| Description |
1. Policies on the acquisition of citizenship have evolved
over the past five years, with Member States reporting
trends that have had the impact of making access
to citizenship either more liberal or more restrictive.
Trends in the numbers of individuals granted citizenship of an
EU-28 Member States have shown an overall decline in the
period of time covered by the study.
2. The criteria for granting citizenship and the procedures
in place are broadly similar across the Member States
but the specific conditions and requirements that apply
vary considerably, depending on whether more liberal
or restrictive policies are in place. Processing times, the
costs to applicants and available support were found to all
vary significantly.
3. For many aspiring citizens, naturalisation can be a
lengthy and costly process, with limited available
support, and a positive outcome is in general not
guaranteed, even where all conditions have been met.
4. The majority of Member States now allow for dual
citizenship, which may acknowledge the demographic reality
that many migrants have ties to more than one country.
Other Member States - in practice - apply exemptions where
the renunciation of a previous citizenship cannot reasonably
take place. However, dual citizenship brings both benefits and
challenges.
5. Citizenship is seen by Member States as either the
culmination of the integration process or as facilitating
the integration process. However, in most Member States,
third-country nationals are not actively encouraged to apply
for citizenship, and support is limit
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