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Countries Offering Fast-track Citizenship Through Marriage To Foreign Nationals

Published

12 months ago

January 22, 2025

Some countries offer a fast-track path to citizenship for foreigners who marry their citizens. This shortens the usual residency requirements and helps spouses gain citizenship more quickly. While the rules vary, marriage is often accepted as a valid reason for granting citizenship or residency. This also comes with benefits like the right to live, work, and travel freely. Fast-tracking citizenship through marriage is a good option for those wanting to build a life in a new country.

Here are five countries where marrying a local could quickly change your nationality in 2025.

Spain

In the past, marrying a Spanish citizen automatically granted citizenship. However, since 1975, direct citizenship after marriage is no longer possible.

Marriage still makes the citizenship process faster. Marrying a Spaniard makes it easier and quicker to get residency and citizenship. Normally, it takes 2 to 10 years of residency to qualify for citizenship. If married to a Spanish citizen, you only need one year of legal residency. However, you may need to renounce your original nationality unless you’re from a former Spanish colony. With Spanish citizenship, you can travel to 183 countries without a visa, live and work anywhere in the EU, and vote in Spain.

Step-by-Step Process: First, register your marriage with a notary in Spain. Then, apply for a residency permit to live and work in Spain for five years. There are two options: the EU Family Member Card for those with legal status and sufficient income, or Family Arraigo for those without legal status but with a clean criminal record.

After getting your residency, live in Spain with your spouse for one year. The year starts only after your residency permit is approved. Once you’ve lived together for a year, apply for Spanish citizenship. You’ll need to pass the Spanish language test (A2) and the CCSE cultural exam.

Argentina

Argentine citizenship can be obtained in two ways. The first is Citizenship by Option, which is available to children of native Argentine citizens as stated in Article 1, Law 346, and Article 2, Decree 3213/84. The second is citizenship by naturalisation, which requires two years of continuous residency in Argentina, verified by the National Directorate of Migrations. This residency requirement is waived if you are married to an Argentine citizen or have Argentine-born children. However, siblings of Argentine citizens cannot apply for citizenship through this route.

To apply, you must be at least 18 years old. You need a legalised birth certificate, either with an Apostille or international legalisation if required, and a valid Argentine ID (DNI) or passport. You also need police clearance certificates from your home country and any other countries where you lived for more than six months in the past three years. These certificates must be apostilled. A non-criminal record certificate from Argentina’s National Registry is also required. This involves fingerprinting, and the results are sent by email.
You must provide proof of residency in Argentina, such as utility bills, a rental contract, or a domicile certificate from the local police. You also need to show proof of income through pay stubs, monotributo receipts, or an income certificate from a public accountant. If you have Argentine children, you must include photocopies of their birth certificates and a certificate from the Immigration Directorate.

You need to have basic Spanish skills to understand court proceedings and take the citizenship oath. Two specific forms, provided during the process, must also be completed.

The entire process usually takes one to 1.5 years. Applicants must appear in person at three key stages: submitting the application, processing the criminal record, and taking the citizenship oath. A legal advisor must be appointed to manage the application. After completing the process, you can apply for your DNI and Argentine passport.

Brazil

If you and your Brazilian partner marry, you can start the process for Brazilian citizenship within a year. You can marry in Brazil, but it may be easier to marry outside the country due to Brazil’s complicated bureaucracy. If you marry abroad, you will likely need to pay a fee to the Brazilian consulate to process your documents. After submitting the required paperwork, you will get a Certificate of Marriage Registration. This certificate confirms your marriage is recognised under Brazilian law. You will need to bring the marriage documents to Brazil to continue the process and apply for a permanent residence visa.

Marriage to a Brazilian does not automatically give you citizenship. You must follow additional steps. Usually, you need to apply for permanent residence at a Federal Police station in Brazil, which may require travelling there. If you do not speak Portuguese, getting help from a lawyer or a fixer is recommended. Due to Brazil’s bureaucracy, professional help is often important.

After being married for one year and holding permanent residence, you can apply for citizenship by marriage. The naturalisation process may take 12 to 15 months. A good lawyer can help reduce delays. Lawyers in Brazil often work with a fixer, or “despachante,” to handle the paperwork. While many expats find fixers helpful, be careful, as some may not act in your best interest.

Italy

Italian citizenship through marriage or civil union is governed by Law n. 91 of 1992. A non-Italian spouse can apply after two years of marriage or civil union if living in Italy, or three years if living abroad. This period is shorter if the couple has children under 18 or adopts children. Same-sex civil unions, recognised in Italy since 2016, are treated the same as marriages.

The application fee is €250, paid by wire transfer. Since December 4, 2018, applicants must show B1-level Italian language proficiency from an approved institution.

To start, the Italian spouse must be registered with AIRE (if abroad) and have their marriage/civil union recorded at the consulate and the local comune. The citizenship application is submitted at the consulate (if abroad) or Prefettura (if in Italy).

The process has two steps: filling out an online form and making an appointment to submit documents and sign the application. Applicants need a marriage certificate transcript, criminal background checks from all countries lived in since age 14, a certified copy of their foreign birth certificate, and B1-level Italian certification from an approved institution.

France

Foreigners can apply for French citizenship by declaration or by decree, depending on their situation. Citizenship by birth, marriage, or ascendancy is through declaration. Citizenship by naturalisation is through decree.

Foreigners married to French citizens can apply for citizenship by declaration if they meet certain conditions. If living in France, the marriage must last at least four years, with three years of residency in France together. If living abroad, the French spouse must be registered in consular records. The application can be made after four years of marriage. If neither condition is met, the requirement is five years. The marriage must be registered in the French civil registry.

Applicants must have a valid residence permit (unless from the EEA or Switzerland), no expulsion order, and a community of life with the French spouse. They must also have B1-level French language skills and no criminal record. Irregular residency periods do not count toward the required residency.

To apply, submit a completed Cerfa form, photos, a tax stamp, proof of identity and residence, a marriage certificate, and other documents. These include proof of the French spouse’s nationality and evidence of language proficiency. All documents must be in French or with certified translations.

Headline

Trump Warns Of More Strikes In Nigeria If Attacks On Christians Continue

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

US President Donald Trump has warned that he could authorise additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks against Christians continue, citing the security situation in the West African nation as a key concern.

In an interview with the New York Times on Thursday, Trump was asked whether the Christmas Day strikes in Sokoto State, which targeted Islamist militants, were intended as part of a broader campaign. “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he said.

Trump’s comments follow his 2025 designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” due to what he described as an “existential threat” to its Christian population. The remarks have drawn criticism from Nigerian officials, who insist that jihadist groups target people regardless of religion. “Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike” are affected, a government spokesperson said, rejecting claims that Christians are being singled out.

When pressed about reports that most victims of jihadist groups in Nigeria are Muslims, Trump responded, “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.” Nigeria, with a population exceeding 230 million, is roughly evenly divided between Christians in the south and Muslims in the north.

The December strikes targeted camps run by a jihadist group known as Lakurawa in Sokoto, a largely Muslim region near the border with Niger. Both the US and Nigerian authorities have linked the militants to Islamic State-affiliated groups in the Sahel, although the IS has not formally claimed any association with Lakurawa. Details of casualties from the strikes remain unclear, as neither government has provided official figures.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the operation was a “joint effort” and emphasised that it was not motivated by religion. He confirmed that the strikes had the approval of President Bola Tinubu and included
participation by Nigerian armed forces. Addressing the timing of the strikes, Tuggar added that they were unrelated to Christmas, though Trump described them as a “Christmas present”.

Headline

Science Discovers Why Hungry, Broke Men Prefer Bigger Breasts

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A scientific study has found that men who feel financially insecure or hungry are more likely to find larger female breasts attractive.

The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE and was conducted by psychologists Viren Swami and Martin J. Tovée.

The study examined whether breast size acts as a signal of fat reserves and access to resources, and whether men facing resource insecurity rate larger breast sizes as more attractive than men who feel economically secure.

Researchers carried out two separate studies across Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

In the first study, 266 men from three areas in Malaysia were assessed. The locations represented low, medium and high socioeconomic backgrounds. Participants were shown rotating computer-generated images of women with different breast sizes and asked to rate which they found most attractive.

The findings showed a clear socioeconomic pattern.

Men from low-income rural areas preferred larger breasts.

Men from middle-income towns preferred medium to large breasts.

Men from high-income urban areas preferred smaller to medium breasts.

PLOS ONE study showing how hunger and financial insecurity affect men’s breast size preferences
Cover page of a PLOS ONE study examining how resource insecurity influences men’s breast size preferences. Source: PLOS ONE

As stated in the study, “Men from relatively low socioeconomic sites rated larger breast sizes as more physically attractive than did participants in moderate socioeconomic sites, who in turn rated larger breast sizes as more attractive than individuals in a high socioeconomic site.”

The researchers noted that the lower a man’s financial security, the stronger his preference for larger breast size.

The second study focused on hunger rather than income.

In Britain, 124 male university students were divided into two groups. Sixty-six participants were classified as hungry, while 58 had recently eaten. Both groups viewed the same breast size images under identical conditions.

Hungry men consistently rated larger breasts as more attractive than men who were full.

According to the researchers, “Hungry men rated a significantly larger breast size as more physically attractive than did the satiated group. Taken together, these studies provide evidence that resource security impacts upon men’s attractiveness ratings based on women’s breast size.”

The researchers explained that these shifts suggest attraction is not fixed but responsive to immediate conditions.

They noted that men experiencing hunger or financial pressure may place greater value on physical traits that signal access to resources or stability.

The study added that temporary states such as hunger can shape attraction in the same way long-term economic conditions do, reinforcing the idea that social and environmental factors play a key role in how physical attractiveness is judged.

Headline

Man With Lengthy Criminal Record Shoots Nigerian To Death Inside Bus In Canada

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A 40-year-old man with an extensive criminal history has been charged with first-degree murder after a Nigerian national was shot dead on a GO bus at the Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal in Toronto, marking the city’s first homicide of 2026.

Toronto Police, in a statement on their website, said officers were called to the terminal, near Yorkdale Road and Allen Road, at about 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 4, following reports of a shooting. Investigators allege that both the suspect and the victim boarded a GO bus at the terminal, where the suspect shot the victim before fleeing the scene on foot.

According to the statement, officers arrived to find a man suffering from a gunshot wound, but despite carrying out life-saving measures, the Nigerian was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was later identified as Osemwengie Irorere, a 46-year-old man from Nigeria, the Toronto police said in a later statement.

Local media reports noted that an eyewitness who was seated just behind the victim said the bus had been dark and crowded as passengers waited to depart when a single gunshot rang out.

“I assumed it was a popped tyre or something, but immediately after, a guy sitting in front of me got up, shoved his hands in his pocket and ran off the bus,” the witness said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

“Right after, I stood up and I looked at the seat in front of me and I saw a guy, bleeding,” he added, saying he could smell smoke in the air after the shot was fired.

Police said the suspect was located and arrested a short time later near the Yorkdale subway station, and a firearm was recovered.

The accused has been identified as Tyrel Gibson, 40, of Toronto. He appeared at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Monday, January 5.

Court documents show that Gibson has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 2000, with nearly two dozen charges. He has previously been convicted of offences including attempted murder and firearm-related crimes. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, using a firearm, possession of a firearm with ammunition and possession of an unauthorised firearm and was handed a lifetime weapons prohibition. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2017, although it remains unclear how much of that term he served.