I had been wondering for some time whether there was a clear distinction between these two concepts, so I search the Web to find the answer. It seems that for many people (and me until recently), the two words are synonymous.
However, from what I gathered in comparing various sources, nationality gives the right to live and work permanently in a country, and includes other rights, such as the right to have a passport issued by that country, the right of abode in that country's embassies, right of social security, right to exercise some legal or political professions (e.g magistrate, president of the country). Nationality may also include obligations, such as military service.
By contrast, citizenship in itself does not give the right to live in a country (a visa or nationality is required for that), but only to vote at elections (sometimes also the right to be elected). Citizenship can be national (=nationwide), subnational (only in one state, region, province or municipality), or supranational (valid in several countries, like within the EU or Commonwealth).
There are some cases of nationality without citizenship. For instance, until recently, people naturalised French could not vote for the first 5 or 10 years after taking the French nationality.
But there are also cases of citizenship without nationality, which is much more common. For instance, foreigners in the Benelux, the 5 Nordic countries, some Swiss cantons, Portugal and New Zealand have the right to vote at some or all elections, and in some cases to be elected too. Nationals of Commonwealth countries living in the UK can aslo vote and be elected in the UK.
In Japan, I think that only one town so far (in Shiga prefecture ?) has given the right to vote (but not to be elected) to permanent residents (only) at municipal elections (only). So 99.99% of foreigners in Japan do not have citizenship rights at all.
Nationals of EU member-states all enjoy the rights given by nationality and citizenship in other EU countries, with some restrictions. Citizenship rights are limited to EU and local elections, and nationality rights do not include the right of social security (but many non-EU countries don't have any, anyway) or the obligation of military service (a good thing !).
However, from what I gathered in comparing various sources, nationality gives the right to live and work permanently in a country, and includes other rights, such as the right to have a passport issued by that country, the right of abode in that country's embassies, right of social security, right to exercise some legal or political professions (e.g magistrate, president of the country). Nationality may also include obligations, such as military service.
By contrast, citizenship in itself does not give the right to live in a country (a visa or nationality is required for that), but only to vote at elections (sometimes also the right to be elected). Citizenship can be national (=nationwide), subnational (only in one state, region, province or municipality), or supranational (valid in several countries, like within the EU or Commonwealth).
There are some cases of nationality without citizenship. For instance, until recently, people naturalised French could not vote for the first 5 or 10 years after taking the French nationality.
But there are also cases of citizenship without nationality, which is much more common. For instance, foreigners in the Benelux, the 5 Nordic countries, some Swiss cantons, Portugal and New Zealand have the right to vote at some or all elections, and in some cases to be elected too. Nationals of Commonwealth countries living in the UK can aslo vote and be elected in the UK.
In Japan, I think that only one town so far (in Shiga prefecture ?) has given the right to vote (but not to be elected) to permanent residents (only) at municipal elections (only). So 99.99% of foreigners in Japan do not have citizenship rights at all.
Nationals of EU member-states all enjoy the rights given by nationality and citizenship in other EU countries, with some restrictions. Citizenship rights are limited to EU and local elections, and nationality rights do not include the right of social security (but many non-EU countries don't have any, anyway) or the obligation of military service (a good thing !).