states that nationals of Latin American countries and Spain do not lose their nationality upon acquiring Peruvian citizenship (many Latin American countries and Spain have similar reciprocal laws). In practice, multiple nationality is acknowledged and accepted by Peru and its consular and diplomatic staff. Naturalization A person who has two years of legal residency in Peru, be it by marriage or other reasons such as work, can apply for naturalization. The two year requirement starts from the date one acquires residency in the country, provided that residency never lapses. The years must be consecutive. If a person has a work visa that expires, and renews it later, it doesn't count as two consecutive years. The renewal must happen before the expiration of the first. For married people, simply staying in the country is sufficient. History Peru declared independence from Spain in 1821 and adopted its first constitution in 1823. Under Article 10, it defined Peruvians as free men born in the territory, those born anywhere to a Peruvian mother or father, and those who were naturalized according to procedure. The 1826 Constitution granted Peruvian nationality to people who had worked for the nation's independence and the 1828 Constitution allowed foreigners who has served in the national military to become citizens. In 1834 a new constitution made provisions for foreigners married to Peruvian woman or those who practiced a profession or art to become naturalized after two years residency. In 1836, the Peru–Bolivian Confederation was formed and the Bolivian Civil Code of 1830 was adopted in the Peruvian States. Enacted in 1830, it provided that a wife must obey her husband, live where he chose to reside, and regardless of whether the husband's country granted his wife nationality, she lost her own nationality upon marriage. Because of the automatic change of nationality, only illegitimate children could derive nationality from their mother. With the dissolution of the confederation in 1839, Peru adopted a new constitution defining who were Peruvian by birth, which followed the same basic concepts of birth in the territory or birth abroad to Peruvians, and who could be naturalized. These concepts were adopted in the subsequent constitutions of 1856, 1860, 1920, and 1933. The 1933 constitution provided additionally that foundlings of unknown parentage were considered to have been born in Peru and were entitled to Peruvian nationality. No specific civil code was in force after the Confederation collapsed, but