Citizenship

Citizenship is a legal status conferred on an individual by a state. It requires neither knowledge nor acceptance from the individual. Citizenship may be granted through a variety of mechanisms including, birth, marriage, descent and application.

Conscription

Individuals may be citizens of a country, and may be subject to the obligations of citizenship, without their knowledge. This is particularly true for men who may be liable for conscription in a country in which they hold citizenship. Men arriving to visit a country their parents were born in have been drafted at the airport.

Men considering travelling to a country to which they have ancestral ties are recommended to clarify with the country's government whether they are a citizen and whether they have an obligation for military service. Many countries allow short-term visits by non-resident citizens without being conscripted. Other countries allow non-resident citizens to pay a fee to avoid conscription.