Across 28 Countries, How Old Do You Have To Be To Become President?

How Old Do You Have To Be To Become President?

The issue of age in politics has always been a topic of discussion among the young and even the old.

Most candidates, past and present, have fought hard for their party’s nomination.

Today, many politicians make this their life’s work as they move from the city, to state, to national office. Some candidates, however, have expressed some feelings of worry and doubt.

The United States for instance has provided several basic requirements for eligibility to be elected to the office of President.

Also in the recent past, young people in Nigeria have been asking the question ‘When will our time to lead come?’

The inability to provide answers to these questions that young people ask in these different nations, concerning age and politics has resulted in different campaigns, which some eventually took the form of a bill.

Among which is the ”Not-Too-Young-To-Run” campaign, Nigeria.
In this post, you will get to discover answers to the question of how old do you have to be to become a president’ in your country and other requirements.

We will take you through some countries and their requirement to becoming a president in that country, including the required age.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Become President?

1. Afghanistan

One running for president in Afghanistan must have the following requirement:

• be at least 40 years old when declaring candidacy;
• be a Muslim citizen of Afghanistan, born of Afghan parents;
• not be a citizen of another country;
• not have been convicted of crimes against humanity, a criminal act, or deprived of civil rights by the court;
• not have previously served more than two terms as president.

2. Albania

One running for president in Albania must have the following requirement:

• Must be an Albanian citizen by birth
• A Resident in Albania for not less than 10 years
• Has reached the age of 40 may be elected President.

3. Algeria

One running for president in Algeria must have the following requirement:

• Must be Algerian nationality by origin;
• Be a Muslim;
• Be more than forty (40) years-old the day of the election;
• Enjoy full civil and political rights;
• Prove the Algerian nationality of the spouse;
• (if born before July 1942) justify his participation in the 1st of November 1954 Revolution; and if born after July 1942, “justify the non-involvement of the parents of the candidate in actions hostile to the 1st of November 1954 Revolution”;
• Submit a public declaration of his personal and real estate existing either within Algeria or abroad.

4. Angola

One running for president in Angola must be:

• Natural born Angolan citizens 
• Over 35 years of age,
• Living in the country for the last 10 years, 
• Enjoying full civil and political rights.

5. Argentina

• Must be born in the Argentine territory, or to be the son of a native-born citizen if born in a foreign country; 
•  to be elected Senator, one must “have attained to the age of 30 years”;
• been six years a citizen of the Nation
• have an annual income of two thousand strong pesos or similar revenues

6. Armenia

One running for president in Armenia:

• Must attain the age of thirty-five
• Must have been a citizen of the Republic of Armenia for the preceding ten years,
• Have permanently resided in the Republic for the preceding ten years,

7. Austria

• Only a person who has a House of Representatives franchise
• Must have been thirty-five years old before the first of January of the year in which the election is held can be

8. Azerbaijan

One running for president in Azerbaijan

•  Must be no younger than 35,
•  A permanent resident of Azerbaijan for 10 years
• Possess the right to vote,
• Have not been convicted of a crime,
• Hold no liabilities in other states,
• Hold a university degree,
• Not have dual citizenship

9. Bangladesh

One running for president in Bangladesh

• Must not be less than 35 years old,
• Must be qualified to be elected to parliament, 
• Not having previously been impeached under the current Constitution.

10. Belarus

The qualifications for election to parliament are that one be a citizen and be at least 25 years.

Further, one can be stated that any citizen of Belarus who is 35 years old, eligible to vote, and has resided in Belarus for 10 years may be elected president.

11. Brazil

Article 14, Section III (3) of the Constitution requires a candidate to be:

• Born in Brazil, or a native citizen.
• Eligible to vote.
• Registered to vote.
• Living in the electoral district.
• Member of a political party.
• Minimum age of 35.

12. Colombia

Article 191 of the Colombian Constitution requires that to be president one must be:

• Colombian by birth (“Colombiano for Nacimiento”),
• have full citizenship (“ciudadano en ejercicio”) 
• older than 30. (“mayor de treinta años”).

13. The Czech Republic

A candidate for an election must be

• A citizen,
• Has attained the age of 40 years
• Has active right to vote.

14. Estonia

One running for president in Estonia

• An Estonian citizen by birth 
• has attained forty years of age.
•  One who hasn’t served as President of the Republic for a second consecutive term.
• One who isn’t in active service in the Defence Forces

15. France

The required personal qualifications for a candidate for the presidential elections are the same as those for any other official election, as set forth in the French Electoral code (Code électoral).

• A candidate for an election must be a French citizen,
• Have attained the age of 18 years,
• Be qualified to vote,
• Not be ineligible by reason of criminal conviction or judicial decision,
• Have a bank account.

16. Germany

Any German who is entitled to vote in Bundestag elections and has attained the age of forty may be elected”.

17. Iceland

Articles 4 and 5 of the constitution set the following qualifications for holding the presidency:

• meet the qualifications specified for parliamentarians
• be at least 35 years old
• have at least 1,500 commendations

18. India

Article 58 of the Constitution sets the principle qualifications one must meet to be eligible to the office of the President.

• a citizen of India.
• of 35 years of age or above
• qualified to become a member of the Lok Sabha

19. Mexico

The constitution of Mexico requires the candidate to be: 

• A natural-born citizen of Mexico with at least one parent who is a natural-born citizen of Mexico.
• The person should be at least 35 years of age
• Should have resided in Mexico for at least 20 years in his entire lifetime and for the entire year before the election.
• The person should not be a secretary or under-secretary of state, attorney general, or governor of a state at least 6 months prior to the election.

20. North Macedonia

The Constitution of North Macedonia requires that the president must be

•  A citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia,
• Be over 40 years of age and have lived in North Macedonia for at least ten of the previous fifteen years.

21. Pakistan

The Constitution of Pakistan sets the principal qualifications that the candidate must meet to be eligible for the office of the President.

A President has to be:

• A citizen of Pakistan.
• Must be a Muslim.
• At least 45 years of age.
• Qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly.

22. The Philippines

Article VII, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution provides that no person may be elected President unless he or she is

• A natural-born citizen of the Philippines,
• A registered voter,
• Able to read and write,
• At least 40 years of age on the day of the election, 
• A resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding such election.

23. Poland

Article 127 of the Polish constitution states that

• Only a Polish citizen
• who, no later than the day of the elections, has attained 35 years of age
• Has a full electoral right in elections to the Sejm, may be elected President of the Republic”.

24. Romania

A candidate for the office must be

• A Romanian citizen 
• At least 35 years old when the elections take place,
• Has Romanian citizenship, and officially lives in Romania.

25. Russia

A candidate for office must be:

• A citizen of the Russian Federation
• At least 35 years old and has ‘permanently resided’ in Russia for at least 10 years.

26. South Korea

• Article 67 of the Constitution of South Korea requires the candidate to be a citizen of South Korea
• At least 40 years of age
• Eligible for election to the National Assembly.
•  The candidate to have resided in South Korea for 5 years.

27. Turkey

• Article 101 of the Constitution of Turkey specifies that the President of Turkey shall have completed higher education
• Be at least forty years of age
•  A member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly or a Turkish citizen eligible to be a deputy. 

Judges, civil servants, and members of the Armed Forces are not eligible unless they resign from office. Main article: President of Turkey

28. United States

The person must be:

• A natural-born citizen of the United States

Must have been a permanent resident of the United States of America for at least 14 years.

• A candidate must be at least 35 years of age.

Summary – How Old Do You Have To Be To Become President?

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