Comparative Regional Report on Citizenship Law: Oceania Table 4 Naturalisation: Special achievements and contributions FSM Fiji Kiribati Marshall Is Nauru Palau PNG Samoa Solomon Is Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Grounds None None None Distinguished service or public interest None None Sporting achievement or business investment Financial investment None “Humanitarian grounds”91 Paid work for 7 years as official or representative of Tuvalu overseas Financial investment or representative of Vanuatu government overseas Main facilitation Can retain dual citizenship Specific category for naturalisation Reduced period of residence Specific category for naturalisation Specific category for naturalisation Specific category for naturalisation 3.3 Loss of citizenship 3.3.1 Voluntary loss of citizenship Legislation in ten states of Oceania sets out a process for the renunciation of citizenship. The two exceptions are Palau and Tonga which do not provide for voluntary renunciation of citizenship. Of the ten states, all except the Federated States of Micronesia require that a person seeking to renounce their citizenship be of full age and capacity and hold, or be in the process of obtaining, citizenship of a foreign state. Such provisions reflect an effort to avoid statelessness, but are not always perfectly designed for this purpose. For example, there may be a situation where a state registers a declaration of renunciation of citizenship before the person has formally obtained foreign citizenship, with the risk that the foreign citizenship might not be granted. Legislation in some states deals expressly with this possibility. Some, such as Fiji and Nauru, require evidence that the person holds foreign citizenship.92 The Citizenship Act of Samoa provides that, even if a declaration of renunciation is registered, a person is taken to be a citizen of Samoa until his or her citizenship status in the other country is proclaimed.93 In six states, the consent of the Minister or Cabinet is required if a person seeks to renounce their citizenship during a time of war (see Table 5). Other conditions for voluntary renunciation, such as residence outside the country or completion of the duties of citizenship, do not exist in Oceania’s citizenship laws. 91 As explained in Part 4.2, the reference to the King of Tonga’s power to grant citizenship to a person on “humanitarian grounds” was intended to legitimise unlawful passport and citizenship sales. 92 Citizenship of Fiji Act 2009 (Fiji) s 15; Naoero Citizenship Act 2017 (Nauru) s 22. 93 Citizenship Act 2004 (Samoa) s 14(3). RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-Comp 2020/1 - © 2020 Author 17