Paths to European citizenship
Nacionalidad_europeo_v12
Illustration by Pete Reynolds ©
In 2022, the European Union naturalized fewer than 1 million individuals, representing a minuscule fraction of its non-national residents. European countries offer various naturalization paths, ranging from standard residency requirements to special provisions for achievements in fields like sports and culture. The criteria and implementation are inconsistent, with some countries offering expedited processes while others maintain rigid, lengthy procedures.
This investigation, coordinated by Civio, highlights significant disparities in naturalization processes across the European Union, exposing the often arduous journey for non-nationals seeking citizenship and the challenges they face, including extensive documentation requirements, mandatory language and culture tests, and significant administrative delays that can extend the naturalization process for years.
Main findings:
- Most European countries offer shortcuts to naturalisation to a small number of people for achievements in specific areas, such as science, sports, or culture, while others leave the conditions up to the current government. For some years, Malta, Cyprus and Bulgaria included investments in the country as a path to citizenship, even for non-residents.
- European countries naturalise only a small fraction of their non-national residents each year: 2.64% in 2022. Among member states, Sweden stands out with over 10% of its non-national population naturalized, followed by the Netherlands and Italy. In stark contrast, countries like Austria, Estonia, and Latvia naturalize less than half a percent of their non-national populations, underlining the vast differences in national policies.
- A common method of obtaining naturalisation is to document a certain number of years of legal residency, alongside meeting additional integration requirements. Other methods include marrying a citizen, usually along with demonstrating some years of legal residency, or being a descendant of a citizen.
- Even people who do manage to overcome the official and unofficial barriers to apply often face uncertainty in the timing of the response to their application.
- Overcoming all these barriers to naturalisation is in the interest of the host countries, as citizenship offers people better lives in terms of employment and housing, consequently ensuring better integration.
Stories
At least 25 athletes representing European countries at the Paris Olympics have been granted citizenship through expedited processes based on sporting merit.
August 1, 2024
At least 381,000 people in the European Union have no official nationality, depriving them of fundamental rights.
June 13, 2024
One third of the people Spain and Italy naturalised in 2022 were born there to foreign parents. In these countries, as in most of the European Union, such children must apply for citizenship after several years of residence. Other countries, such as Germany, recognise them as citizens at birth if the child’s parents are legal residents.
May 30, 2024
Writer, translator from Bosnian to Italian, Elvira Mujčić arrived in Italy when she was 14 years old, escaping the war. Today she is an Italian and Bosnian citizen: a long, almost Kafkaesque journey of dual citizenship that only the support of the community of the country that welcomed her has made more bearable.
May 29, 2024
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European Union countries naturalised just 2.64% of their non-national population in 2022. The process is full of obstacles and often takes years.
May 28, 2024
The data unit
María Álvarez del Vayo (Civio, coordinator) is a journalist specialising in access to healthcare, public policy, forest fires and gender issues.
