Ireland is tightening its citizenship rules — but what happens to people already living here?

Proposed reforms would extend residency requirements, introduce language and civics tests and change the rules for spouses of Irish citizens

Ireland plans major changes to citizenship applications, including an eight-year residency requirement, new language and civics tests and stricter rules for spouses. File picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Just days before the new Dáil term began, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan announced plans for the “biggest reform” of the citizenship application process in a “generation”.

He argued that Ireland was an outlier when it came to citizenship applications and was less strict than our European counterparts.

The Government plans to have the new laws enacted by the end of the year and has warned aspiring citizens that if they do not have their applications submitted by the time the rules change, they will be subject to the stricter new regulations.

One of the changes will see those applying for citizenship taking a language proficiency test in English, Irish, or Irish sign language. Provisions will be made for vulnerable applicants. Currently, Ireland is the only country in the European Union not to have such a test.

In addition, a new civics test will be introduced, requiring people to show an understanding of Irish politics and society.

The biggest change, however, is the change to the reckonable residency rules.

Under the current system, people must be able to prove that they have lived in Ireland for five years to be eligible for citizenship. The last year must be “continuous residence”, with people being allowed to be out of the country for just 70 days.

Under Mr O’Callaghan’s proposals, the five-year reckonable residency requirement will increase to eight years, with the final two years being continuous.

Some 11 of the 27 EU countries require five years of residency — Ireland, France, Portugal, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands. Poland requires three years of residency.

Cyprus and Greece require seven years. In Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden, eight years of residency are required. Just five require 10 years of residency — Austria. Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Spain.

However, in some countries, this period can be reduced, depending on the applicants’ background and skills.

Irish legislation does not currently contain any specific grounds for reducing the proposed eight-year residency requirement for some applicants.

Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has argued that Ireland is an outlier when it comes to citizenship applications and is less strict than our European counterparts. Photo: Cillian Sherlock/PA

In addition to changes to residency requirements, the requirements for spouses of Irish citizens applying for Irish citizenship will also change.

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 also have five years of residency, with the final two years being continuous.

There is cross-party opposition to the proposed changes to the residency requirements, with all parties in the Dáil last month calling for “transitional protection” to be introduced "at a bare minimum" for people who have been living in Ireland for several years.

The issue will be debated again when pre-legislative scrutiny starts at the Oireachtas Justice Committee.

• Louise Burne, political correspondent

Case study 1: 'Every business that you go to needs overseas workers'

A Dublin business owner has expressed concerns that new citizenship proposals are making Ireland “look like a bunch of racists” and could impact the number of people coming to work here.

Gym owner Ronan Mahon questioned why the Government cannot provide reasonable arguments for increasing the reckonable residency requirement for citizenship from five to eight years.

Mr Mahon and his partner Caileigh run District One gyms. They have four premises across Dublin, including three in justice minister Jim O’Callaghan’s Dublin Bay South constituency.

Cailiegh is Canadian and was hoping to apply for Irish citizenship around Christmas. 

However, the Government’s proposals to increase citizenship from five to eight years would delay these plans by another three years before she becomes eligible.

In addition, 60% of the gym’s staff are non-Irish, with the proposed changes causing concern to Mr Mahon and other business owners who rely on highly trained foreign staff.

Ronan Mahon: 'It makes us look like a bunch of racists, which we’re not. We’re welcoming people, and it makes me angry.' Photo: Gareth Chaney

He told the Irish Examiner that the proposals are ill-thought-out and could end up damaging businesses.

When his business started, 90% of his staff were local. However, many of these people have moved to Dubai, Australia, and Canada, and there “isn’t a backlog of talent to fill these positions”.

“Every business that you go to needs overseas workers, whether it’s a restaurant, whether it’s a hospital, whether it’s a gym. We need these workers.”

Mr Mahon pointed out that birth rates are falling, and with a pension timebomb looming, Ireland needs more taxpayers.

“We need people to come here, but if you’re sending out a signal that says we don’t want you, why would people come here?” he questioned.

“That’s what’s being advertised. It’s not just being talked about locally; It’s being talked about around the world, and it’s embarrassing.

Ronan Mahon: 'It’s your standard divide and conquer tactic that I’ve seen in politics the world over.' Photo: Gareth Chaney

“It makes us look like a bunch of racists, which we’re not. We’re welcoming people, and it makes me angry.”

He noted that after going through the Australian citizenship process after moving there in 2007, he accepts that rules are needed, but questioned why the increased residency period could not have been delayed by several years, if it had to be introduced at all.

He questioned why the Government has not explained why the rules are changing, beyond saying that it would bring Ireland in line with other EU countries.

Mr Mahon challenged the Government to provide statistics showing the benefits of increasing the residency requirement from five years to eight years.

“It’s headline politics, because immigration is obviously a hot topic at the moment, and the Government is trying to look to do something about it,” Mr Mahon said.

“It’s your standard divide and conquer tactic that I’ve seen in politics the world over.”

Ronan Mahon: 'It’s being talked about around the world, and it’s embarrassing.' Photo: Gareth Chaney

Mr Mahon said that the underlying issue in Ireland is the housing crisis, suggesting the Government is attempting to shift the blame.

He referenced Emmet Kirwan’s famous Late Late Show appearance, during which he spoke about the Government’s “welfare cheats cheat us all” campaign.

He argued that “it isn’t blokes in tracksuits that ruined the country, it is the blokes in suits”.

“It’s the same tactic, it’s a different person,” Mr Mahon said.

“If your neighbour is Indian, Brazilian, Canadian, Australian, whatever, people are looking over the shoulders, going, ‘Well, it’s them that’s causing the problem’.

“It’s not. It’s the Government’s inability to act.”

Case study 2: 'This would deprive the Irish state of prospective high taxpayers and innovators'

Proposed changes to citizenship applications will damage Ireland’s research sector and reduce the number of skilled foreign nationals seeking to work in Ireland, a PhD graduate was warned.

Jovan Jeromela, 30, who is originally from Serbia, told the Irish Examiner that he would have thought twice about coming to Ireland for his PhD if he had known how the citizenship application process would change.

Jovan Jeromela graduated from Trinity College on Thursday, having initially moved to Ireland in September 2021 to pursue a PhD in computer science. Photo: Gareth Chaney

He graduated from Trinity College on Thursday, having initially moved to Ireland in September 2021 to pursue a PhD in computer science, focused on artificial intelligence.

However, despite his studies being funded by Research Ireland, a State agency under the Department of Further and Higher Education, his time studying on a Stamp 2 visa while he was a student will not count towards Mr Jeromela’s reckonable residency requirement for Irish citizenship.

He transitioned to a Stamp 1 visa for critical skill workers in March 2026, meaning that he is just eight months into a five-year citizenship application process, despite having lived in Ireland for five years.

Trinity graduate Jovan Jeromela had planned to settle in Ireland, but is now considering moving to Austria. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Mr Jeromela admitted that if the proposed eight-year reckonable residency requirement is introduced and no concessions are made for PhD students or graduates who have already spent time living in Ireland, he may have to leave due to the uncertainty.

He told the Irish Examiner that he had planned to settle in Ireland, but is now considering moving to Austria, where he lived for six years while studying for his undergraduate and master’s degrees.

Mr Jeromela was close to obtaining citizenship in Austria, but moved to Ireland for the opportunities presented to him.

He explained: “[Justice minister] Jim O’Callaghan at some point he said, ‘Oh, eight years is not that long, because in Austria it’s 10'.

Despite moving to Ireland in September 2021 to study on a Stamp 2 visa, Jovan Jeromela's time here will not count towards his reckonable residency requirement for Irish citizenship. Photo: Gareth Chaney

“That’s not really the case in Austria; they have the so-called ‘well-integrated fast pathway’. If you have a PhD or a higher degree, or you have a language proficiency diploma, then you can apply after six years [for citizenship].

“Had I stayed, had I done my PhD there, not only would those years count, but I would be on the fast pathway, and I would essentially be able to apply after six years.

“Whereas now, if the eight-year proposal were to go ahead, that would mean that I would have to wait for 12 years (in Ireland); Four years of PhD plus eight years more. No other country in Europe is making you wait so long.”

Jovan Jeromela: 'If the eight-year proposal were to go ahead, that would mean that I would have to wait for 12 years' in Ireland. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Mr Jeromela said that while people pursuing PhDs are paid very little, they generally do move into well-paid jobs, which, in turn, benefits the Irish economy through tax receipts.

He said that he now has a “very good job”, has made good friends, and integrated well into Dublin, including rowing for Trinity.

However, he admitted the changes in citizenship rules are “changing the calculation that I have in my head between staying here and going back to Austria”.

He will not be the only highly skilled and educated worker contemplating leaving.

“This would deprive the Irish state of prospective high taxpayers and innovators, the Irish society of well-informed, highly-educated compatriots, and the Irish universities and students of teaching assistants who lead tutorials, grade assignments, and publish at international conferences.

Jovan Jeromela admits the changes in citizenship rules are 'changing the calculation that I have in my head between staying here and going back to Austria' Photo: Gareth Chaney

“For PhD graduates like myself, this means re-evaluating whether the many connections we made here are sufficient to justify waiting for eight more years until we are eligible for the certainty only citizenship grants. 

"The certainty which would allow us professional mobility at the EU level and enable full creative and research pursuits."

Case study 3: Society is healthier with more cultures

An aspiring Irish citizen has warned that proposed changes to the citizenship application process will make it harder for immigrants to become integrated into their communities.

Ksenia Anokhina, 26, questioned why justice minister Jim O’Callaghan is changing the citizenship rules, asking, “How many lives are you willing to ruin for political gain?”

As a queer, anti-Putin and anti-war activist, Ms Anokhina left Moscow in 2018 at the age of 18 and moved to the Netherlands.

She moved to Ireland in 2023 to study a master’s in interactive digital media at Trinity College Dublin. She was awarded a talented graduate grant, which allowed her to pursue her studies, as well as Trinity’s European Excellence Award.

Ksenia Anokhina works as a data analyst in an Irish company. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Ms Anokhina said that she “felt more kinship with the Irish spirit”.

She described Trinity as a “fairytale” after spending her teenage years in an “increasingly politically unsafe” Russia.

After graduating, she obtained a job as a data analyst in an Irish company.

She is currently on a Stamp 1G visa, which provides master’s graduates with a two-year visa, which counts as reckonable residency for citizenship.

She has now applied for a work permit but is still awaiting a decision.

Ksenia Anokhina at her home in Phibsboro, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney

However, new citizenship proposals mean that Ms Anokhina may have to wait another six years before applying for citizenship, rather than three.

She told the Irish Examiner that uncertainty means that non-nationals cannot fully feel at home.

“There’s so much research about how the thing that stops integration is uncertainty,” Ms Anokhina explained.

“How comfortable can you be establishing roots in a place if you can be booted out any second?”

Ksenia Anokhina: 'How comfortable can you be establishing roots in a place if you can be booted out any second?' Photo: Gareth Chaney

She continued: “On a very simple psychological human level, you feel unstable, and it’s like the goalposts are being changed.

“You lose trust. You lose safety. You’re stressed.”

Ms Anokhina also noted the importance of Irish people knowing that having foreign nationals who are well-integrated enriches communities.

“If you don’t have children, it’s still good to pay tax to sponsor schools because then you live in a society with educated people,” she explained.

“If you’re not an artist, it’s still nice to have arts, because then you’re surrounded by beautiful things.

New citizenship proposals mean that Ksenia Anokhina may have to wait another six years before applying for citizenship, rather than three. Photo: Gareth Chaney

“Even if you’re not an immigrant, your society is healthier if there are more people around you from different cultures who are happy to be here and are not constantly stressed and paranoid about their status.”

Ms Anokhina said the Government's reactionary approach is also concerning, as she questioned the motives behind Mr O’Callaghan’s citizenship changes.

When asked what she would say to the justice minister about the proposal, she said: “How many lives are you willing to ruin for political gain?

“What is the acceptable human collateral to climb up the ranks or to gather sympathy from your base?

“Why can’t we be rooted in reality and research? Why aren’t you focusing on the real material issues with a lot of backing for them? Real crises that people, the young Irish people, are talking about?

Ksenia Anokhina: 'How many lives are you willing to ruin for political gain?' Photo: Gareth Chaney

“Why are you not focusing on those things instead of focusing on something that is completely a non-issue?”

Ms Anokhina also noted that because Russia is not in the EU, she needs to obtain visas to visit Europe. This involves visiting her mother, who repatriated to Latvia in recent years.

Because she is on short-term Irish visas, she must obtain travel visas more frequently, which adds further expense to travelling.

She added: “Since I was born, I can’t breathe out. I can probably breathe out only when I’m 30 [and can apply for citizenship].

“That’s if the timeline doesn’t change.”

Case study 4: 'We’re looking at 16 years'

An American couple has questioned why the Government is changing its citizenship application process when it cannot process other immigration matters promptly.

Laura Rundell and Andy Holtz moved to Wexford in May 2025 from New Hampshire when the “tone in America started to change”. Ms Rundell said the couple love Ireland and have settled well into the local community. 

She volunteers with refugees learning English, while Mr Holtz volunteers with elderly people learning computer literacy in the library.

They have a Stamp 0 visa, a temporary residency permit granted with strict criteria, including for financially self-sufficient retirees. 

Laura Rundell (left) and Andy Holtz (right) accept citizenship is a 'privilege', not a right.

They cannot work or receive any benefits from the State, nor can they use publicly funded services. They must have private health insurance and cannot be treated in public hospitals.

Ms Rundell and Mr Holtz received their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) in May 2025. They re-applied in May 2026 but have yet to receive their renewal.

Time spent in Ireland while an IRP is expired does not count towards reckonable residency for citizenship. This, the couple fear, will elongate their citizenship process.

“We keep hearing this expression that the immigration system needs to be firm but fair,” Ms Rundell said.

“It also needs to be functional. 

If we lose half a year’s reckonable residency for every year we’re here, even under the current system, we wouldn’t even be able to apply to become citizens for 10 years.

“If they bump that up to eight, we’re looking at 16 years.”

Mr Holtz said the Government is attempting to introduce changes to the citizenship process at a time when the current system is bogged down in delay.

“If your roof leaks, you don’t change the carpets,” he said. “If your windows are broken, you don’t bring in new furniture. You fix the things that actually need fixing, and then you add.

“Right now, the proposal is to add things in a system that’s currently not working.”

Ms Rundell called on the Government and justice minister Jim O’Callaghan to have “more empathy” during the citizenship debate.

Mr Holtz said some argue that achieving citizenship is “too simple”, because “all you have to do is officially exist for five years, and then you can apply”.

However, he argued that integrating into a community, becoming proficient in English, developing a basic understanding of civics, and being self-sufficient does not have to be an eight-year process.

“We’ve done it in a year and a half,” he said.

What’s more important? The activities you do to demonstrate your fidelity, appreciation for, and support of Ireland, or an arbitrary number that was yanked out of the sky?

“Option A makes more sense.”

The couple also said that they accept citizenship is a “privilege”, not a right. This, they said, is why they want to become citizens.

Ms Rundell referenced President Catherine Connolly’s St Patrick’s Day address, in which she said that “Patrick’s life serves as a reminder of the resilience and courage of migrants, the invaluable contributions that they have made, and continue to make, to the countries they now call home, sometimes even in the face of great adversity”.

Ms Rundell explained: “When I heard that, that was when it really gelled with me. These are my values. This is what I want to be part of, and I’d like to be able to vote for that.

“There’s a narrative that all migrants are here to take things. I just want to be part of a country where that’s the value system.”