New citizenship rules would require eight years’ residence, language test and civics exam

Applicants would also face new income and social welfare restrictions, while Ukrainian temporary protection time would be excluded

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring the strict new guidelines to Cabinet on Wednesday. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Immigrants will have to prove they can speak English or Irish proficiently as part of the “biggest reform of Ireland’s citizenship rules in a generation”.

The proposed legislation will also increase the length of time a person must live in Ireland to be eligible for citizenship from five years to eight years.

A person seeking citizenship must also demonstrate a “knowledge and understanding of Irish civics”, including society and politics to a certain standard.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring the strict new guidelines to Cabinet on Wednesday.

As part of the overhaul, new requirements for Irish citizenship will include:

• Increased qualifying periods of reckonable residence;
• English and Irish language testing;
• Testing on Irish “civics” knowledge;
• A requirement to be self-sufficient with a specified annual wage;
• A requirement not to receive social protection for two years before the application;
• New residency rules for spouses of Irish citizens seeking naturalisation.

Other parts of the legislation will also create a “distinct ground” for the minister to “revoke citizenship on public order and national security grounds”.

The legislation will also state that time spent living in Ireland under the Temporary Protection Directive will not count towards residency requirements for Ukrainians seeking citizenship.

On Wednesday, Mr O’Callaghan will ask the Cabinet to approve the priority drafting of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026.

This will introduce new strict criteria for those applying for Irish citizenship.

This includes the introduction of Irish, English, or Irish Sign Language testing into citizenship applications, to ensure that applicants can “integrate and communicate effectively in civic and daily life”.

However, the legislation will also contain a provision allowing the minister to waive this requirement to ensure that it does not “unduly discriminate against vulnerable applicants”.

Sources told the Irish Examiner the eight years is being introduced to “establish a proportionate timeline that encourages steady economic and social integration”.

This will require an applicant to have two years’ continuous residence in the State immediately before the date of the application, as well as six years’ residency in the preceding 10 years.

The residency requirements for spouses of Irish citizens seeking naturalisation will also be increased.

The applicant must be married to or be in a civil partnership with an Irish citizen for five years, rather than three years as set out under existing legislation.

They must be living together, and the applicant must be living in Ireland for five years before being eligible to apply for citizenship.

This includes two years of continuous residence before the application, as well as three years’ residency in the last five years.

The spouses of Irish citizens must also display proficiency in Irish, English, or Irish sign language, as well as a “foundational knowledge” of how Irish society, government, and the Constitution operate.

The new proposals being progressed by Mr O’Callaghan will also allow the minister to set a level of income that a person must earn before being entitled to citizenship. This will be based on Central Statistics Office (CSO) data on annual earnings and labour costs, the cost of living, along with other relevant matters.

A person must be “self-sufficient” and not become an “unreasonable burden on the State”.

Applicants must not receive social welfare payments or housing supports at any time during the naturalisation process. 

The legislation will also contain a provision confirming that when a person has “committed an immigration offence” either before or during their application, they will not be granted citizenship.

Nearly 235,000 people have become Irish citizens since 2011. In 2025, some 26,400 people were granted naturalisation.

The most recent citizenship ceremony, which was held in Killarney in June, saw 4,600 candidates from 139 countries naturalised.

• Louise Burne is Political Correspondent.