Immigration

Ireland | Proposed changes to citizenship eligibility

Summary

The area of Irish citizenship has attracted significant public and media attention in recent months and the Irish Government has now published draft legislation proposing major changes to Ireland’s citizenship framework. Although the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026 is still at an early legislative stage, if enacted, it would introduce stricter eligibility requirements and represent the most substantial reform of Irish citizenship rules in recent years.

The detail

The key proposals include:

• An increase in residence requirements from 5 to 8 years.
• A requirement for two years of continuous residence immediately prior to making an application for Irish citizenship, which is an increase from the current one-year continuous residence requirement.
• Temporary protection permissions would no longer count towards reckonable residence for the purposes of calculating eligible time spent in Ireland.
• Changes around language requirements would require applicants to demonstrate proficiency in Irish, English, or Irish sign language which would bring requirements in line with some of our EU counterparts.
• Applicants may also be required to prove civic knowledge.
• A minimum income threshold (yet to be confirmed) is also recommended in the new proposals with applicants required to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency. Those applying for citizenship may also be required to demonstrate compliance with tax obligations as well as non-dependency on social welfare payments.

The impact

If the Bill is enacted, it would significantly increase the residence, language and civics obligations for applicants as well as imposing stricter financial and compliance criteria. The timeline for implementation of the proposed changes is yet to be confirmed, and it remains to be seen what exactly will be included in the final legislation.  While the proposals are still at an early stage, there will be an anxious wait for individuals intending on applying for Irish citizenship as they assess the potential impact on their eligibility.

How we can support

Vialto Partners can support employers and employees with questions about the impact these proposed changes may have on timelines for eligibility for Irish citizenship.

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Aoife Kilmurray
Director

Lindsay Tester
Senior Manager

Sayan Thakran
Manager

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