European countries have tightened citizenship requirements, introducing stricter and longer residency rules. Portugal increased residency requirement to ten years for non-European Union country citizens.
Citizens of European Union and Portuguese-speaking countries now face a seven-year necessity.
Malta's direct investment citizenship program ended due to European Union Court decision. Germany removed three-year citizenship path for highly integrated individuals in October last year.
Other countries like France and Netherlands kept five-year rule unchanged for applicants. Experts emphasize ancestry-based applications remain the fastest route after investment closures.