Following Government approval of proposed policy changes and legislative developments relating to international protection and citizenship, the following change will come into effect from Monday, 8 December 2025:
- People granted International Protection must generally have five years of reckonable residence in the State before they can apply for citizenship.
Applications received before 8 December 2025 will continue to be processed under the previous 3 year rule, while applications submitted from 8 December 2025 onwards will be assessed in line with the new 5 year residency requirement.