Fastest countries to get permanent residency in 2026.
How many years until you can settle permanently, ranked — the PR step that comes years before a passport, with citizenship timelines beside it.
| # | Country | Years to PR | Years to citizenship | Dual allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay | 0 | 5 | Yes |
| 2 | Canada | 1 | 3 | Yes |
| 3 | Australia | 2 | 4 | Yes |
| 4 | Brazil | 2 | 4 | Yes |
| 5 | Chile | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| 6 | Ecuador | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| 7 | New Zealand | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| 8 | Panama | 2 | 5 | Restricted |
| 9 | Singapore | 2 | 2 | No |
| 10 | Argentina | 3 | 2 | Yes |
| 11 | Armenia | 3 | 3 | Yes |
| 12 | Costa Rica | 3 | 7 | Yes |
| 13 | Indonesia | 3 | 5 | No |
| 14 | Peru | 3 | 5 | Yes |
| 15 | Thailand | 3 | 5 | Restricted |
| 16 | Vietnam | 3 | 5 | Restricted |
| 17 | Mexico | 4 | 5 | Yes |
| 18 | Albania | 5 | 7 | Yes |
| 19 | Austria | 5 | 10 | No |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 5 | 10 | Restricted |
How this ranking is calculated
Years of lawful residence to reach permanent residency, from our citizenship dataset, sorted ascending. Years-to-citizenship and dual-citizenship shown for context.
Source: relocating.app citizenship dataset. Figures are estimates for guidance, not tax or legal advice.
Cite this ranking
Source: Relocating — Fastest countries to get permanent residency in 2026. Years of residence to permanent residency. Last updated August 2026.
https://relocating.app/best/fastest-permanent-residency-2026/