Citizenship in Germany
Naturalisation timelines, tests, and dual nationality
The citizenship law that took effect in June 2024 was the largest change in a generation. The ordinary residence requirement fell from eight years to five, three became possible for exceptional integration, children born in Germany to long-resident parents acquire citizenship more readily, and multiple nationality is now generally permitted — the previous obligation on most applicants to give up their original citizenship was removed.
| Ordinary requirement | Commonly five years of lawful residence source |
| Accelerated route | Around three years for exceptional integration and stronger German |
| Language | Generally B1, with C1 required for the accelerated route |
| Test | Naturalisation test of 33 questions from a published catalogue |
| Dual citizenship | Generally permitted since June 2024 |
What the 2024 reform changed
- Residence for ordinary naturalisation was reduced from eight years to five.
- A shortened route of around three years became available where integration is exceptional — commonly understood as strong German, usually C1, together with outstanding performance at work, in study or in voluntary activity.
- The renunciation rule was removed: applicants no longer have to give up their previous nationality as a general condition, and Germans acquiring another citizenship no longer lose German nationality automatically.
- Children born in Germany acquire citizenship at birth where a parent has been lawfully resident for a reduced qualifying period, and the earlier option obligation was abolished.
- Commitment to the free democratic basic order and to the special historical responsibility arising from the Nazi regime, including the protection of Jewish life, was written explicitly into the declaration applicants sign.
The conditions that did not change
Applicants must generally support themselves and their dependants without social assistance or unemployment benefit, a condition that was tightened rather than relaxed, with narrow exceptions for certain long-serving workers and guest-worker generation applicants.
The naturalisation test draws on a published catalogue covering the constitution, rights and duties, history and the political system, and the study material is issued officially. Holders of a German school-leaving qualification are commonly exempt.
A clean criminal record is required, and processing at municipal naturalisation offices is slow in the larger cities, with backlogs reported in the busiest.
What citizenship adds
German citizenship is EU citizenship, carrying the right to live and work across the union, full voting rights, unconditional right of return, and consular protection. It also ends the residence conditions that attach to every permit, including the absence rules that can otherwise cost a settled resident their status.
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Official sources
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.