Background:

In response to an increase in the number of applicants for citizenship in recent years, the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic is considering a revision of some of the conditions for granting citizenship. For this reason, the Ministry of the Interior would like to gain knowledge about the conditions for granting citizenship in other EU Member States.

The current conditions to obtain Czech citizenship include proof of integration into Czech society, that the applicant does not represent a security threat, proof of permanent residence in the Czech Republic, knowledge of the Czech language and of the constitutional system of the Czech Republic, compliance with civic obligations within a certain period (e.g. public health insurance, social security, etc.), and transparent proof of the amount and sources of income over a certain period.

This query seeks to update the EMN Study on Pathways to citizenship for third-country nationals in the EU from 2020.

Respondents:

22 EMN Member and Observer Countries (including BE) provided a public answer to this ad hoc query.

Findings:

Pathways to citizenship vary greatly from country to country, so they cannot be easily summarised.
However, a preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows that:

• Out of the 22 respondents, 9 countries require applicants for citizenship to lose their previous citizenship. However, most of those countries foresee exceptions to this requirement, for example, if citizenship is obtained on the basis of marriage with a national. Most countries also have bilateral agreements with certain countries that allow for dual citizenship. BE does not prevent dual citizenship; it is the legislation of the country of the person’s previous nationality that determines whether the applicant for Belgian citizenship can also keep their previous nationality.
   
• The length of permanent residence required varies between countries and also based on the grounds on which citizenship is requested (marriage, international protection, residence, etc.). The length of residence ranges between 1 year (usually in the case of marriage with a national, or if the applicant is an EU citizen) up to 30 years. In BE, the minimum length of residence is 5 years.
   
• All but one country (IE) require some proof of knowledge of (one of) their official languages as part of the application process for citizenship, although here also this requirement can vary depending on the grounds on which citizenship is requested, and usually includes some exceptions (for example, if the person has reached retirement age, or if they have a learning disability). In most countries, the minimum language proficiency required must be equivalent to level A2 (as is the case in BE) or B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with the exceptions of HU and (as of 2026) FR, which both require a level B2.
   
• Most countries require some form of economic participation, proof of employment or sufficient income, although there can be exceptions. In BE for instance, proof of economic participation is required except in the case of marriage, parental link to a Belgian minor, disability, retirement age, or if the applicant was born in BE and has lived there legally since their birth.
   
• None of the responding countries have rules setting a maximum number of applications for citizenship.
   
• The administrative fee for applying for citizenship or for being granted citizenship ranges from € 0 (LU) to € 1357 (province of Styria, AT). In BE, the application fee is € 150, and there is no fee for being granted citizenship. In 2019, a legislative proposal was introduced in the Belgian Federal Parliament to increase the fee to € 1250, but as of April 2024, this proposal was still pending.

For further details, please read the compilation of answers attached above.