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In depth
The Ministry of Interior (or equivalent) is the government ministry in many African and Middle Eastern countries that processes citizenship applications. Examples include: the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, the Tunisian Ministry of Interior, the Nigerian Ministry of Interior, and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior.
For African and Middle Eastern CBD cases, the Ministry of Interior is typically the primary filing authority. Processing times vary widely (12-24 months) and requirements differ by country.
Many African and Middle Eastern countries follow paternal filiation (citizenship transmitted through the father), with recent reforms extending maternal-line transmission in some countries (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia).
Related terms
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is the South African government department that processes citizenship applications.
A High Commission is the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth country in another, equivalent to an embassy; it processes CBD applications for Commonwealth citizens.
An adoul (or adil) is a Moroccan religious notary who records civil events (births, marriages) under Islamic law, and whose records are used in Moroccan CBD cases.
A tazkira is the Afghan national identity document, which serves as proof of Afghan citizenship.
A shenasnameh is the Iranian national identity document, which serves as proof of Iranian citizenship and family relationships.
Paternal filiation is the legal principle (common in Middle Eastern and North African law) that citizenship is transmitted primarily through the father.