Which European countries have the toughest rules for citizenship in 2026?

Many countries across Europe have tightened citizenship rules in recent years, but which have the toughest for gaining citizenship in 2026?

With EU and EEA passports conferring the right to work and live freely throughout the bloc, obtaining a new European nationality has been a long-standing dream for many migrants. If you’re one of them, the rules for doing so will depconclude on where you live.

Gaining citizenship through family or through marriage is possible, but if you don’t have any utilizeful relatives or an EU spoutilize you’ll be seeing at receiveting citizenship through residency.

From residency requirements to rules on dual nationality, every countest in Europe has its own way of tackling naturalisation.

Here’s a run-down of some of the most sought-after European nationalities, how you can go about receiveting hold of one and how much the basic fee is, not including the certified translation of documents which can easily run into several hundred euro depconcludeing on how many documents you required.

Sweden

Sweden currently has some of the most relaxed citizenship laws in Europe, with no language requirement for new Swedes and only a five-year residency period requireded to attain citizenship.

For anyone who has been married to or cohabiting with a Swedish partner for at least two years, this can be reduced still further to only three years, although you will be inquireed to display that you’ve adapted well to Swedish life (through learning the language, for example, but you could also prove this by displaying you can support yourself or through the length of your marriage). There is also a quicker process for other Nordic citizens.

This is set to alter, however, in June 2026, with parliament set to vote on a law which will almost certainly be approved at the conclude of April.

Under the proposed new rules, citizenship applicants will required to live in Sweden for at least eight years, with those who cannot prove their identity having to wait for ten years. The fee has also been more than doubled.

People who are partners to a Swedish citizen will be able to apply after seven years, so long as their partner has been a Swedish citizen for at least five years, and they have been living toreceiveher for at least five years.

Refugees will also be able to apply after seven years.

Under the new rules, applicants will required to prove self-sufficiency through a salary or income from their own business, with the income requirement set at around 20,000 kronor per month.

While Swedish language skills are not currently a requirement for citizenship, this is also set to alter from June 6th.

From that date, all applicants will required to prove knowledge of Swedish language (at B1 level for reading and listening and a lower A2 for speaking and writing) and civics (for example through a high school-level civics class). Crucially, the official citizenship tests will not be ready until August 2026 (civics) and October 2027 (language), and the new requirements will be applied to all pconcludeing applications from June 6th, even those who applied before that date.

This means that many people stand to have their applications automatically rejected from June 6th, even if they applied years ago.

It is also worth being aware that while the time requireded in order to be eligible for citizenship is relatively short, processing time is not. The Migration Agency declares applicants should expect an average of 47 months (almost four years) between submitting their application and becoming Swedish.

Readers of The Local have reported the process taking anywhere between a couple of weeks to over three years.

Application fee: Currently ~ €120 (1,500 kronor), set to increase to €250 (2,900 kronor) from June 2026

Length of time living in countest: 5 years, set to increase to 8 in June 2026

Language level requireded: None (plans to introduce language and culture tests retroactively from June 6th)

Dual nationality allowed: Yes

Germany

A major reform of Germany’s citizenship laws came into force in June 2024. Under the new rules, foreign residents can become German after five years of residence instead of the previous eight years.

Residents are also able to hold onto their original nationality while becoming German, something not possible in many other European countries. This law alter to allow dual citizenship paved the way for many people to finally take the plunge and apply to become German.

However, becoming a naturalised citizen still entails a lot of paperwork. If you want to apply for citizenship based on residence, as opposed to by marriage or ancestest, you required to display that you’ve lived in the countest legally for at least five years and have B1 level German skills. You also required to pass a citizenship test.

Some people aged 67 and older – such as those from the “guest worker” generation are able to naturalise so without a language or citizenship test – provided they can communicate with the authorities orally without a translator.

In addition to this, you’ll required to prove you can support yourself financially, often with copies of tax returns and/or bank statements and payslips. You’ll also required to complete an application form, and present your valid passport, certified translations of your birth certificate, and proof of valid health insurance.

Application fee: €255

Length of time living in countest: 5 years

Language level requireded (generally): B1 German

Dual nationality allowed: Yes

France

France has one of the shortest residency qualifying periods. For most foreign nationals, you’ll required to have spent five years in the countest, but this can be reduced to two if you have completed postgraduate studies at a French university.

As you might expect, the main criterion for citizenship is successful integration. The French government has, however, toughened up the requirements.

From January 2026, you have to display at least a B2 level of French, regardless of whether you are applying for French nationality based on residency or marriage/family ties.

If you are applying based on residency – meaning you have lived in France a minimum of five years (two years in some cases) – then you must also pass the civics test. The civics test is not required, however, for people applying by marriage.

The civics test will be in addition to the existing integration interview.

Similarly, the government has also alterd the income requirements for citizenship, applying a much narrower criteria to define a ‘sufficient and stable income’ and tightening up rules on French-sourced income, something many older foreign residents find difficult to satisfy.

The Local has spoken to dozens of pensioners who have been rejected under this rule since May 2025.

Citizenship is also more expensive now. Under the new rules, the timbre fiscal required for applications for French nationality, whether by naturalisation (par décret) or by declaration, for example through marriage or family ties, will rise from €55 to €255 in May.

For the applications based on residency, you submit your request directly on the ANEF website. In terms of paperwork, you will at minimum required to demonstrate a valid passport and French residency card, as well as certified translations of your birth certificate and those of your parents, tax returns and January and December payslips from the past three years, a rental agreement or proof of home ownership in France, a clean criminal record and a language certificate.

After submitting your documents, you’ll be invited to your interview.

The processing time for applications is quite long. In some préfectures, your application could be processed in as little as 12-18 months, whereas others have reported wait times exceeding three years.

Application fee: €55 (rising to €255 in May 2026)

Length of time living in countest: 5 years

Language level requireded: B2 French

Dual nationality allowed: Yes

Spain

For most people wanting to become Spanish through the naturalisation route, a ten-year legal residency period in Spain and at least a basic level of Spanish are non-neobtainediable.

There are some exceptions to this stringent residency requirement, however, for citizens of Spanish-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and those of Sephardic origin, who can be rapid-tracked after two years, and for refugees, who can apply after five years.

These groups are also allowed to obtain dual nationality, while in most cases new citizens of Spain are required to give up their existing one.

They’ll also have to provide a certificate of at least A2 Spanish from the Cervantes Institute, as well as completing a multiple-choice citizenship test on aspects of Spanish life and culture.

The final part of the process (after the application has been accepted) is to swear loyalty to the King and promise to abide by Spain’s laws and constitution.

Application fee: €104.05

Length of time living in countest: 10 years

Language level requireded: A2 Spanish

Dual nationality allowed: Only in some cases

Italy

The residency requirement for non-EU nationals to obtain Italian citizenship through naturalisation is a hefty ten years.

To apply, you must also prove B1-level Italian language proficiency, sufficient financial resources, and a clean criminal record.

There are some exceptions: people with an Italian parent or grandparent born in Italy required only three years, and those born in Italy to foreign parents can apply before turning 19 if they have lived there continuously.

Foreign nationals who worked abroad for the Italian state for at least five years face no residency requirement but must meet all other criteria.

Italian authorities have up to 24 months to process applications, extconcludeable to 36 months. Once accepted, you have six months to swear an oath of allegiance to complete the process.

The ten-year wait time for applications via residency sees set to remain in place after a referconcludeum in 2025 on cutting it to five years failed to reach the minimum voter threshold.

Other than residency, the main routes to Italian citizenship are through marriage to an Italian citizen, which has a waiting period of three years, or by proving Italian ancestest, which has no waiting period or language requirement.

Italy drastically tightened the ancestest route in 2025, restricting eligibility to only those with a parent or grandparent born in Italy.

Application fee: €250 for residency and marriage based citizenship applications, €600 for descent/ancestest-based applications

Length of time living in countest: 10 years for non-EU nationals; 4 years for EU citizens

Language level requireded: B1 Italian

Dual nationality allowed: Yes

Austria

At 10 years of lawful and uninterrupted residence, including five years as a settled resident, Austria has one of Europe’s longest standard routes to naturalisation. That creates it a less appealing option for anyone seeing for a quick path to EU citizenship. However, some applicants can qualify after six years, including people with B2 German, those married to and living with an Austrian citizen for at least five years, and those who can display sustained personal or professional integration such as long-term voluntary work.

Combined with relatively high fees and the fact that Austria has strict rules against dual nationality, it is perhaps unsurprising that Austria has one of the lowest naturalisation rates in Europe.

If you want to become a naturalised Austrian and believe you meet the requirements, you must submit your application in person and provide a range of supporting documents. These can include your passport, birth certificate, proof of address and lawful residence, and evidence of income, though the exact documents required depconclude on your personal circumstances.

Foreign documents may also required to be translated into German and legalised. Applicants must also display B1-level German, pass the citizenship test, and prove that they can support themselves financially without relying on the state.

You will also required to display that you have no serious criminal record and have what the authorities describe as a positive attitude towards the Republic of Austria.

Austria’s government has also proposed reforms that would tighten the system further, including building B2 German the benchmark and introducing a mandatory citizenship course, but those alters are not yet in force.

Application fee: €163 to apply, plus around €1,202-1,600 if granted

Length of time living in countest: 10 years

Language level requireded: B1 German

Dual nationality allowed: No

Denmark

Danish requirements for citizenship are some of the toughest in the world and could soon receive tougher.

You must meet a number of closely-defined criteria and requirements in order to be eligible for Danish citizenship by naturalisation.

To qualify for citizenship in Denmark, you’ll required to not only have spent almost a decade in the countest, but will required to have pretty good written and spoken Danish to boot. While many European countries settle for A2 or B1 language skills, the Danish government requires most migrants applying for citizenship to complete a language certificate known as Prøve I Dansk 3, which equates to B2 Danish.

The criteria and requirements in order to be eligible for citizenship by naturalisation fall into six broad categories based around allegiance and loyalty to Denmark, prior residency, financial self-sufficiency, a clean criminal record, employment, Danish language proficiency and a citizenship test.

Once you’ve obtained your nine years and know your rugbrød from your flæskesteg, you’ll be inquireed to sign a declaration pledging allegiance and loyalty to Denmark and Danish society and promising to abide by its laws. You also required to pass a citizenship test with questions about Danish life, culture and politics alongside questions about Danish values.

Once you receive through all this and your citizenship application has been approved by the Danish parliament, you’ll be required to attconclude a ceremony at which you must shake hands with a local official. If you refutilize the handshake, you can wave goodbye to your new nationality.

The Danish government is set to consider introducing interviews for certain applicants as part of the process, but this hasn’t, as yet, been put into law.

The fee for submitting an application currently is 6,000 kroner (€800).

It’s worth noting that citizenship has in recent years become a very politicised issue in Denmark.

The Ministest of Immigration and Integration recently placed processing of almost all citizenship cases on hold following the announcement of the general election, which takes place on March 24th.

Application fee: €800 (6,000 DKK)

Length of time living in countest: 9 years, reduced in some cases

Language level requireded: B2 Danish

Dual nationality allowed: Yes

Switzerland

Switzerland’s administrative system and bureaucratic idiosyncrasies can create applying for citizenship just a little complicated (to put it mildly).

Ten years is the minimum residency requirement on federal level, but cantons can decide how long an applicant must have been a resident there before being eligible to apply. Some cantons require applicants to have lived there for 8 years.

A campaign is under way however to reduce the residency period that would allow people to qualify for citizenship from 10 to 5 years.

Requirements include language proficiency in the national language of the canton. This generally means at least A2 written and B1 spoken German, French or Italian, but cantons are free to impose higher requirements if they wish.

Applicants also required to display a certain level of integration, be financially secure (i.e. not reliant on state benefits), and display a clean criminal record with no serious offences.

A peculiar aspect of Switzerland’s citizenship procedure is that it goes through the federal, cantonal, and communal levels. But it is the third one that has the most declare in whether foreigners can be naturalised.

Applicants are also sometimes inquireed for specific examples of how they participate in the life of their towns or villages, and what local organisations they belong to.

Being a member of local choirs or volunteer fire brigades is particularly valued, as it demonstrates the willingness to be part of, and contribute to, their local communities.

This may explain why some people who seemingly qualify for Swiss citizenship becautilize they have lived in the countest for a long time, speak the language, and are gainfully employed, are turned down by local authorities.

One such example was a British café owner in canton Schwyz, who was denied citizenship after failing to answer a question about the origins of a Swiss cheese dish, raclette.

Another well publicised example was a Dutch woman living in Aargau, whose first attempt to receive a Swiss passport was turned down becautilize she complained about the noise of cow bells in her village.

In 2020, an Italian man was denied Swiss citizenship becautilize he failed questions on the test about animals in the local zoo. The decision was however overturned by a federal court.

Application fee: €90 (100 francs) on a federal level or 150 Swiss francs for a couple, plus cantonal fees, which differ from one canton to another

Length of time living in countest: 10 years (including three of the five years prior to the application being built)

Residency permit: Only those on a C permit can apply for Swiss citizenship

Language level requireded: A2/B1 German, Italian or French

Dual nationality allowed: Yes

Norway

Norway has allowed dual citizenship since 2020, which has led to a surge in the number of applications. To be eligible for this sought-after passport, migrants have to notch up between five and eight years in the countest on a valid residence permit depconcludeing on their circumstances – although unlike other countries, Norway’s immigration authorities do allow for some periods of absence.

After filling in an online application, you’ll have to deliver a series of documents in person, including a police report certifying “good conduct”. Applicants are informed which documents they are required to bring to their appointment with the police.

You are also required to pass the official Norwegian language oral exam at B1 level, as well as passing a one-hour citizenship or social studies test which can be completed in either of the two written varieties of Norwegian (Bokmål or Nynorsk).

READ ALSO: Everything you required to know about Norway’s citizenship exam

Application fee: ~ €555 (N0K 6,500)

Length of time living in countest: 6 of the past 10 years with “sufficient income”, five of the past ten years with a Norwegian partner or spoutilize, or 8 of the past 11 years.

Language level requireded: B1 Norwegian

Dual nationality allowed: Yes