German citizenship: the 2024 law changed everything (and 2025 tweaked it back)

The big picture: two reforms you need to know

German citizenship law changed dramatically in this decade, and getting the current state right matters because a lot of online guidance is out of date:

1. June 2024 - the modernisation reform. The Act to Modernise Citizenship Law came into force, making three landmark changes: residence needed cut from 8 years to 5, a 3-year fast-track added for exceptional integration, and - the headline - dual citizenship broadly permitted (no more renouncing your original passport).
2. October 2025 - the fast-track repealed. The new federal government abolished the 3-year "turbo" naturalisation (Bundestag vote, 8 October 2025). The standard requirement is now 5 years for everyone.

What survived and matters most: the 5-year path and dual citizenship both remain. So as of 2026, the deal is *five years, keep your old passport too* - still a major liberalisation versus the pre-2024 regime.

The standard route: 5 years

To naturalise (Einbürgerung) after five years of habitual, legal residence, you generally must satisfy all of the following:

The livelihood condition became stricter under the reform: as a rule you must not be drawing basic welfare, with narrow exceptions (e.g. you're not responsible for the reliance). This trips up more applicants than the language test.

Dual citizenship: the change that matters most

For many, this is the whole story. Since June 2024, Germany broadly allows multiple nationality. You no longer have to renounce your existing citizenship to become German - the previous requirement to give up your old passport (with limited exceptions) is gone. This removed the single biggest deterrent for long-settled residents from countries that don't allow renunciation, or who simply didn't want to sever ties. Dual citizenship was explicitly retained when the 3-year fast-track was scrapped in 2025.

Language and the "Leben in Deutschland" test

Two knowledge hurdles, both very passable with preparation:

• B1 German (CEFR) - conversational, functional German. A recognised certificate, an integration-course certificate (The Integrationskurs), or equivalent proof works. Some older applicants and specific groups have eased requirements. Building toward B1 is exactly what Learning German is for.
• The naturalisation test ("Leben in Deutschland" / Einbürgerungstest): 33 multiple-choice questions on German law, history, and society; you need 17 correct to pass. Questions are drawn from a public catalogue of ~300, so you can study the exact pool - practise free with the official BAMF test centre. Most people pass comfortably after practice.

Children and birthright

The reform also strengthened citizenship for children born in Germany:

• A child born in Germany to non-German parents acquires German citizenship at birth if at least one parent has been legally resident in Germany for 5 years and holds a permanent right of residence.
• Such children can now keep both their German citizenship and any nationality inherited from their parents (no obligation to choose one later, following the reform).
• Minor children are often naturalised together with a parent's application.

How the timeline connects to residency

Citizenship sits at the top of the settlement ladder, but it doesn't always require permanent residency first:

• Time spent on most legal residence permits counts toward the 5 years (student time is credited partly).
• Many people obtain Permanent residency (Niederlassungserlaubnis) (Niederlassungserlaubnis) first - the Blue Card route reaches PR in as little as 21 months - and then naturalise at the 5-year mark. But you can sometimes naturalise directly from a qualifying temporary permit once you meet all conditions.
• The practical sequence for a skilled migrant: work permit → permanent residency (removes renewals) → citizenship at 5 years (adds an EU passport, the vote, and lapse-proof status).

Citizenship's advantages over permanent residency: it can't lapse if you move abroad, it gives you an EU passport with free movement, and you can vote in all elections.

What it costs, and how long it takes

The concrete numbers most guides omit:

• Fee: €255 per adult, plus €51 per minor child naturalised with a parent. Low earners can get a reduction or instalments.
• The Einbürgerungstest: €25 (separate from the application fee).
• Language certificate costs vary if you don't already have qualifying proof.
• Processing time: expect 18 months or more. Naturalisation offices in big cities are heavily backlogged, and the post-2024 surge in applications has lengthened waits - file complete and early, and don't count on speed.

Apply, then wait patiently; chasing rarely helps, but a complete, well-documented application avoids the back-and-forth that adds months.

When you're exempt from the B1 or the test

Not everyone has to prove B1 or sit the test:

• B1 language: generally assumed if you completed an Integrationskurs, hold a German school or university qualification, or otherwise clearly function in German. Guest-worker-generation arrivals (entered by mid-1974) and their spouses have eased spoken-only requirements.
• The Leben in Deutschland test is waived if you hold a German school-leaving certificate or a relevant German degree - your education already proves the civics knowledge.
• Hardship/age/disability: reduced requirements apply in specific cases (illness, disability, advanced age) - ask your naturalisation office.

If any of these fit you, you skip a step - worth checking before booking a test or a course.

Keeping your name, and other practicalities

• Your name: naturalisation lets you adjust your name to German conventions if your original doesn't fit (e.g. dropping a patronymic, choosing an order) - optional, decided during the process.
• The declaration and ceremony: you sign a loyalty declaration to the constitution and attend a short naturalisation ceremony to receive your Einbürgerungsurkunde (certificate) - only then are you German, and you then apply for a passport and ID.
• Don't renounce anything prematurely: since dual citizenship is now allowed, you generally keep your old nationality - but check your home country's rules, as some countries automatically strip citizenship when you take another (Germany's allowing it doesn't bind them).

How to apply

1. Check you meet all conditions - especially the 5-year residence and the welfare-free livelihood rule.
2. Get your B1 certificate and pass the Leben in Deutschland test (book via a Volkshochschule or test centre).
3. Gather documents: proof of residence, income/employment, residence permit, language and test certificates, identity/nationality papers, and a clean-record confirmation.
4. Apply at your local naturalisation authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde / Bürgeramt) - the official BAMF naturalisation pages explain the process; waits and processing times vary a lot by city and can be long.
5. Attend the ceremony and receive your naturalisation certificate; then apply for your German passport and ID.

Frequently asked questions