Under Beninese law, an Afro descendant is anyone whose genealogy shows that they have a sub-Saharan African ancestor who was deported from the African continent as part of the slave trade and triangular trade.

People of sub-Saharan African origin born before 1944 in countries or territories deported as part of the triangular trade are deemed to be Afro-descendants.

The documents required to submit an application for acquisition of nationality by recognition are :

- a written request for Beninese nationality specifying the full name, address and residence of the applicant;

- a form to fill in on the website

- Document(s) proving the applicant's profession;

- a birth certificate not more than three months old or the applicant's birth certificate or any other document in lieu thereof;

- the certificate of nationality from the applicant's country of origin or any other document in lieu thereof;

- any document proving the applicant's Afro-descent;

- the applicant's criminal record issued by the competent authority in the applicant's country of origin ;

- any document establishing the applicant's residence or legal domicile ;

- one (01) passport-size photo of the applicant with a white background.

- a copy of a valid identity document.

Applicants who are physically present in Benin must accompany these documents with proof of residence in Benin.

a- full copies of civil status records are produced, accompanied, where applicable, by the decision under which they were drawn up, rectified or amended and a certificate that no appeal has been lodged;

b- documents issued by the administrative authorities of the applicant's country of origin must be legalised, except in the case of an apostille, reciprocal dispensation or an agreement between the foreign country and the Republic of Benin;

c- documents drawn up in a foreign language must be accompanied by a translation into French by an approved translator or a foreign representative of the Republic of Benin;

d- an identity document is any document issued by a public authority in a foreign country showing the applicant's surname, forenames, date and place of birth, photograph, signature, personal identification number, where applicable, the name of the authority that issued the document, the date and place of issue, and a code or reference for the document;

e - proof of residence is a written document issued by the administrative authority in the country of residence;

f- the criminal record issued by the administration or judicial authority of the foreign country is less than three (03) months old on the day the application is submitted

g- proof of residence in Benin is established by the entry and exit stamps in the passport or the provisional certificate of nationality or on an entry and residence visa for the Republic of Benin, a standard hotel bill or a legalized rental contract bearing a date subsequent to the promulgation of law 2024-31 relating to the recognition of Beninese nationality for Afro-descendants in the Republic of Benin.

The Nationality Documents Issuing Authority may request the production of the original of any document submitted by the applicant.

Applications for Beninese nationality by recognition shall be submitted to the Minister of Justice by the applicant. It is processed by the Nationality Issuing Authority.

The application is made online.

Applications for recognition of Beninese nationality for Afro-descendants must be submitted via the https://afro-origins.bj platform.

Process :

- on the platform, click on the Afro-descendant Recognition tab

- click on Make a request and then on Start now

- A window initialising your request appears

- Fill in and confirm your e-mail address, then click Send.

- You will instantly receive an Afro-descendant Naturalisation message in your mailbox.

- Open the message and click on the Continue my request button

- Read the instructions contained in the message carefully and prepare the parts indicated.

- On the page that appears after you have clicked, complete the form by following the various steps listed below.

- Once you have filled in the information correctly, submit your request.

The certificate of eligibility for Beninese nationality by recognition is issued within three (03) months of receipt of a complete and compliant application.

Applications for definitive attestation of Beninese nationality by recognition are submitted to the Minister of Justice by the applicant who is physically present on the territory of the Republic of Benin.

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

The provisional certificate gives the beneficiary freedom of entry, residence and exit from the territory of the Republic of Benin.

Beninese nationality by recognition confers on the beneficiary :

  - freedom to enter, reside in and leave the territory of the Republic of Benin.

- the right to a certificate of Beninese nationality by recognition and a Beninese passport.

- the right to pass on Beninese nationality to descendants.

Beneficiaries of Beninese nationality by recognition may acquire full Beninese nationality and all the rights attached thereto at any time, in accordance with the legislation on nationality.

On a proposal from the Minister of Justice, Beninese nationality by recognition shall be withdrawn by decree issued by the Council of Ministers from beneficiaries who have not met the requirements of article 15 of this law:

a- if it is established that it was obtained by deceit or fraud and that no possession of Beninese status or assimilation into the Beninese community has been established since it was issued;

b- if the person has been convicted of an act classified as a felony or an act undermining the internal or external security of the Beninese State, the fundamental interests of the nation or an act of terrorism;

c- if the person has engaged in acts on behalf of a foreign State that are incompatible with Beninese nationality.