New citizenship law comes into force

According to DW, around 14% of the population in Germany do not have German citizenship. According to government statistics, 168,545 people were naturalized in Germany in 2022 — just 3.1% of foreign nationals who have been living in Germany for at least 10 years, though the number has been rising in recent years. The new rules will give new rights to non-Germans who have been living in Germany for some time.

Here are the main changes:

Multiple nationalities

Applicants to become naturalized citizens will no longer have to give up their previous nationality to become German.

Accelerated procedure

Instead of the previous eight years, people will be able to obtain German citizenship after just five years.

Special achievements rewarded

For something the German Interior Ministry calls “special achievements in integration,” naturalization will be possible after just three years. Such achievements might include not only learning German, excellence at school or in professional life, engaging in civic life, or running for political office.

Easier access to citizenship for children

All children born in Germany to foreign parents will in future acquire German citizenship without reservation and will be able to retain the citizenship of their parents if at least one parent has been living in Germany lawfully for more than five years and has permanent residency.

The controversial “option regulation” — which forced the children of foreign parents to choose a nationality at 18 — is now abolished.

Special recognition for ‘guest worker’ generation

The so-called guest worker generation — mainly Turkish people who moved to West Germany in the 1960s to work in industry — will no longer have to take a naturalization test. They simply have to prove oral language skills to gain German citizenship. Many are expected to use this opportunity.

The same also applies for foreign workers who worked in the former East Germany.

Earning a living

Though the new rules apply to everyone in principle, applicants for naturalization will still have to prove that they can earn their own living (though again, people from the guest worker generation can still apply regardless).

Commitment to democracy and anti-racism

A commitment to the democratic order set out in the German constitution has always been a requirement for anyone applying for naturalization. This now specifically excludes anyone found to have committed antisemitic, racist or other inhumane acts. Those who reject equal rights for men and women or live-in polygamous marriages are also not eligible for a German passport.