
As the UK voted to leave the EU, a record number of Britons acquired citizenship in European countries
165%
The number of UK nationals acquiring citizenship in another EU country spiked 165%, from about 2,480 in 2015 to about 6,550 in 2016, according to new Eurostat data.
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| Photo by AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth 
Acquisition of citizenship by UK nationals in EU countries


Applications increased just as the UK voted to leave the EU, as Britons tried to lock in the perks that come with European citizenship, including the right to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

Germany saw the largest increase, from 590 German citizenships granted to UK nationals in 2015 to 2,700 in 2016—possibly because it processes requests faster than other countries.

Most popular countries for UK nationals acquiring EU citizenship
