Ireland plans fast-track citizenship for migrant military recruits

Ireland is exploring a proposal to fast-track citizenship for foreign nationals serving in its Defence Forces, as part of efforts to increase personnel and promote diversity. The initiative appears in a framework released by the Defence Forces on Tuesday.

Under current rules, immigrants must reside in the Republic for five of the previous nine years to apply for naturalisation and pay approximately €1,000 in fees. The new measure would allow qualifying service members to gain citizenship more quickly, with fees potentially waived, according to sources cited by The Irish Times.The idea echoes a recommendation from the 2022 Commission on the Defence Forces report, which stated that those who serve should receive easier access to citizenship “as recognition of their commitment to this State”.

The government aims to grow the Defence Forces from 7,500 to 11,500 personnel by 2028 amid rising international threats. Recruitment remains difficult; the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers has called the target a “major challenge”. Currently, about 250 foreign-born members serve, mostly from the UK and Poland.

Eligible non-nationals can enlist after three years of unbroken legal residency, alongside refugees and EEA nationals. The proposal aligns with practices in countries like the US (citizenship after one year of service) and France (eligibility after three years in the Foreign Legion or upon injury).

A Defence Forces spokesman confirmed the measure is under evaluation in the Detailed Implementation Plan, with completion expected by the end of June 2026.

The push comes as Ireland shifts from a nation of emigration to one with high net migration—averaging 72,000 annually since 2022—prompting tighter immigration policies last November. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan noted the population grew 1.6% last year, seven times the EU average, calling the rate “a worry” despite its positivity.