The following individuals are eligible under Law No. 2024-31 concerning the recognition of Beninese nationality for Afro-descendants:

    1. Any person aged eighteen (18) years or older who, based on genealogical evidence, has a sub-Saharan African ancestor who was deported from the African continent as part of the transatlantic slave trade;

    2. Any person who can establish a direct line of descent from an individual recognized as an Afro-descendant within the meaning of the law.

Ineligibility under the Law

The following individuals are not eligible under this law:

    1. Nationals of sub-Saharan African states;

    2. Persons who do not meet the lineage requirements established by Law No. 2024-31 on the recognition of Beninese nationality for Afro-descendants, including:

        1. Persons who are not considered Afro-descendants as defined by the law;

        2. Afro-descendants whose ancestors migrated to the territories or states involved in the transatlantic slave trade after 1944.

Any document proving Afro-descendant status

The following documents are admissible as proof:

a) Civil status records of the applicant and their ancestors

b) Birth certificate(s) of the ancestor(s) in the lineage or family line

c) Certificate, attestation, or official documents issued by a state or territory of deportation proving an official legal status established through specific laws, reparation programs, or recognition of the rights of Afro-descendant populations

d) Property deeds, extracts from trading post or plantation records, manumission registers, censuses, fugitive records, or documents from historical archives such as slave registers, slavery narratives, migration maps, or registers identifying enslaved persons listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register

e) Notarized or authenticated deeds, or family trees documented by the records mentioned in (b) or (d)

f) Genetic tests conducted by laboratories accredited by the Republic of Benin showing the presence of genetic markers typical of sub-Saharan African populations, supporting the documents listed in (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e)

g) Documents establishing a direct line of descent from a sub-Saharan African ancestor deported as part of the slave trade

h) Documents establishing birth prior to 1944 in a state or territory of deportation

i) Proof of descent from a person recognized as an Afro-descendant under Law No. 2024–31 on the recognition of Beninese nationality for Afro-descendants

A criminal record certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of residence

The admissible document is one issued within the last three (3) months by the competent ministry of the country of residence, the jurisdiction of residence, or the embassy/consulate of the applicant’s country of origin (for citizens living abroad). It must include the applicant’s essential personal information (name, surname, date and place of birth, etc.) and indicate whether the applicant has a criminal record.

A copy of a valid identity document or birth certificate

An admissible identity document is one issued by a public authority that includes the applicant’s photo, essential personal details (name, surname, date and place of birth, photograph, signature), and proof of authenticity (identification of the issuing authority, date, and place of issuance). The following are admissible:

• National Identity Card (CNI)

• Passport

• Voter card, residence card or residence permit (for foreigners legally residing in a country), consular card (issued by the embassy to nationals residing abroad), military ID card (for members of the armed forces)

• Any card issued by a public authority containing nominative and biometric information

Proof of occupation

The following are admissible:

• Employment certificate issued by the employer confirming employment and position held

• Recent payslips (for the last three months)

• Certificate of affiliation to a social security body confirming declared employment and contributions

• Certificate of registration with the Trade and Personal Property Credit Register (RCCM) for entrepreneurs or traders

• Certificate of registration with a professional association (for liberal professions such as doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.)

• Certificate of membership in a cooperative or agricultural/artisanal group

• Certificate of enrollment for students or apprentices

Proof of residence

The following documents are admissible as proof of residence if they include the applicant’s name and full address:

• Certificate or attestation of residence issued by a competent public authority such as the town hall, neighborhood chief, or village chief

• Identity document

• Tax receipt

• Standardized public utility bill (water, electricity, or telecommunications)

• Property title (for property owners)

• Attestation of accommodation issued by the host, accompanied by a copy of the host’s proof of residence

• Employer’s certificate or payslip

• School certificate or equivalent document

• Pension slip, retirement card, certificate issued by the pension fund, or proof of social security coverage

1. The documents provided must be verifiable and valid.

(The submitted documents must include references, date, and the name of the issuing authority linking them to the applicant and must be relevant. They may be verified by the authority responsible for issuing nationality-related documents with any competent authority.)

2. Certificates and attestations must be dated within the last three months.

3. Documents must be accompanied by a French translation, where applicable.

(Documents written in a foreign language must be accompanied by their translation prepared by a translator accredited by the judicial or administrative authorities of the Republic of Benin or authorized to work with them https://www.tradux.gouv.bj or by the judicial authorities of the foreign state of issuance.)

4. All information provided in the application form must be accurate and complete.

5. The applicant certifies being informed that:

    • The production of the original document or a certified true copy may be required;

    • Civil status records must be submitted as full copies. Copies of records issued by Beninese authorities must be dated within the last three months. Copies of foreign civil status records must be accompanied, where applicable, by a copy of the administrative or judicial decision under which they     were issued, corrected, or amended;

    • Decisions of judicial or administrative authorities and documents issued by such authorities must be submitted in the form of official copies and, where applicable, accompanied by a certificate of non-appeal;

    • Foreign public documents must be legalized unless exempted by apostille, reciprocal practice, or a convention binding the foreign country and the Republic of Benin;

    • Proof of residence in Benin must be provided by a residence certificate issued in accordance with regulatory procedures. Proof of residence abroad must be established through written documents;

    • Foreign nationality may be demonstrated, as the case may be, by submitting a nationality certificate or a decision issued by the competent foreign authority, or a judicial decision recognizing the person as a national of the claimed country. It may also be demonstrated through civil status records     when these establish all the conditions required by law.

The application for Beninese nationality by recognition is submitted online by the applicant to the Minister of Justice. It is processed by the Authority responsible for issuing nationality‑related documents.

Applications for Beninese nationality by recognition for Afro‑descendants must be submitted exclusively online through the MyAfroOrigins platform: https://myafroorigins.bj

Application Process:

1. On the platform, select the tab “Recognition of Beninese Nationality for Afro‑Descendants.”
2. Click “Submit a Request” or “Start Now.”
3. A window titled “Start your application” will appear.
4. Enter the requested information and click “Send.”
5. You will immediately receive an email titled “Afro‑Descendant Recognition”
6. Open the email and click the “Resume My Application” button.
7. Carefully read the instructions in the email and gather the required supporting documents.
8. On the following page, complete the application form, following each of the steps provided.
9. Once all information has been accurately entered, submit your application.

Important: Before submitting your application, ensure you have documents proving your Afro‑descendant status, in addition to any genetic test results.

The Certificate of Eligibility for Beninese Nationality by recognition is issued within three (03) months from the date of receipt of a complete and compliant application file.

Application submitted from abroad

When the nationality application is submitted from abroad, the applicant receives, upon favorable review of the application, a Certificate of Eligibility for Beninese Nationality by Recognition, valid for three (03) years. The Certificate of Eligibility for Beninese Nationality by Recognition is issued within three (03) months from the date of receipt of a complete and compliant application file.

The holder of the Certificate of Eligibility must travel to Benin, appear before the department in charge of matters relating to Beninese nationality at the Ministry of Justice, and complete the identification formalities in the National Register of Natural Persons.

The Certificate of Eligibility for Beninese Nationality by Recognition becomes void if, during its validity period, the holder has not stayed in Benin, has not appeared before the department in charge of nationality matters at the Ministry of Justice, and has not completed the identification formalities in the National Register of Natural Persons.

Application submitted from within Benin

When the application is submitted online by an applicant present in Benin, they are invited to schedule an appointment to complete the identification formalities with the competent department if they are not a resident of Benin. They will receive an acknowledgment of receipt indicating the date on which they must appear before the department in charge of nationality matters at the Ministry of Justice. The applicant who responds to the invitation completes the identification formalities in the National Register of Natural Persons. Following a favorable review of the application, they will receive, within the indicated period of three (03) months, notification of the decree granting them Beninese nationality by recognition.

If the applicant’s length of stay in Benin does not allow them to appear before the department in charge of nationality matters at the Ministry of Justice, the application is treated as one submitted from abroad, and a Certificate of Eligibility for Beninese Nationality is issued and sent to them after a favorable review of the application.

Beninese nationality by recognition is granted by a decree issued in the Council of Ministers, based on a proposal from the Minister of Justice.

The certificate of eligibility grants the holder the freedom to enter, stay in, and leave the territory of the Republic of Benin.

Beninese nationality by recognition grants the beneficiary:

• the freedom to enter, stay in, and leave the territory of the Republic of Benin;
• the right to obtain a certificate of Beninese nationality by recognition and a Beninese passport;
• the right to transmit Beninese nationality to their minor descendants.

Beneficiaries of Beninese nationality by recognition may, at any time, acquire full citizenship and all the rights attached to it.

Upon the proposal of the Minister of Justice, Beninese nationality by recognition can be revoked by a decree issued in the Council of Ministers for beneficiaries who fail to meet the requirements of Article 15 of the law on the recognition of nationality for Afro-descendants:

a) If it is established that nationality was obtained through falsehood or fraud, and no evidence of possession of Beninese status or assimilation to the Beninese community has been established since its granting;

b) If the individual is convicted of a crime or for an act endangering the internal or external security of the Beninese state, the fundamental interests of the nation, or for an act of terrorism;

c) If the individual has engaged in actions incompatible with Beninese nationality on behalf of a foreign state

Genetic tests conducted at laboratories approved by the Republic of Benin are accepted in support of the following documents:

a) Civil status records of the applicant and their ancestors;

b) Birth certificate(s) of the ancestor(s) in the lineage and family tree;

c) Certificates, attestations, or official documents from a state or territory of deportation proving an official legal status established through specific laws, reparations programs, or recognition of the rights of Afro-descendant populations;

d) Property documents, extracts from trading post or farm registers, manumission registers, censuses, fugitive records, historical archive documents such as slave registers, slave narratives, migration maps, or records identifying enslaved persons listed in the UNESCO “Memory of the World” international register;

e) Notarized or authenticated acts, family trees, documented by the records listed in (b) or (d).