What Citizenship Is the Hardest to Get?
1. What Citizenship Is the Hardest to Get?
Some countries make citizenship extremely difficult — either due to strict residency rules, cultural tests, language barriers, or political restrictions. These nationalities are considered the hardest in the world to obtain.
1. Switzerland
Often ranked the hardest citizenship globally.
10+ years of residency
Strict local integration tests
Community-level voting on applicants
Language proficiency required
High cost of living
Even long-term residents get rejected.
2. Japan
Japan’s naturalization rules are very strict:
No dual citizenship for adults
Must give up all other passports
Requires total immersion and proof of cultural assimilation
Residency + employment requirements
Case-by-case evaluation
Many don’t want to renounce their original citizenship.
3. Austria
Citizenship is extremely selective.
Requires 10+ years residency
Very high language skills
Rigid integration standards
Renunciation of prior citizenship
Austrian citizenship-by-investment exists but is ultra-exclusive.
4. Qatar & UAE
Residency doesn’t lead to citizenship
Citizenship awarded only rarely, usually to specific families or through royal decree
5. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain
Generally not obtainable for foreigners, even after decades of residence.
6. Germany (if no ancestry)
8 years residency
Strict language and integration tests
No dual citizenship unless from specific countries
Bottom Line
Switzerland, Japan, Austria, and Gulf states have the hardest citizenships in the world due to strict integration, long residency rules, or outright restrictions.
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