The Short Answer
Singapore is the fastest at about 4 years. Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and New Zealand follow at about 5 years. If you have an Irish-born grandparent, Ireland needs no residence at all. Portugal, once the five-year favourite, is now a 10 years country for most people.
The Ranking
Years are counted from arrival, not from permanent residence. Where a country changed its law after our registry figure was set (Germany in 2024, Portugal in 2026), the table uses the official figure.
| Country | Years to citizenship | Language bar | Descent route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | About 4 years | Not yet verified | No |
| Canada | About 5 years | CLB 4 speaking and listening (ages 18 to 54) | Yes |
| France | About 5 years | B2 French, spoken and written | No |
| Germany | About 5 years | B1 German | Yes |
| Ireland | About 5 years | No language test listed | Yes |
| Netherlands | About 5 years | A2 Dutch (civic integration exam) | No |
| New Zealand | About 5 years | Not yet verified | No |
| Australia | About 6 years | Basic English, checked in the citizenship test | No |
| United Kingdom | About 6 years | Proof of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic | No |
| Thailand | About 8 years | Not yet verified | No |
| Italy | About 10 years | B1 Italian | Yes |
| Portugal | About 10 years | Portuguese language and culture test or certificate | Yes |
| Spain | About 10 years | Not yet verified | No |
| Switzerland | About 10 years | Not yet verified | No |
| United States | About 11 years | Not yet verified | No |
| United Arab Emirates | About 30 years | Not yet verified | No |
The figures are planning estimates, not promises. Each one assumes you keep lawful status and stay within the absence limits the whole time. A refused renewal or a long trip abroad can reset or extend the clock.
Fastest: Singapore
Singapore has the shortest estimate in Transita's data, about 4 years, because permanent residence can come about 2 years after arrival. Treat it as an estimate: Transita has not yet sourced Singapore's naturalisation rule to an official page, so the language bar is blank in the table. The Singapore guide lists the work passes that start the clock.
The Five-Year Group
6 destinations land at about five years. The language bar and the small print are what separate them:
- Canada: 1,095 days of physical presence in 5 years, CLB 4. Permanent residence comes early, about 2 years in. See how to become a Canadian citizen.
- Ireland: 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9, no language test listed. See the Irish citizenship guide.
- Germany: 5 years since the 2024 reform, B1 German and a naturalisation test. See the German citizenship guide.
- France: 5 years, or 2 with a French degree, but B2 French is the highest language bar in the group. See how to get a French passport.
- Netherlands: 5 years and A2 Dutch, but you usually have to give up your current nationality. See the dual citizenship guide.
- New Zealand: 5 years with a strict presence test: at least 240 days in each 12-month period, and 1,350 days across the 5 years. See the New Zealand guide.
Easiest overall: a passport you already have
Descent skips residence entirely. Ireland registers grandchildren of Irish-born grandparents, and Italy, Germany, Portugal and Canada recognise some descendants born abroad. Ireland's estimate for naturalisation is 5 years, but with the right grandparent the wait is the processing time alone. Run your family through the citizenship-by-descent checker; the rules for each are on the official registers linked from it.
The Slow Group
Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland sit at about 10 years. The US is about 11 years because the green card itself takes years. United Arab Emirates is about 30 years in our data, which in practice means long-term residence (the Golden Visa) without a realistic citizenship path. If a passport is the goal, these countries make sense only with a descent claim (Italy, Portugal) or a reason to be there anyway.
What This Ranking Leaves Out
Transita covers 16 destinations. Countries often cited for fast citizenship, such as Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay or Mexico, and the Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programmes are outside that set, so they are not ranked here. For what money can and cannot buy among the countries we cover, read citizenship by investment: the alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country gives citizenship the fastest?
Among the 16 destinations Transita covers, Singapore has the shortest estimate at about 4 years from arrival. Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and New Zealand follow at about 5 years.
What is the easiest country to get a second passport?
The easiest route is descent, if you have it: Ireland registers grandchildren of Irish-born grandparents without any residence. Without an ancestor, Canada is the most reliable fast route because permanent residence comes early, about 2 years in, and the language bar is CLB 4.
Which country makes it hardest to get citizenship?
United Arab Emirates, at about 30 years in Transita's data, is effectively closed to naturalisation. The US (about 11 years) and Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland (about 10 years) are the slow group among the rest.
Did Portugal stop being a fast citizenship country?
Yes. Lei Orgânica 1/2026 raised the residence requirement to 10 years for most nationalities, and 7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) nationals. Applications pending before it took effect stay under the old rules.
Does Transita cover Argentina, Mexico or Paraguay?
No. Transita covers 16 destinations, and Latin American countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay are not among them. This ranking only compares countries we hold verified pathway data for.
Related guides
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