Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation. In law, the terms are distinct and they are regulated by different governmental administrative bodies. Rwandan nationality is typically obtained under the principle of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth in Rwanda or abroad to parents with Rwandan nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization.
