Acquiring citizenship by marriage is one of the most common ways to settle in European countries. EU states encourage family reunification and offer simplified passport requirements for the spouses of their nationals. However, citizenship by marriage is not given immediately in European countries. It accelerates the naturalization process and EU governments also impose lenient requirements for obtaining a passport.
The top 8 European countries that grant citizenship by marriage are listed in the table below. The basic timeframe requirements in years to apply for a passport through this immigration program are also given. The period of time you need to reside in the country and be married to an EU citizen is highlighted separately. Both of these requirements must be met in order to apply. For comparison, the table below shows the duration of the regular naturalization process as well.
| European country | Duration of marital relationship | Time frames of residence in the state required | Duration of ordinary naturalization |
|
Italy |
2 |
2 |
10 |
|
Spain |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
Germany |
3 |
3 |
8 |
|
Greece |
3 |
3 |
10 |
|
France |
4 |
3 |
5 |
|
Poland |
3 |
2 |
10 |
|
Netherlands |
3 |
3 |
5 |
|
Portugal |
3 |
3 |
5 |
In all the European countries listed above, applicants must pass additional examinations in order to be given citizenship by marriage. These include tests of integration into society and language proficiency, as well as an interview with authorities.
Advantages of obtaining citizenship by marriage
Acquiring citizenship by marriage has many advantages over ordinary naturalization, one of which is the ease of getting a residence permit in a European country. Family reunification is a sufficient basis for obtaining a PRP. In the case of getting a residence permit for employment, applicants would usually have to find a job first. In addition, changing the type of PRP resets the naturalization period and immigrants are required to start the process from the beginning. With a residence permit for family reunification, none of these things need to be considered.
Other main advantages of obtaining citizenship by marriage in European countries are:
- Simplification of naturalization. Officials in European countries can make decisions on giving the passport much faster. The average time frame for getting citizenship by marriage is 3 years in the EU.
- Retention of passport in case of divorce. If you are already given EU nationality, it cannot be taken away after the marital relationship is dissolved.
- EU birth certificates for children. A person born in a state of Europe to a parent who is its citizen automatically receives the same nationality.
Application procedure for citizenship by marriage in Europe
The process of obtaining citizenship by marriage in European countries is similar to ordinary naturalization but has a number of nuances. The procedures which are required to be given an EU passport through this route are detailed below.
- Establishing a legitimate marital relationship with a national of a European country.
Immigrants cannot obtain citizenship by marriage if it is fictitious. Officials check whether it is genuine during specific examination procedures. For illegal actions and deceptive practices, migrants will be deported and punished with fines and a ban on re-entry.
- Complying with the conditions for acquiring citizenship by marriage.
An immigrant must understand all the legal requirements before applying, which may include a certain period of residence in a European country and sufficient language skills. It is also significant to research which documents are required and which conditions apply to them.
- Submitting application for citizenship by marriage.
This process is organized through the competent authority of the chosen state. The officials which handle the subsequent EU passport procedures must be given only valid and up to date documents.
- Passing examinations for integration into society.
This involves completing the necessary tests and undergoing an interview with officials. During this process, all legal grounds for giving citizenship by marriage to an immigrant are checked.
- Taking the oath and obtaining a passport of European country.
At this stage, officials process the documents and reach a decision on the migrant's case. If it is positive, the applicant is then invited to swear allegiance to the people of the state and its constitution. In order for the government to give a migrant citizenship by marriage, necessary documents and an application must be submitted to the relevant office.
Conclusions and recommendations
Almost all European countries which give citizenship by marriage offer expedited immigration procedures for the spouses of their nationals. However, there are nuances to this process in each state. Knowledge of the legislation and legal formalities is essential. It is therefore best to seek information from reliable sources, preferably from immigration specialists.