Naturalisation by residence by country
Last reviewed: 9 October 2026
Residence period, language level, integration test and renunciation rules for becoming a citizen by ordinary naturalisation. Pick a country for the full list of rules, each with its official source.
| Country | Years of residence required | Shortened residence periods | Language level required | Integration or civic knowledge test | Giving up previous nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 5 years | Three years for the spouse or registered partner of a German citizen, if the marriage or partnership has lasted two years. The period can be shortened further in the public interest. | B1 | Yes (usually) | Not required |
| Netherlands | 5 years | The five-year requirement does not apply to former Dutch nationals, to people married to and living with a Dutch national for at least three years, or to adults adopted in the Kingdom. Three years apply to unmarried partners of an unmarried Dutch national in a durable relationship (at least three years) and to stateless people. | A2 | Yes | Yes, with exceptions |
| United Kingdom | 5 years | Three years for the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen (section 6(2)). | B1 | Yes (Life in the UK) | Not required |
| France | 5 years | Two years in some cases, for example after two years of study leading to a diploma from a French higher education institution. No minimum for some groups, such as refugees. | B2 | Yes | Not required |
| Spain | 10 years | Five years for refugees. Two years for nationals of origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews. One year in other cases, such as birth in Spain or a year of marriage to a Spanish citizen. | A2 | Yes (CCSE) | Yes, with exceptions |
| Italy | 10 years | Four years for citizens of an EU member state. Five years for stateless people. Three years for people born in Italy. Two years for people with a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen by birth. | B1 | ⚠ Not yet verified | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| United States | 5 years | Three years of continuous residence for the spouse of a US citizen who has lived in marital union with the citizen spouse for those three years (8 U.S.C. 1430(a)). No residence period for people with one year of honourable service in the US armed forces who apply while serving or within six months after service (8 U.S.C. 1439(a)). | ⚠ Not yet verified | Yes (US history, government) | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Canada | 3 years (1,095 days in 5) | Days spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident count as half a day each, up to 365 days (section 5(1.001)). A permanent resident who completed three years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces in the six years before applying does not need to meet the physical presence requirement (section 5(1.2)). | ⚠ Not yet verified | Yes, ages 18 to 54 | Not required |
| Mexico | 5 years | Two years for direct descendants of a Mexican by birth, people with Mexican-born children, nationals of a Latin American country or of the Iberian Peninsula, and people with outstanding services to the nation. Two years of marital residence in Mexico for spouses of Mexicans. One year for adopted persons and minor descendants under parental authority of Mexicans. | ⚠ Not yet verified | Yes (history, culture) | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Ireland | 5 years (8 proposed) | Spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens: 3 years of marriage or civil partnership and 3 years of reckonable residence on the island of Ireland. Refugees and stateless persons: 5 years of reckonable residence for applications received from 8 December 2025 (3 years before that). | ⚠ Not yet verified | No test at present | Not required |
| Australia | 4 years (incl. 12 months as permanent resident) | A special residence requirement replaces the 4-year general requirement for applicants who need citizenship for a specified activity of benefit to Australia (s 22A) or who do regular work overseas of a specified kind (s 22B, with at least 480 days in Australia in the 4 years and 120 days in the last 12 months), and a defence service requirement applies under s 23. | ⚠ Not yet verified | Yes (citizenship test) | Not required |
| Sweden | 8 years | 2 to 7 years in some cases | B1 reading/listening, A2 speaking/writing | Society knowledge: grade or test | No |
| Austria | 10 years | Six years of lawful, uninterrupted residence for: the spouse of an Austrian citizen after five years of marriage in a shared household; EEA nationals; people born in Austria; people with extraordinary achievements in science, business, art or sport; and people with German at B2 level or proven sustained personal integration (for example three years of voluntary work, work in education, social or health care, or an interest-group role). | B1 | Yes | Required, with exceptions |
| Switzerland | 10 years (with a C permit) | Years lived in Switzerland between the 8th and 18th birthday count double, but actual residence must be at least six years. Time on a B or C permit counts; time on an F permit counts at half; asylum-procedure (N) and short-stay (L) time does not. | B1 oral, A2 written | ⚠ Not yet verified | Not required |
| Denmark | 9 years (usual) | Nine years' uninterrupted residence is the usual condition. Refugees and stateless persons: 8 years. Nordic citizens: 2 years. Spouses of Danish citizens: 6 to 8 years depending on the length of the marriage. Persons educated in Denmark: 5 years. | ⚠ Not yet verified | Yes (citizenship test) | Not required |
| Norway | 8 years | Shorter for asylum, income, early arrival | Oral Norwegian B1 | Citizenship or social studies test | No |
Before you rely on it
This comparison covers national rules. Regional or local rules can apply on top of them, and rules change. A rule marked “to verify” has not yet been confirmed against an official source. Each country page links to the official sources, and those are the place to confirm the details before you act.
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.