EU citizenship: Which countries are issuing the most passports to non-EU nationals?

The fig of migrants granted citizenship successful the EU has boomed implicit the past decade.

From 762,000 passports issued successful 2014 to 1.2 cardinal successful 2024, according to Eurostat, the bloc has seen a stark 54% summation successful 10 years and a emergence of astir 12% compared to 2023.

The immense bulk of recipients (88%) are non-EU nationals, portion astir 11% acquired a caller citizenship aft moving from different 1 of the 27 subordinate states.

Passport vs naturalisation rate: What are the numbers?

Looking astatine countries granting the astir citizenships, Germany leads by far, with astir 300,000 handed retired successful 2024, a 4th of the EU's total. Spain comes adjacent with astir 250,000, followed by Italy with 217,000.

However, zooming in, Sweden has the highest naturalisation rate, with 7.5 citizenships granted to each 100 non-national residents.

The adjacent highest complaint came from Italy with 4.1, followed by Spain and the Netherlands with 3.9. At the different extremity of the table, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Estonia had the lowest successful the EU.

Which nationalities get the astir EU passports?

With implicit 110,000 passports issued successful the EU successful 2024, Syrians were the starring radical of those acquiring a caller EU citizenship.

Moroccans came successful 2nd with 97,000, followed by Albanians with 48,000 and Turkish citizens with conscionable implicit 40,000.

Fifth-placed Romanians are the largest recipients from an EU country, with astir 40,000. Next travel Venezuelans, Ukrainians, Indians, Russians and Brazilians.

How bash you get an EU passport?

There's nary azygous regularisation oregon way among EU countries. The magnitude of residency successful a fixed state averages astir 5 years successful general, but determination are important differences and caveats crossed the bloc.

For example, successful Spain, astir radical request 10 years of residency to use for a passport.

However, for Latin American nationals — including Argentinians, Mexicans, Brazilians, and Costa Ricans — the waiting clip successful Spain is lone 2 years, making it 1 of the fastest pathways to citizenship anyplace successful the world.

The aforesaid besides applies to citizens of Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, and Equatorial Guinea who privation to settee successful Spain.

Sweden besides offers a shortcut connected a geographical basis: 2 years of continuous residence lone for citizens of different Nordic countries, portion it's usually 5 years for others.

Which European state has the easiest way to citizenship?

Poland — 1 of the EU's fastest-growing economies — offers an absorbing way successful conscionable three years of continuous residence, provided applicants person a unchangeable income.

In Malta, the timeline tin beryllium adjacent shorter, dropping to as small arsenic 14 months — but lone if you're readying to put astatine slightest €600,000 successful the economy. For astir applicants, the modular naturalisation timing inactive takes astir 5 years.

In Germany, by contrast, rules person precocious go stricter. The fast-track strategy for highly skilled workers, Turboeinbürgerung, was scrapped successful October 2025. The modular request is present 5 years of residence, but applicants indispensable besides conscionable further criteria, including a B1 level of German, passing a citizenship trial and demonstrating fiscal stability.

The UK has a similar framework. Applicants indispensable person lived for astatine slightest 5 years, though the authorities is considering expanding this to 10 years. They are besides required to walk the Life successful the UK test, which covers topics specified arsenic British history, culture, authorities and law, arsenic good arsenic beryllium their English connection proficiency and amusement nary caller oregon superior transgression convictions.

Despite having the second-highest naturalisation complaint successful the EU, things are much analyzable successful Italy. Here, non-EU citizens indispensable typically hold 10 years earlier applying for citizenship, portion EU citizens tin use aft 4 years.

Even then, it takes up to 24 months to process an exertion for Italian citizenship, and successful immoderate cases, 36.