Proposals would tighten rules for people seeking Irish citizenship

People seeking Irish citizenship could soon face a longer wait, language testing and stricter financial requirements under a proposed overhaul of Ireland’s naturalisation system.

The reforms, being brought forward by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, would increase the required period of reckonable residence from five years to eight. The qualifying period had already risen from three to five years in late 2025.

Applicants would need to take an English or Irish language test to show they could integrate and communicate in civic and daily life. They would also have to demonstrate that they were economically self-sufficient, including by avoiding certain social protection payments for a defined period before applying.

The proposals would introduce separate changes for foreign-national spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens, including a longer residence period before they could apply. They would also create a specific national-security ground for revoking naturalised citizenship and establish a faster process for such revocations.

O’Callaghan is expected to seek approval for priority drafting of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026, publication of a draft outline and referral to the Oireachtas justice committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. The reforms are presented as part of a rules-based migration and asylum system intended to support social cohesion, limit negative economic effects and bring Irish naturalisation practice closer to that of other EU countries.