WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION
Naturalization is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a state without any effort on the part of the individual, or it may involve an application or a motion and approval by legal authorities. The rules of naturalization vary from country to country but typically include a promise to obey and uphold that country’s laws, taking and subscribing to the oath of allegiance, and may specify other requirements such as a minimum legal residency and adequate knowledge of the national dominant language or culture. To counter multiple citizenship, most countries require that applicants for naturalization renounce any other citizenship that they currently hold, but whether this renunciation actually causes loss of original citizenship, as seen by the host country and by the original country, will depend on the laws of the countries involved.
SUMMARY BY COUNTRY
The following list is a brief summary of the duration of legal residence before a national of a foreign state, without any cultural, historical, or marriage ties or connections to the state in question, can request citizenship under that state’s naturalization laws.
| Country | Residence Requirement | Dual citizenship | Notes | Main article |
| Albania | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Albanian nationality law |
| Andorra | 20 years | No | Continuous residence as a permanent resident, unless the applicant has spent all of their mandatory education in Andorra in which case 10 years continuous as a permanent residence | Andorran nationality law |
| Angola | 10 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Angolan nationality law |
| Argentina | 2 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Argentine nationality law |
| Armenia | 3 years | Yes | Armenian nationality law | |
| Australia | 4 years | Yes | Legal residency in Australia, including one year as a permanent resident immediately prior to making an application | Australian nationality law |
| Austria | 10–30 years | No | Exceptions for those born in Austria, citizens of another EEA country, refugees or “exceptionally integrated” in which case it is 6 years. | Austrian nationality law |
| Azerbaijan | 5 years | Yes | The applicant must be a fluent speaker of the Azerbaijani language. He has dual citizenship, but the authorities will not recognize his foreign citizenship . | Azerbaijani nationality law |
| Belgium | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Belgian nationality law |
| Bangladesh | 5 years | Yes | Bangladeshi nationality law | |
| Barbados | 5 years | Barbadian nationality law | ||
| Belarus | 7 years | Yes | Belarusian nationality law | |
| Benin | 10 years | Yes | Beninese nationality law | |
| Belize | 5 years | Yes | Belizean nationality law | |
| Bhutan | 20 years | No | Bhutanese nationality law | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8 years | Continuous residence | Bosnian nationality law | |
| Brazil | 4 years | Yes | Uninterrupted residence. | Brazilian nationality law |
| Bulgaria | 5 years | Partial | Reduced to 3 years if the applicant is married to a Bulgarian national, was born in Bulgaria, or settled in the country before the age of 18. Citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, as well as spouses of Bulgarian nationals, are not required to renounce their existing citizenship. | Bulgarian nationality law |
| Burkina Faso | 10 years | Burkinabe nationality law | ||
| Cambodia | 5 years | Yes | Cambodian nationality law | |
| Canada | 3 years | Yes | Three out of five years as a permanent resident. | Canadian nationality law |
| Chile | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Chilean nationality law |
| Colombia | 5 years | Yes | As a permanent resident | Colombian nationality law |
| Costa Rica | 5–7 years | Yes | Requires proven knowledge of Spanish language and Costa Rica’s history, having a way of living, no criminal records and two witnesses. | Costa Rican nationality law |
| Croatia | 8 years | Partial | Continuous residence; applicant must be a fluent Croatian speaker | Croatian nationality law |
| Cuba | Yes | Foreigners can become naturalized citizens of Cuba since 2019. | Cuban nationality law | |
| Cyprus | 7 years | Yes | or by using the “Naturalization of Investors in Cyprus by Exception”, a government run cash-for-passport program. | Cypriot nationality law |
| Czech Republic | 5 years | Yes | 5 years as permanent residence or 10 years residence. | Czech nationality law |
| Denmark | 9 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Danish nationality law |
| Egypt | 10 years | Partial | Egyptian nationality law | |
| El Salvador | 1–5 years | Yes | Salvadoran nationality law | |
| Estonia | 8 years | No | Eight years residence out of which five years as a permanent residence. | Estonian nationality law |
| Finland | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Finnish nationality law |
| Fiji | 5 years | Five years of lawful residence out of the previous 10 years | Fijian nationality law | |
| France | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residency. Two years’ continuous residency for applicants who have had at least two years of higher education leading to a master’s degree or higher in France. No minimum residency requirement for applicants who have served in the French Army, rendered exceptional service to France, and some other cases. | French nationality law |
| Germany | 8 years | Partial | Continuous residence. 7 years for applicants who have successfully completed an official integration course; 3 years for applicants who are married to, or in a registered same-sex partnership with, a German citizen | German nationality law |
| Greece | 7 years | Yes | Greek nationality law | |
| Grenada | 7 years | Yes | Grenadian nationality law | |
| Hungary | 8 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Hungarian nationality law |
| Iceland | 7 years | Yes | Icelandic nationality law | |
| Iran | 5 years | Yes | Become 18 years old and 5 years legal residence in Iran. | Iranian nationality law |
| Ireland | 5 years | Yes | Irish nationality law | |
| Israel | 5 years | Partial | To naturalize, three years out of the previous five years of residence is required and must have the right to reside in Israel on a permanent basis. However, Jews around the world may obtain Israeli citizenship upon arrival by the Law of Return. | Israeli citizenship law |
| Italy | 10 years | Yes | The residence has to be continuous. The law provide some cases in which there is a faster access to naturalization: three years if at least one grandparent was/is Italian, four years for EU nationals, five years for refugees or stateless people. | Italian nationality law |
| Japan | 5 years | No | Continuous residence; three years if married to a Japanese national. | Japanese nationality law |
| Jordan | 15 years | Yes | Jordanian nationality law | |
| Kazakhstan | 5 years | No | Kazakhstan nationality law | |
| Latvia | 10 years | Yes, under certain conditions | Latvian nationality law | |
| Lebanon | Yes | Foreigners cannot obtain Lebanese citizenship | Lebanese nationality law | |
| Liberia | 2 years | No | Liberian law allows members of other races to hold permanent residency status | Liberian nationality law |
| Liechtenstein | 10 years | Years spent in Liechtenstein under the age 20 count double | Liechtenstein nationality law | |
| Lithuania | 10 years | No | Continuous residence as a permanent resident; seven years if married to a Lithuanian national. | Lithuanian nationality law |
| Luxembourg | 5 years | Yes | Twelve months’ continuous residence prior to applying for naturalization; three years’ residence if married to a Luxembourgish citizen. The applicant must pass the Luxembourgish language examinations or have had at least 7 years of education in a Luxembourgish school. | Luxembourgish nationality law |
| Malawi | 7 years | Five years for a person who is of an African race or has Commonwealth or Malawian ties | Malawian nationality law | |
| Malta | 5 years | Or a government run cash-for-passport program. | Maltese nationality law | |
| Mexico | 5 years | Yes | Mexican nationality law | |
| Moldova | 10 years | Yes | Eight years for stateless citizens or recognized refugees | Moldovan nationality law |
| Monaco | 10 years | No | Continuous residence | Monegasque nationality law |
| Montenegro | 10 year | No | Montenegrin nationality law | |
| Mozambique | 5 years | Yes | Mozambican nationality law | |
| Myanmar | N/A | No | Foreigners cannot become naturalized citizens of Myanmar | Myanmar nationality law |
| Netherlands | 5 years | Partial | Continuous residence | Dutch nationality law |
| New Zealand | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence | New Zealand nationality law |
| North Macedonia | 8 years | No | Continuous residence | Macedonian nationality law |
| Norway | 7 years | Yes | Seven years out of the previous 10 (with out-of-realm vacations of up to two months per year) as a permanent resident immediately before the application | Norwegian nationality law |
| Oman | 20 years | No | Omani nationality law | |
| Paraguay | 3 years | Paraguayan nationality law | ||
| Peru | 2 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Peruvian nationality law |
| Philippines | 5–10 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Philippine nationality law |
| Poland | 10 years | Yes | Ten years residence or three years permanent residence | Polish nationality law |
| Portugal | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Portuguese nationality law |
| Romania | 8 years | Yes | Romanian nationality law | |
| San Marino | 30 years | Fifteen years for foreigners married to a citizen of San Marino | Sammarinese nationality law | |
| Russia | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence. Three years if married to a Russian citizen. One year for valued specialists and refugees. | Russian nationality law |
| Samoa | 5 years | Samoan nationality law | ||
| Serbia | 3 years | Yes | Continuous residence | Serbian nationality law |
| Slovakia | 8 years | Partial | Slovak nationality law | |
| Slovenia | 10 years | Yes | Ten years residence; five years continuous before the application. | Slovenian nationality law |
| Spain | 10 years | Partial | Two to five years | Spanish nationality law |
| Somalia | 7 years | No | Somalian nationality law | |
| South Korea | 5 years | Partial | Three years continuous if married to a South Korean national | South Korean nationality law |
| Sweden | 5 years | Yes | Four years continuous for stateless people and refugees | Swedish nationality law |
| Switzerland | 10 years | Yes | The years between the age of eight and eighteen count double, while a minimum of six years’ residence is required | Swiss nationality law |
| Taiwan | 5 years | Partial | Nationality law of the Republic of China | |
| Thailand | 5 years | No | Continuous residence; applicant must have knowledge of the Thai language. Residence and language requirements are waived for spouses and children of Thai citizens. | Thai nationality law |
| Togo | 5 years | No | Togolese nationality law | |
| Tonga | 5 years | Tongan nationality law | ||
| Turkey | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence; applicant must be a fluent speaker of the Turkish language. | Turkish nationality law |
| Tunisia | 5 years | Yes | Continuous residence; applicant must be a fluent speaker of the Arabic language. | Tunisia nationality law |
| Ukraine | 5 years | Yes | Ukrainian nationality law | |
| United Arab Emirates | 20 years, maybe reduced to 7 | No | Emirati nationality law | |
| United Kingdom | 5 years | Yes | Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens must have indefinite leave to remain before applying for naturalization. | British nationality law |
| United States | 5 years | Yes | Must have been physically present in the US for at least 30 of the 60 months preceding the application; ineligible if absent for a continuous period of 6 months or more during these 60 months. | United States nationality law |
| Uruguay | 5 years | Yes | Three years if the applicant has a Uruguayan family member. | Uruguayan nationality law |
| Uzbekistan | 5 years | No | Uzbekistani nationality law | |
| Venezuela | 10 years | Yes | Natural-born citizens of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Latin American or Caribbean country and have been legally living in Venezuela for 5 continuous years. | Venezuelan nationality law |
These above statistics are put according to today’s (January 01, 2020) update of Wikipedia. Immigration Law or information may change any time depending on country. Can-Am Immigration always tries to provide you update and accurate information.