[11] Those who acquire nationality automatically at birth include: Naturalization can be granted to persons who have resided in the territory for a sufficient period of time to confirm they understand the customs and traditions of the society.

General provisions are that applicants have good character and conduct; have no criminal convictions; have mental capacity or a guardian who can act on their behalf; and have resided in the country for ten years.

[3][29] The Egyptian revolution of 1952 nullified the terms of the condominium and led to an Anglo-Egyptian resolution to grant Sudan self-government.

[32] The Sudanese Civil War ended in 1972 with the signing of the Addis Ababa Accord granting limited autonomy to South Sudan.

[3][35][36] Following the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997, a new constitution was drafted in 1998, which was intended to remove gender discrimination from the laws.

[37][38] Article 22 of the constitution provided that persons born to a Sudanese mother or father had an inalienable right to acquire nationality.

[38][39] With the discovery of oil in South Sudan, the civil war resumed in 2001 and a laborious period of negotiation lapsed before the Machakos Protocol was signed to bring peace in 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya.

[3][39] The agreement provided that southern Sudan would be transitionally autonomous until a plebiscite to be held in 2011 determined if it would remain in the union or become independent.

It created provisions for transitional governments to be elected and stipulated that Islamic law was not to be implemented in the south.

[9][Notes 1] In 2009, the Southern Sudan Referendum Act defined eligible voters to be persons who were eighteen years old or more; had legal capacity; were registered to vote; and were either born to parents or whose ancestors had links with indigenous or ethnic communities from Southern Sudan, who had resided in southern Sudan on or before 1 January 1956, or persons who had continuously been permanent residents or whose parents or grandparents had been continuous residents since 1 January 1956.

[44] Negotiations between the north and south were to establish how nationality would be implemented after the referendum was held, but talks broke down prior to the scheduled vote.

[3][7] In addition, they are required to show proficiency with Juba Arabic and have a physical appearance consistent those ethnic groups.

[7] According to a 2018 report compiled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the government does not acknowledge persons who are Ngok Dinka from Abyei or Falata pastoralists as South Sudanese.

The report also noted difficulties in obtaining nationality for women who had no male relative as a representative, and for orphans and refugees.