Back to the Roots
There's no single test – eligibility comes down to a handful of specific facts about one ancestor. Take the quiz below to see where you stand, then use the sections after it – the law itself, the process, and what you'll need to prove it.
Citizenship Journey
Real, anonymous data from applicants.
To start us off, we approximated some submissions based on a public spreadsheet. These'll be deleted soon to let you control your own submissions without skewing the data – so if you see something that looks like your journey, go ahead and submit anyway!
Find out if you qualify
Ancestry
I'm an Afro-descendant
Meaning: I have sub-Saharan African ancestors.
See the FAQ for more detail.
Where the Ancestors were trafficked
An official list of recognized "Deportation Territories" exists, but it's generally considered to be incomplete, since applicants have been approved whose ancestors were trafficked to places that aren't on the list. Not to mention, the wording of the law itself is broader than the list. So, if in doubt, apply based on the law, regardless of whether your country is on the list.
Mexico and Panama aren't on the list by name, but applicants from both countries have been approved – Mexico falls under the historical colonial designations of "Antilles" or "Honduras" on the official list. Territories not explicitly named aren't automatically excluded.
São Tomé and Mauritius are on the list, because descendants of sub-Saharan Africans trafficked there are eligible (since it's not a part of the mainland African continent), but their own citizens aren't eligible (because they're still African countries) – only people who aren't citizens of any African country (yet) can apply.
✦ Lesser-known territories – you may be eligible, even if you didn't expect it!
Read the actual text of the law
Benin's law is written and enacted in French. Here's the complete official French text of Law N° 2024-31 (2 September 2024), consolidated with the amendments made by Law N° 2025-11 (1 July 2025) – this is the current, in-force version, not just the original. We added an unofficial English translation alongside it for convenience. Note: MyAfroOrigins support and some official materials may still go by the original 2024 law without taking the 2025 amendment into account – but the actual decision-makers will, so if you get conflicting information, apply based on the updated law.
Dispositions générales
La présente loi a pour objet de définir les conditions et modalités spécifiques suivant lesquelles les personnes reconnues comme afro-descendants peuvent acquérir la nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance.
This Law sets out the specific conditions and procedures under which persons recognized as Afro-descendants may acquire Beninese nationality by recognition.
Est Afro-descendant au sens de la présente loi, toute personne qui, d'après sa généalogie, a un ascendant africain subsaharien déporté hors du continent africain dans le cadre de la traite des Noirs et du commerce triangulaire.
For the purposes of this Law, an Afro-descendant is any person who, according to their genealogy, has a sub-Saharan African ancestor who was deported from the African continent as part of the slave trade and the triangular trade.
Conditions et modalités de la reconnaissance
Tout Afro-descendant, qui en formule la demande, peut acquérir la nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance aux conditions suivantes :
- avoir dix-huit ans révolus ;
- être ressortissant d'un Etat ou territoire non africain ;
- disposer de la preuve de son afro-descendance.
Any Afro-descendant who applies may acquire Beninese nationality by recognition under the following conditions:
- being eighteen years of age or older;
- being a national of a non-African State or territory;
- providing proof of their Afro-descent.
La preuve de l'afro-descendance est fournie par le demandeur au moyen de toute documentation d'état civil ou officielle, de tous témoignages constatés par acte authentique ou par tout moyen technique ou scientifique, tel que le test ADN réalisé par une structure reconnue par la République du Bénin.
Proof of Afro-descent is provided by the applicant by means of any civil-status or official documentation, any testimony recorded in a notarized document, or any technical or scientific method, such as a DNA test performed by a laboratory recognized by the Republic of Benin.
Les personnes d'origine africaine subsaharienne nées avant 1944 dans les Etats ou territoires de déportation dans le cadre du commerce triangulaire sont réputées afro-descendantes, au titre de la présente loi.
Persons of sub-Saharan African origin born before 1944 in the States or territories of deportation under the triangular trade are deemed Afro-descendants for the purposes of this Law.
La preuve de l'afro-descendance peut être fournie par le lien de filiation avec une personne réputée afro-descendante.
Proof of Afro-descent may also be provided through a filiation link to a person deemed to be Afro-descendant.
La demande de la nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance est adressée au ministre chargé de la justice par le demandeur lui-même physiquement présent sur le territoire de la République du Bénin.
La nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance est accordée par décret pris en Conseil des ministres sur proposition du ministre chargé de la justice.
An application for Beninese nationality by recognition is submitted to the minister responsible for justice by the applicant in person, while physically present on the territory of the Republic of Benin.
Beninese nationality by recognition is granted by decree issued by the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the minister responsible for justice.
La demande de la nationalité par reconnaissance peut également être formulée par un requérant se trouvant hors du territoire de la République du Bénin.
Après examen favorable de la demande de la nationalité par reconnaissance faite hors du territoire de la République du Bénin, par un requérant, une attestation d'éligibilité au bénéfice de la nationalité béninoise est établie et adressée audit demandeur.
Cette attestation est valable pour une durée de trois ans non renouvelable.
An application for nationality by recognition may also be submitted by an applicant located outside the territory of the Republic of Benin.
Once an application for nationality by recognition submitted from outside Benin has been favorably reviewed, a certificate of eligibility for Beninese nationality is issued and sent to the applicant.
This certificate is valid for three years and is not renewable.
La nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance est accordée au bénéficiaire de l'attestation d'éligibilité au bénéfice de la nationalité béninoise sur justification de son séjour sur le territoire de la République du Bénin dans le délai de trois ans à partir de la date de l'établissement de cette attestation.
Beninese nationality by recognition is granted to the holder of a certificate of eligibility for Beninese nationality upon proof of your stay on the territory of the Republic of Benin within three years of the date the certificate was issued.
L'attestation de nationalité béninoise prévue par la présente loi est délivrée par l'autorité de délivrance des actes de nationalité subséquemment à la notification des actes administratifs conséquents par le ministre chargé de la justice.
The certificate of Beninese nationality provided for by this Law is issued by the authority responsible for issuing nationality documents, following notification of the relevant administrative acts by the minister responsible for justice.
Effets de la nationalité par reconnaissance
L'attestation d'éligibilité au bénéfice de la nationalité béninoise confère au bénéficiaire la liberté d'entrée, de séjour et de sortie du territoire de la République du Bénin.
The certificate of eligibility for Beninese nationality grants the holder freedom to enter, stay in, and leave the territory of the Republic of Benin.
La nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance confère au bénéficiaire la liberté d'entrée, de résidence, d'établissement et de sortie du territoire de la République du Bénin.
Le bénéficiaire a droit à la délivrance d'une attestation de nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance et d'un passeport béninois.
Beninese nationality by recognition grants the holder freedom to enter, stay, settle, and leave the territory of the Republic of Benin.
The holder is entitled to be issued a certificate of Beninese nationality by recognition and a Beninese passport.
La nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance est transmissible à l'enfant mineur.
La transmission ne peut être faite qu'au bénéfice de l'enfant mineur.
Beninese nationality by recognition is transmissible to a minor child.
This transmission may only benefit a minor child.
Les bénéficiaires de la nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance peuvent, à la suite de deux années au moins de résidence sur le territoire de la République du Bénin, acquérir la pleine nationalité béninoise et tous les droits qui y sont attachés.
After at least two years of residence on the territory of the Republic of Benin, holders of Beninese nationality by recognition may acquire full Beninese nationality and all the rights attached to it.
Sur proposition du ministre chargé de la justice, la nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance est retirée par décret pris en Conseil des ministres aux bénéficiaires n'ayant pas satisfait aux exigences de l'article 15 de la présente loi :
1) s'il est établi qu'elle a été obtenue par mensonge ou fraude et alors que ne peut être établie depuis sa délivrance aucune possession d'état de Béninois ni assimilation à la communauté béninoise ;
2) si la personne est condamnée pour un acte qualifié de crime ou pour un acte portant atteinte à la sûreté intérieure ou extérieure de l'Etat béninois, aux intérêts fondamentaux de la nation ou pour un acte de terrorisme ;
3) si la personne s'est livrée au profit d'un Etat étranger à des actes incompatibles avec la nationalité béninoise.
On the proposal of the minister responsible for justice, Beninese nationality by recognition is withdrawn by decree issued by the Council of Ministers from holders who have not met the requirements of Article 15 of this Law:
1) where it is established that nationality was obtained through deceit or fraud, and no possession of Beninese status or assimilation into the Beninese community can be established since it was issued;
2) where the person is convicted of an act classified as a crime, or of an act undermining the internal or external security of the Beninese State, the fundamental interests of the nation, or an act of terrorism;
3) where the person has, for the benefit of a foreign State, engaged in acts incompatible with Beninese nationality.
La décision de retrait de la nationalité béninoise par reconnaissance est notifiée aux autorités compétentes et à la personne concernée. Elle est publiée au Journal officiel. Toutefois, le défaut de publication n'est pas opposable.
A decision to withdraw Beninese nationality by recognition is notified to the competent authorities and to the person concerned. It is published in the Official Gazette. However, failure to publish does not affect its enforceability.
Dispositions finales
Les modalités de répudiation et de réintégration sont réglées conformément à la législation en vigueur sur la nationalité.
Procedures for renunciation and reinstatement are governed in accordance with the legislation in force on nationality.
Les modalités d'application de la présente loi sont précisées par décret pris en Conseil des ministres.
The implementing procedures for this Law are specified by decree issued by the Council of Ministers.
La présente loi sera exécutée comme Loi de l'Etat.
This Law shall be enforced as a Law of the State.
This translation is provided for convenience only and is not an official document. Where the two differ, the French text governs.
10 steps from account to ceremony
As of June 2025, the certificate is officially required within 6 months of applying – but that deadline is sometimes exceeded. Check the Citizenship Journey tracker for real timelines from real applicants.
Start your application at myafroorigins.bj
Your application date is set the day you START your application – not the day you submit. Starting it early, essentially moves you ahead in line! Once you begin filling out the form, that date is locked in.
Gather all documents except the background check
Get everything else ready first. The background check is time-sensitive, so it should be the last thing you do.
Get your criminal background check
Must be issued within 3 months of when the government first reviews your application, so get it right before submitting!
Don't get this early – it expires!
Submit your application
Online at myafroorigins.bj. Application fee: $100 USD. Max size: 2MB per file.
Reach Validated Level 1
Some applicants never receive the Level 1 email – if it's been awhile, check your status directly on MyAfroOrigins.bj.
This just means that on first glance, they think they've got everything they need from you, but some people have reached this level, then been asked to make edits or add more documents or sometimes even had their Validated Level 1 status removed before being approved and some people skip right over this step.
Receive your provisional Certificate of Eligibility
Lets you enter Benin without a visa and stay as long as you like. Now you know for sure your citizenship will be approved, once you get there – it's safe to start planning your trip!
Wait for your Decree
A separate official document from the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued in batches – can take 3+ months after the certificate. You'll receive it by email, nothing to do but wait – if it seems overdue, email support to ask for a resend.
You need the Decree before you can reserve your spot at the citizenship ceremony in Benin.
Reserve your spot
Once you have the Decree, reserve your spot at the citizenship ceremony in Benin to make it official!
Travel to Benin to complete the process
Go to the ANIP office (the National ID Agency) once you arrive to complete registration.
Yellow Fever vaccine is required. Plan to stay 1–2 weeks.
Arrive in Benin
Get a local SIM, so you can use local payment apps, complete the last few burocratic steps, then receive your permanent nationality certificate at the citizenship ceremony!
Down the line
If you choose to live in Benin, after 2 years, you'll have full citizenship and all the rights that come with it – civil, political, social, and administrative.
Ask our Citizenship Guide chat for more detail!
What you need to apply
Required
Any of these count as proof
- Civil status records (birth, death, or marriage certificates) of you or your ancestors – the easiest option: one relative born before 1944 is enough, you don't need every branch documented
- Legal recognition from a deportation state or territory (e.g. Mexico's constitutional recognition of Afro-descendants)
- Plantation, manumission, or slave registers, censuses, newspapers, obituaries, or UNESCO archives
- Notarized family trees, backed by civil or historical records
- Notarized letters vouching for your Afro-descent
- Church or parish records – for older records, contact the archdiocese directly
- DNA test from a Benin-approved lab – a bonus, not required or expected on its own
- Criminal background check – get this last! Valid only 3 months from issue, and it must still be valid when the government first reviews your file.
- Valid ID
- Proof of address
- Proof of employment or occupation
Share your experience!
Citizenship JourneySources Cited
Eligible Territories
- MyAfroOrigins support
The Law, In Full
The Process
- [FR]Banouto – "Nationalité béninoise aux Afro-descendants: voici où et comment faire la demande en ligne" (confirms myafroorigins.bj launch date, $100 application fee, platform languages)
- [FR]Ambassade du Bénin (Washington, D.C.) – "Reconnaissance de la nationalité béninoise aux Afro-descendants"
- [EN]myafroorigins.bj – official application portal
- [PT]Bahia.ba – "Brasileiros buscam cidadania do Benin em movimento de reconexão com raízes africanas", confirms the $100 fee and ~3-month processing time
- [PT]Guia Negro – "Como tirar a cidadania de Benin e conseguir um passaporte africano", walks through the eligibility-certificate expiry and full-citizenship-conversion steps
- [ES]Global Voices en Español – "Países africanos ofrecen ciudadanía a sus comunidades globales", covers Benin's process (DNA tests, authenticated testimonies, family records) alongside Ghana/Guinea-Bissau's comparable programs
- [ES]OHCHR (Spanish) – "Regresando a África: las personas afrodescendientes reclaman un status especial", confirms the documentation/DNA-test requirement in Spanish
Documents
- [EN]Beninese Embassy (US) – courtesy translation FAQ, "Citoyenneté Afro-descendants" (PDF)
- [EN]myafroorigins.bj – "Recognition of Beninese nationality for Afro-descendants" service page
- [PT]Jornal Concreto – walks through the myafroorigins.bj portal step-by-step ("Fazer um pedido" → dossier submission), including the criminal-record-certificate and ID-document requirements
Further reading
- [EN]Wikipedia – "Beninese nationality law" (general background)
- [FR]KOACI – "Bénin: Patrice Talon promulgue une loi accordant la nationalité aux Afro-descendants" (law promulgation, Sept 2024)
- [FR]Jeune Afrique – "Afrodescendants au Bénin: cinq questions pour comprendre la stratégie de Patrice Talon"
- [FR]Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative – "Trois afro-descendants obtiennent la nationalité béninoise" (first-ceremony coverage, legal/rights-focused framing)