Liechtensteiner nationality law

The primary law governing nationality of Liechtenstein is the Law on the Acquisition and Loss of Citizenship, which came into force on 4 January 1934. Liechtenstein is a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). All Liechtensteiner nationals have automatic and permanent permission to live and work in any European Union (EU) or EFTA country.

Any person born to at least one married Liechtensteiner parent receives citizenship at birth, regardless of the place of birth. Children of unmarried couples in which only the father is Liechtensteiner acquire a right to claim citizenship retroactive to their date of birth, while those born to unmarried Liechtensteiner mothers acquire citizenship at birth automatically. Foreign nationals may become Liechtenstein citizens by naturalisation after meeting a minimum residence requirement, renouncing any previous nationalities, and demonstrating proficiency in the German language.

Under Liechtenstein's ordinary naturalisation process, the statutory residence period is 10 years. However, this requires approval from the electorate of a local municipality and it is highly unlikely for anyone to succeed through the voting process. In practice, citizenship may be acquired without voter consent through facilitated naturalisation, which requires either living in the country for at least 30 years (residence under age 20 counting as double) or marriage to a Liechtensteiner citizen, which has a lower residence requirement (between 5 and 10 years).