2024 saw a sharp annual rise in the number of foreign nationals granted Irish citizenship – an increase of 32% on the previous year, marking the highest yearly total in the past decade.
Overall, Ireland granted the fifth highest level of citizenship on a per capita basis in the EU in that year – almost twice the EU average.
More than 24,000 foreign nationals were granted Irish citizenship in 2024 according to new figures published by the European Commission. 2024 is the latest year for which comparative EU figures are available, marking an annual increase of 5,800.
The figures relate to naturalised Irish citizenship, which allows for foreign nationals to apply and be accepted to become Irish citizens after living in Ireland for 5 years (or 3 years if married to an Irish citizen or a refugee) within the last 9 years.
The process involves five years or more of legal residence, being in good standing in Ireland, applying to the Minister for Justice and attending a ceremony.
The previous highest annual total in Ireland was recorded in 2014, at 21,104. The 2024 numbers show that the annual number of new citizenships granted here rose by almost a third.
The country with the largest number of new Irish citizens was India (3,946) followed by Brazil (1,708), Britain (1,541), Romania (1,354) and Nigeria (1,235).
Other countries where natives obtained Irish citizenship in large numbers also included the Philippines, Poland, China, Pakistan and South Africa.
Almost 4,500 individuals who acquired Irish citizenship came from other EU countries (19%) in 2024 – mostly Romania, Poland and Latvia, the figures show.
Overall, Ireland granted the fifth highest level of citizenship on a per capita basis in 2024, with 4.5 awarded per 1,000 population – almost twice the EU average of 2.4.
Denmark, Slovakia and Germany were among just a handful of countries which recorded much larger proportional increases than Ireland. Meanwhile, Luxembourg, Sweden, Spain and Belgium recorded more citizenships as a proportion of their population.
The naturalisation rate in 2024 reached the highest in the past decade in Ireland – with 2.9 citizenships granted per 100 non-national residents.
The growing numbers of people granted citizenship here has stirred up debate, with former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar writing in The Times last month that “we must examine” how we grant citizenship awards – after they passed 30,000 for the first time.
“[…[ Migration and new people coming to settle in your country can be a blessing, so long as the numbers are not too large and so long as they are allowed to integrate, to mix their culture into the prevailing culture of their new land — not multiculturalism or assimilation, but a melting pot,” Varadkar wrote.
“We should remember that many of the people who are migrants in our country do not intend to settle here. They are guests in our country and should be treated just as we would hope to be treated if we were in another country; provided, of course, that they are here legally,” he penned.
“We should expect something different from those who become Irish citizens. In becoming a citizen, you gain the right to stay forever, to vote in all our elections, to hold public office, and to support and protection when abroad. You also gain the right to free movement to the UK and EU.”
In November, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan announced that he had gained government approval for the introduction of a range of measures related to migration, including the tightening of citizenship criteria to ensure there is clear guidance on the application of good character requirements and the introduction of a requirement that applicants are self-sufficient.
This means that applicants should not be in receipt of social protection payments within the previous two years before an application is made.
As part of the sweeping reforms, Mr O’Callaghan also introduced a change to residency requirements for people granted International Protection – rising from three years to five years before they can apply for citizenship.