Modernisation of German citizenship law

Around 12 million people with foreign citizenship live in Germany. Of these, 5.3 million have had their usual place of residence in Germany for at least 10 years. Germany is in the last third of the EU in terms of the number of naturalisations. German naturalisation law is to be reformed in order to take account of the social reality of an immigration country. On 19.1.2024, the Bundestag therefore adopted a bill to modernise German citizenship law. The law is due to come into force 3 months after being published in the Federal Law Gazette. It is assumed that this will probably be the case in April.

Specific regulations

The changes may also play a role for those people who are already in the ongoing naturalisation process. In the administrative procedure, the date of the "last official decision" is decisive. If the naturalisation procedure has not yet been completed when the law comes into force, this group of people will be affected by both the simplifications and the tightening of the rules.

These are in detail (among others):

• Acceptance of multiple nationality

It should be possible to have several nationalities in Germany. In order to be naturalised in Germany, it will no longer be necessary to give up the "old" nationality. Germans who live abroad and wish to acquire another nationality in addition to their German nationality no longer have to give up their German nationality under German law.

• Shorter period of residence in Germany

As a general rule, naturalisation should be possible after a stay of five years instead of the previous eight years, and after just three years in the case of special integration achievements.

• Birth of a child born in Germany to foreign parents

The period of residence of one parent in Germany required for a child of foreign parents to automatically acquire German citizenship through birth in Germany will also be reduced from eight to five years.

• German language skills of the so-called "guest worker generation"

Guest workers do not have to take a written naturalisation test and only have to be able to communicate verbally in German.