The Eight People Who Have Been Named Honorary Citizens of the United States

Imagine you're not a U.S. citizen but desire some form of recognition from the country. You don't want to go through the full naturalization process, with its interviews, exams, biometrics checks, and oath-taking. Instead, you just wish to be acknowledged by the U.S. in a more symbolic way—without the responsibilities of voting or getting a passport. In this case, what you're after is called 'honorary citizenship of the United States.' It's the U.S. claiming you, but without any commitments on either side. As the U.S. State Department states:

Honorary citizenship doesn't provide the usual rights and privileges of full citizenship. It doesn't grant special entry, travel, or immigration benefits to the honoree or their family members. Additionally, it doesn’t place any new duties or obligations, either within the U.S. or globally, on the person receiving the honor.

This special distinction is conferred by both Congress and the President. The Senate website keeps a complete list of those who have been granted this honor. Below are the eight individuals who hold honorary citizenship of the United States.

1. Winston Churchill

You likely recognize Churchill as the British Prime Minister during World War II, which is the main reason the United States awarded him honorary citizenship. What you might not know is that he also won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953, earning a spot alongside literary giants like Yeats, Hemingway (who won the prize the next year), and Marquez, according to the often unpredictable judgment of the Nobel committee.

2. Raoul Wallenberg

The horror of the Holocaust is beyond human comprehension (except for those responsible for it). While Hungary fought alongside Nazi Germany in World War II and enacted anti-Semitic laws, its Jewish population was largely spared from the Holocaust. However, once Hungary began to withdraw from the Axis powers, Hitler ordered its occupation. Hungarian Jews were then rounded up and deported, with half a million murdered within a year.

Raoul Wallenberg, a businessman, was dispatched to the Swedish Embassy in Hungary. His mission was to issue 650 passports to Hungarian Jews with connections to Sweden, offering them protection from deportation. Upon arriving, Wallenberg quickly grasped the magnitude of the crisis and expanded his efforts. By creatively issuing diplomatic papers, he managed to safeguard thousands. When the fascists realized his plan, they invalidated the documents, rounded up the Jews, and forced them to march toward the Austrian border. Wallenberg followed in his car, defying gunfire to provide food, water, and aid to those on the death march. Despite the odds, he continued his work, with some success. When the Soviets took Budapest, Wallenberg was arrested as a spy. In 1981, rumors suggested he was still alive in a Soviet prison, prompting Congress to grant him honorary American citizenship in hopes of pressuring the Soviets to reveal his whereabouts. To this day, it remains uncertain what happened to him, though Soviet reports claimed he died in 1947.

3 and 4. William and Hannah Penn

In 1984—more than 300 years after he founded the Pennsylvania Colony—William Penn was granted honorary citizenship of the United States. Penn’s colony stood out for its relative tolerance, in stark contrast to the often harsh Puritan colonies. It was also unique in that his wife, Hannah, took over leadership when William's health declined later in his life. After his death in 1718, she continued to govern the Pennsylvania Colony for another eight years.

5. Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa and Winston Churchill are the only two individuals to have been granted honorary U.S. citizenship while still alive. The Catholic nun is renowned for her selfless work with the impoverished in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and is currently on the fast track to sainthood within the Church. Interestingly, one step in the Vatican’s canonization process once involved a meeting with the so-called 'devil’s advocate,' whose job was to argue against a candidate’s beatification and eventual canonization. While the position was abolished in the 1980s, the Vatican still actively seeks opposing views. During the investigation into Mother Teresa’s life, Christopher Hitchens played the role of her unofficial devil’s advocate. A vocal critic of her work, Hitchens later quipped that he 'represented the devil pro bono.'

6. Marquis de Lafayette

The argument can certainly be made that the United States owes its existence to Lafayette. As a French general, he led divisions of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and, according to the 2002 Joint Resolution that granted him American citizenship, 'secured the help of France to aid the United States’ colonists against Great Britain.' After his return to France, Lafayette played a crucial role in introducing the 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen' to the National Constituent Assembly, coauthoring the document with none other than Thomas Jefferson. Lafayette was so vital to America’s fight for independence that, upon his death, both the U.S. House and Senate draped their chambers in black as a mark of respect.

In 2016, Daveed Diggs (left) won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Lafayette (and Jefferson) in the Broadway musical Hamilton.

7. Casimir Pulaski

Like Lafayette, Casimir Pulaski was drawn to the American cause of independence from Great Britain and traveled to North America to assist in the fight. Once there, he wasted no time making an impact. His notable achievements include leading a cavalry charge at the Battle of Brandywine that saved George Washington’s life, earning a promotion to general, organizing a mounted legion, and even writing the definitive guide on cavalry tactics. Today, he is regarded as one of the founding figures of the American cavalry. By act of Congress, October 11 has been celebrated as Pulaski Day in the U.S. since his passing, and he was granted honorary citizenship in 2009.

8. Bernardo de Galvez

In 1777, Colonel Bernardo de Galvez was appointed interim governor of Louisiana, which was then under Spanish rule. A staunch adversary of the British, Galvez played a crucial role in supplying the Continental Army through New Orleans, a key port city. As governor, he launched a successful campaign against the Redcoats, securing victories at the Battles of Fort Bute and Baton Rouge. Promoted to general, he later triumphed in the Battle of Fort Charlotte, capturing Mobile from the British. George Washington regarded Galvez as 'a deciding factor in the outcome of the Revolutionary War,' according to the 2014 resolution that granted him honorary American citizenship. As the most recent recipient of this honor, it’s clear the bar is set quite high. It might be simpler just to go through Immigration Services.