European Union citizenship is one of the most valuable citizenships in the world, and those who hold an EU passport have access to unmatched benefits, like travelling visa-free to the largest part of the world, and also having the chance to live in any of the EU Member States.
However, EU citizenship is not something exclusive only to those born to parents who are EU nationals, as there are also other ways to become an EU citizen, aside from by right of birth, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
One of the most common ways to become an EU citizen is by naturalization, which means by living in a particular EU Member State for a minimum period of time, set by that country, in addition to some other conditions like:
• Having learnt the national language of that Member State
• Knowing the laws of that country and having adjusted to its way of living
• Having a clean police record
• Having a secure and sufficient income
The quickest that a non-EU national can gain citizenship is after five years of residence in the territory of a particular state by also having met the conditions set above. Currently, there are five countries which offer citizenship after five years:
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic
• Finland
• France
• Greece
• Ireland
• Latvia
• The Netherlands
• Portugal
• Sweden
However, EU citizenship is not something exclusive only to those born to parents who are EU nationals, as there are also other ways to become an EU citizen, aside from by right of birth, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
One of the most common ways to become an EU citizen is by naturalization, which means by living in a particular EU Member State for a minimum period of time, set by that country, in addition to some other conditions like:
• Having learnt the national language of that Member State
• Knowing the laws of that country and having adjusted to its way of living
• Having a clean police record
• Having a secure and sufficient income
The quickest that a non-EU national can gain citizenship is after five years of residence in the territory of a particular state by also having met the conditions set above. Currently, there are five countries which offer citizenship after five years:
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic
• Finland
• France
• Greece
• Ireland
• Latvia
• The Netherlands
• Portugal
• Sweden
In some of the EU countries, the required period of residence can be shortened for those married to a national.
For example, while Greece requires foreigners to reside in its territory for seven consecutive years in order to gain Greek citizenship, for those married to Greek citizens this period drops to only three years.
The same is possible in Slovenia too, which requires foreigners to reside in its territory for at least ten years, including a continuous period of five years residence prior to the application. Yet, when it comes to those who are married to a Slovenian citizen, this period drops to three years.
In addition, those in a registered partnership or who are a cohabiting partner with a Swedish citizen can gain citizenship for a shorter period of three years. This means that in Sweden, living together is required since marriage is not enough to gain citizenship under e shortened period.
Data by the European Office for Statistics, Eurostat, show that in 2021, approximately 827,000 people became EU citizens, 85 per cent of whom were previously citizens of a non-EU country or stateless.
Source: SchengenVisaInfo
