Citizenship in Equatorial Guinea is set forth in the Ley No.3/2011 reguladora de la Nacionalidad Ecuatoguineana.  The law provides for children to acquire nationality from either parent — removing gender discrimination in the 1990 law — and for the children born in the territory to have the right to opt for Equato-Guinean nationality from the age of 18. The reform also simplified the provisions surrounding acquisition of nationality; however, it increased the period of residence necessary for naturalisation (except in case of marriage) from 10 to 40 years. Dual nationality remains prohibited, except in case of a bilateral treaty permitting it.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed disappointment in 2004 about the very low percentages of births which are being registered, as well as the lack of a functional registration system and lack of public awareness of the importance of registration; in 2011 the Demographic and Health Survey recorded that only 50 percent of the births of children under five had been registered.

As a member state of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), Equatorial Guinea has committed to eradicating statelessness.