Iceland Sets Age Requirement for Young Foreigners Seeking Citizenship

• Iceland allows young foreigners aged 18 to 20 to acquire citizenship through a notification process with the Directorate of Immigration
• Applicants must have held legal residence in Iceland continuously since the age of 13 to be eligible for citizenship
• The Icelandic government outlined specific conditions that must be met before a notification for citizenship can be accepted

Iceland has opened a citizenship pathway specifically for young foreigners who grew up in the country, outlining clear age and residency conditions that must be met before an application can proceed.

According to the Icelandic government, foreigners between the ages of 18 and 20 may acquire Icelandic citizenship by submitting a notification to the Directorate of Immigration, provided they satisfy all the required criteria. The process is not automatic, and each condition must be met in full before eligibility is confirmed.

Icelandic citizenship: Conditions for young foreigners

The government has specified three core requirements for anyone wishing to use this citizenship notification route. First, the applicant must be older than 18 but younger than 21 at the time of notification. Second, the individual must have held legal residence in Iceland since turning 13. Third, that residence must have been continuous, meaning the applicant cannot have left Iceland for extended periods after relocating there at age 13.

Who qualifies under Iceland's citizenship notification process

In practical terms, the pathway is designed for young people who moved to Iceland at the age of 13 and lived there lawfully without interruption through to adulthood.

If those conditions are fulfilled, the window to submit a citizenship notification opens at age 18 and closes before the applicant turns 21.

Those who miss this window or fail to meet any single condition would not qualify through this particular route and would need to explore other citizenship pathways available under Icelandic law.

UK sets minimum age for British citizenship

Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that the UK government had set the minimum age for foreigners seeking British citizenship through naturalisation at 18.

Applicants below this age must use a separate registration process to become British citizens. The government also requires adult applicants to have the mental capacity to understand the meaning of becoming a British citizen.