Ireland Updates Citizenship Rules for Protection Holders

Key Point  

• Ireland now requires five years of residence for citizenship applications from people granted international protection 

Citizenship Residency Update 

Ireland announced a significant change to its citizenship eligibility rules for individuals granted international protection. Effective 8 December 2025, applicants must generally demonstrate five years of reckonable residence in the State before applying for Irish citizenship. Previously, the requirements only required three years of residence.

Officials will assess applications submitted before 8 December 2025 under the three‑year rule, while they will evaluate applications filed on or after that date under the new five‑year requirement. The government approved policy and legislative updates to standardize residency requirements across applicant categories, prompting this change.

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