If you can’t claim citizenship by descent, living in a European country long enough is the other way to its passport. For someone from outside the EU with no family ties, that’s 5 years in France, Germany or Ireland and 10 in Italy, Portugal or Spain. Family roots can cut those times sharply: to 2 years in Italy and 1 in Spain for many children and grandchildren of emigrants.
Check descent first: it doesn’t require moving at all. Our requirements by country guide covers it, and if you’re married to a citizen, see citizenship by marriage.
Naturalisation compared
| Country | Standard residence | Shorter routes | Language and tests | Fee | Keep your current citizenship? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 5 years | 2 years after 2 years of higher education in France | French B2 + civic exam | EUR 255 | Yes |
| Germany | 5 years | Spouses of Germans: 3 years | German B1 + naturalisation test | EUR 255 | Yes |
| Ireland | 5 years in the last 9, including the last full year | Spouses of Irish citizens: 3 years | None today | EUR 175 + EUR 950 if approved | Yes |
| Italy | 10 years | 2 years with an Italian-born-citizen parent or grandparent; 4 for EU citizens | Italian B1 + minimum income | EUR 250 | Yes |
| Poland | 3 years on a permanent permit, with income and housing | 1 year on a permanent permit gained through Polish origin or a Karta Polaka | Polish B1 certificate | PLN 1,000 | Yes |
| Portugal | 10 years (since May 2026) | 7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals; 5 for great-grandchildren of Portuguese citizens | Language, culture and civics | EUR 250 | Yes |
| Spain | 10 years | 1 year with a parent or grandparent originally Spanish, or a Spanish spouse | DELE A2 + CCSE | EUR 104.05 | Renunciation declaration, except for Ibero-American, Portuguese and a few other nationals |
Residence means legal residence on a permit that counts towards naturalisation. Fees are government application fees only.
Country by country
- France: 5 years of residence, or 2 after two years of higher education in France. Since 1 January 2026 you need B2 French and must pass a 40-question civic exam, and you sign a charter of rights and duties at the interview. French naturalisation.
- Germany: 5 years of lawful residence, B1 German, the 33-question naturalisation test and the ability to support yourself. The faster 3-year route ended on 30 October 2025. Dual citizenship has been allowed since June 2024. German naturalisation.
- Ireland: 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9, including a full year just before you apply, plus good character. The Minister can waive conditions for people of Irish descent or with Irish associations. No language test today, but a draft bill published in September 2026 would raise residence to 8 years and add language and civics tests. Irish naturalisation.
- Italy: 10 years for most non-EU citizens, with B1 Italian and a minimum income over the last three years. Only 2 years if a parent or grandparent is or was an Italian citizen by birth, which helps descendants caught by the 2025 limits. Italian citizenship by residence.
- Poland: you first need permanent residence. Then it’s 3 years with stable income and housing, or just 1 year if you got permanent residence through Polish origin or a Karta Polaka. B1 Polish is required, and the fee is PLN 1,000. Polish citizenship by residence.
- Portugal: since 19 May 2026, 10 years for most non-EU nationals (it used to be 5), with tests on language, culture and civics. Applications already pending on that date stay under the old rules. The regulation that sets the tests hadn’t been published when we checked. Portuguese naturalisation.
- Spain: 10 years as a rule, but just 1 year if a parent or grandparent was originally Spanish. You take the DELE A2 and CCSE, and unless you’re from an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, you declare at the oath that you renounce your previous nationality. Spanish citizenship by residence.
Things that trip people up
- Not every visa counts. Student or short-term stays are often excluded or counted differently. Ask the naturalisation authority before you plan around a date.
- Long absences can reset the clock. Each country has its own rule for trips abroad; Germany tolerates absences of up to 6 months, and Ireland counts days.
- Background checks expire. Most countries want a police certificate from each country you’ve lived in, issued within the last few months and usually apostilled. From the US, that’s an FBI background check.
- Rules are changing fast. Germany, Portugal and Ireland have all changed or proposed changes since 2025. Check the official source before you file.
Frequently asked questions
Which European country lets you naturalise fastest?
For most people from outside the EU with no family link, France, Germany and Ireland: 5 years of residence. Italy, Portugal and Spain ask for 10. Family ties change that a lot: Spain needs only 1 year if a parent or grandparent was originally Spanish, and Italy 2 years if a parent or grandparent was an Italian citizen by birth.
Can I naturalise without living in the country?
No. Naturalisation by residence always means living there legally for the required years. If you can't move, look at citizenship by descent or, if you're married to a citizen, the marriage route.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship?
France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Ireland and Poland don't ask you to. Spain asks you to declare at the oath that you renounce your previous nationality, unless you're one of the nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal; our Spanish guide explains what the declaration does and doesn't mean. Whether you also keep your current citizenship depends on your other country's law: some countries end your citizenship when you voluntarily take another, so check yours.
Do I need to speak the language?
Yes, except in Ireland today. Italy, Germany and Poland ask for B1, France for B2 plus a civic exam, Spain for the DELE A2 plus a civics test, and Portugal for a test or certificate in the language, culture, history and national symbols. Ireland has no language test now, but a draft bill published in September 2026 would add one.
My descent claim failed. Is naturalisation my backup?
Often, and some countries give descendants a head start. Italy cuts the wait to 2 years for children and grandchildren of Italians by birth, Spain to 1 year for children and grandchildren of people who were originally Spanish, and Poland to 1 year on a permanent permit gained through Polish origin. Portugal can naturalise great-grandchildren of a Portuguese citizen of origin after 5 years, at the government's discretion (grandchildren claim from abroad instead). Germany has no shorter residence period for descendants.
Sources
Each country guide linked in the table lists the official sources it was checked against, including the nationality laws of Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain and Ireland’s Immigration Service guidance. Checked on 11 November 2026.