More than 120 British citizens have acquired European nationality since the Brexit referendum in 2016. The data comes from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
According to the survey, 110.295 British people became naturalized citizens in EU countries between 2016 and 2023. If we consider those who obtained citizenship in Norway (3.864) and Switzerland (7.165), the total rises to 121.324 people.
“The significant increase in the naturalization of British citizens in the EU is one of the most evident effects of Brexit. Eight years after the decision to leave the European Union, the peak of naturalizations in 2019 has already been surpassed,” stated Maarten Vink, research director at the European University Institute in Italy.
Countries with the most naturalizations
Germany recorded the highest number of naturalised Britons, with 36.888 people, followed by France (20.966), Sweden (11.384), the Netherlands (9.000), Belgium (7.741) and Ireland (6.376).
In Italy, only 3.010 UK citizens have acquired the Italian nationality During that period, in Spain there were 2.363, a relatively low number considering the country has one of the largest British communities in Europe. Spain only allows dual citizenship for certain countries, requiring Britons to give up their original passport to become naturalized citizens.
Countries such as Austria, where dual citizenship is restricted, have seen few cases: just 395 Britons became naturalized between 2016 and 2023.
Rising and falling trend
The number of naturalisations soared in 2016, in the wake of the Brexit vote, as many Britons sought to secure their rights in their home countries. In 2014 and 2015, only around 2.500 citizenships were granted each year. That number rose to 6.700 in 2016 and peaked at 29.842 in 2019, before the UK and EU finalised their withdrawal agreement. Since then, the number has been falling, reaching 6.650 in 2023.
In Germany, for example, naturalization of British citizens fell from 13.675 in 2019 to just 235 in 2023. In Sweden, the drop was from 4.489 to just 10 in the same period.
Rights guaranteed by European citizenship
By acquiring the nationality of an EU member state, Britons also obtain European citizenship. This grants them free movement between EU countries, as well as electoral rights in local and European elections.
The trend towards seeking European citizenship reflects the concern of many Britons about maintaining their rights to residency, work and free movement after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
