Ireland Citizenship Rules May Be Stricter: 8 Years of Residency, New Tests Suggested
Ireland is mulling stricter citizenship criteria, including lengthening the regular naturalisation period for residency from five to eight years, with added language, civics and fiscal hurdles.
Ireland is mulling extending the current five year residency requirement for citizenship to eight years, and adding more language, civics and financial criteria.
The legislation is still in its early stages but the Irish government has approved priority authoring. They are not yet law and do not change existing regulations on citizenship.
Plans to alter Irish citizenship laws
The proposed legislation would place four main conditions on most candidates for Irish citizenship by naturalisation:
The minimum period of qualifying residence has been increased from five to eight years.
Assessment through Irish, English or Irish Sign Language.
A civics, society and politics test for Ireland and its institutions.
Applicants must be able to prove they can support themselves.
The language and civics tests would be additions to the Irish naturalisation process. Financial self-sufficiency is not a statutory requirement for naturalisation at present, but similar financial requirements are applied to a number of Irish immigration approvals.
Applicants should not alter their plans at this time.
There is no change at present for foreign nationals already resident in Ireland. Unless and until new naturalisation law is enacted and implemented the existing regulations will remain in force.”
The administration has also said the final law might be altered during legislative scrutiny, legal review and a look at how the new restrictions would work in practice.
Ireland is beginning to look like the wider European trend of placing greater emphasis on language, civic consciousness and economic connection in defining citizenship than simply residence.
Recent changes affecting refugees
The ideas come as Ireland has raised the naturalisation residence requirement for refugees from three to five years. However, other candidates will continue to work under the existing five-year plan until new laws are passed.