A recent study conducted by the Canadian immigration agency CanadaCIS has highlighted Portugal as one of the top ten countries where obtaining nationality is relatively straightforward.
The analysis, covering data from 2009 to 2021, revealed Sweden as the most accessible country for non-EU residents to secure citizenship, with an impressive acceptance rate of 9.3 percent, where one in ten applicants is granted citizenship.
Notably, Sweden boasts the highest acceptance rates for both men and women, with women having a slightly higher advantage at 10.02 percent compared to 8.66 percent for men.
The list of countries with the easiest citizenship acquisition is rounded out by the Netherlands, Portugal, and Iceland, occupying the second to fourth positions. These countries exhibit acquisition rates exceeding one in 25, standing at four percent.
Among the 32 European countries analyzed, Portugal secures the fourth spot for ease of citizenship acquisition. More than three in every 50 residents from third countries become citizens, constituting 6.6 percent of the total.
Conversely, the study identifies Estonia as the country presenting the most challenges in obtaining nationality. With the lowest average percentage of residents acquiring citizenship, around one in every 200 (0.6 percent), Estonia poses a considerable hurdle. Men face a slightly tougher acceptance rate at 0.58 percent, compared to 0.69 percent for women.
Following Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania are among the countries where acquiring citizenship is most challenging, with less than one percent of third-country residents succeeding, compared to the European average of 3.56 percent.
Austria, Liechtenstein, and Slovakia are ranked as the fifth, sixth, and seventh countries, respectively, presenting the highest hurdles to citizenship. Slovenia and Germany follow suit, granting citizenship to less than one in 50 (two percent) third-country residents.
Denmark emerges as the most challenging country to obtain citizenship, with an acquisition rate of two percent, solidifying its position as the most stringent in this aspect.
Get the latest international news and global stories wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.