I suspect it is probably quite difficult to become a citizen of most nations, particularly the good ones like say the Netherlands, Belgium, or the Scandinavian countries. Please share any information you have about those.
Norway:
$ 6 The King, or anyone he so empowers, may upon application grant nationality to a foreign national provided the applicant:
(1) is not less then 18 years of age,
(2) has resided in this realm during the last seven years,
(3) has shown good conduct, and
(4) does nog have substantial debt in connection with maintenance payments.
An applicant who has previously been a Norwegian nationality may be granted nationality even though he does not fulfil the above conditions. The same applies to an applicant who is marries to a Norwegian national and lives with the spouse, or if other special circumstances make it appear reasonable to grant nationality. The condition mentioned in the first paragraph under subparagraph (2) may be dispensed in other respects as well, provided the applicant is a national of either Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Sweden.
If the applicant under the law of his home state, us unable to surrender his previous nationality without being granted release from same, he will in general be required to produce evidence of such release within one year.If the applicant has unmarried children under 18 years of age, the authority issuing the certificate of nationality shall decide whether is also includes the children.
Sweden:
Becoming a Swedish citizen by application (naturalisation)
Naturalisation means that a person becomes a Swedish citizen by applying for Swedish nationality. If you wish to become a Swedish citizen by application, you must meet the following requirements:
• You must be able to prove your identity (proof of identity requirement).
• You must be at least 18 years of age 18 (age requirement).
• You must have a permanent residence permit. This does not apply to citizens of the Nordic countries. For citizens of other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), limited residence permits of at least five years’ duration are equated with a Swedish permanent residence permit.
• You must been living in Sweden for at least five years, or for at least four years if you are stateless or a refugee. If you are a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic or Norwegian citizen, two years will suffice (duration of stay requirement).
• You must have a clean record in Sweden (good conduct requirement).
When you apply for Swedish citizenship, the Migration Board collects data about you from the enforcement service (debts), the Social Insurance Office (maintenance/alimony debts), the National Police Board (crimes or suspected offences) and the Swedish Security Service (security checks). The Migration Board is the body that considers applications for Swedish citizenship and takes decisions. Applying for Swedish citizenship costs SEK 1,500.
Finland:
A foreigner may acquire Finnish citizenship upon application if his/her identity has been reliably established and he or she
• is of age (18 years) or married before the age of 18,
• has resided in Finland long enough before applying for Finnish citizenship,
• has not committed a punishable act or been placed under a restraining order,
• has not failed to pay any maintenance or other fees under public law,
• can provide reliable evidence of his/her means of support, and
• has a knowledge of Finnish or Swedish or of Finnish sign language.
The granting of Finnish citizenship by application is discretionary. Citizenship can be granted even if some requirements are not met. On the other hand, citizenship can be denied even if all requirements stipulated by law have been met.
Iceland:
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLYING FOR AN ICELANDIC CITIZENSHIP:
• Written recommendations from 2 Icelandic citizens.
• A clean criminal record from the Sakaskrá ríkisins.
• Documentation from social services that states the applicant has not accepted social services anytime during the past 2 years. (Does not include child benefits or rent subsidies.)
• A birth certificate.
• Divorce and/or marriage certificates where applicable.
• A mortgage bond if the applicant owns real estate.
The Netherlands:
Naturalisation is the third way for foreign nationals to acquire Dutch nationality. Some former Dutch citizens can apply abroad to have their nationality restored through naturalisation. And foreign nationals who have been married to or in a registered partnership* with a Dutch citizen for at least three years and who live with this partner at the same address may apply abroad for naturalisation. The foreign national may not live in the country of which he/she is a national and in most cases he/she will have to have passed the ‘naturalisation test’ before submitting an application.
Other conditions may be found in the booklet aimed at people seeking to acquire Dutch citizenship abroad ‘Hoe kunt u Nederlander worden in het buitenland’ (only available in Dutch, PDF)
None of my students could find the Belgian policy.
