Citizenship by role, not by birthplace
Vatican City does not grant citizenship simply because someone is born within its walls. Instead, citizenship is generally connected to a person’s official role or authorized residence there: for example, service in the city-state’s administration or work as a Holy See diplomat. Some family members may qualify through their relationship to a citizen.
That arrangement reflects the city’s unusual purpose. Vatican City is a sovereign state built around the institutions that support the pope and the Catholic Church’s central administration, not a country with a large population that grows through ordinary family settlement. Its citizens are there because their work or household is tied to those institutions.
A status that can change with the job
Unlike citizenship that ordinarily continues regardless of where someone works, Vatican citizenship is often temporary. When the qualifying office or service ends, the basis for citizenship usually ends too, unless another qualifying connection applies. In practice, it is commonly held alongside another nationality rather than replacing it.
The distinction is visible in everyday terms: a child born in Vatican City to visiting parents does not become a citizen just by being born there. Conversely, someone born elsewhere may become a citizen through an appointment or role connected to the state. The passport follows the person’s institutional connection—not the place where they entered the world.
