acquire citizenship by birth include:

• Children born anywhere , both parents of whom are citizens of Chad.
• Orphans found on the territory of the country, whose parents are unknown; or
• Persons of African descent who have lived in the country for fifteen years and assimilated into Chadian culture are eligible for citizenship by descent in Chad.

Through naturalization

Naturalization can be granted to persons who have lived in the country for a sufficient period to prove that they understand the customs and traditions of the society. The general provisions are that applicants must be of good mental and physical health, of good character and have no criminal record, and have lived in the country for fifteen years. To obtain naturalization, applicants submit documents to the Ministry of the Interior, including proof of residence and employment, identification and education documents, police or criminal records, health certificates, and tax documents. In addition, applicants must provide evidence of fluency in French or another language used in Chad, as well as social assimilation. After consideration, successful candidates receive naturalization by presidential decree. In addition to foreigners who meet the established criteria, the following persons can also be naturalized:

• Husband or wife of a citizen of Chad;
• Minor children may be automatically naturalized when their father becomes a citizen;
• Adopted children acquire Chadian citizenship automatically upon completion of the adoption procedure; or
• A foreigner who has rendered exceptional services to the state may be naturalized without complying with residency requirements.

Procedure

1. Contact the Ministry of Justice and find out what is required to acquire Chadian citizenship.
2. Prepare all necessary documents and submit an application to the Ministry of Justice;
3. Ministry officials will consider the submitted application, conduct an investigation and then make a decision. The application can be approved or rejected;
4. The applicant is notified of the decision. If the application is approved, it is published to allow all interested parties to express their objections;
5. At the end of the period of publication, if no one has filed objections, the applicant must take an oath in court; and
6. After taking the oath, he signs and declares himself a citizen of Chad.