Bundestag votes in favour of abolishing Naturalization
With the votes of the governing parties CDU/CSU and SPD as well as the AfD, the Bundestag adopted the bill to amend the Citizenship Act. The Greens and the Left Party voted against.
With this decision, the new federal government is implementing one of its central migration policy goals: the abolition of Naturalization - just one year after the reform of the citizenship law comes into force in June 2024.
The 2024 reform madeNaturalization much easier for the first time: Instead of after eight years, migrants have since been able to obtain a German passport after five years. Dual citizenship was also permitted.
As an additional signal for particularly well-integrated immigrants, the government at the time introduced Naturalization naturalization. Anyone who was able to demonstrate exceptional integration achievements within three years - for example through outstanding language skills at C1 level, above-average professional success or many years of voluntary work - could apply for Naturalization after this short period.
Today's decision by the Bundestag had been expected. The CDU/CSU, SPD and AfD had already voted for the abolition in the Committee on Internal Affairs, while the Greens and the Left Party voted against it.
Abolition of Naturalization naturalization - these are the reasons
After the change of government in February 2025, Naturalization after three years quickly came under fire and criticism. The new federal government argues that three years is too short to ensure "sustainable integration into German society". According to the government, only a longer stay would allow migrants to identify with Germany and internalize the free and democratic basic order.
Another argument is the so-called "distance requirement": according to the coalition, there must be a clear difference between a permanent right of residenceSettlement permit) and nationality.
While a Settlement permit is usually only issued after five years and subject to strict conditions (e.g. 60 months of pension contributions), turbo Naturalization meant that a German passport could be acquired after just three years. In the view of the German government, this was a "system break", which is to be corrected with the abolition of turbo Naturalization .
With the deletion of Section 10 (3) of the Citizenship Act (StAG), the following applies once again: at least five years of residence are required for Naturalization . All other regulations that have applied since the 2024 reform also remain in place. This includes the possibility of dual citizenship.
When will the new law come into force?
The new law will come into force the day after publication in the Federal Law Gazette. It is not yet clear exactly when this will happen.
In practice, this can take between several days and several weeks. A look at previous migration policy procedures shows that this time span can vary greatly: For example, the law suspending family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection was passed on June 27, 2025, but only came into force on July 24, 2025 - just under a month later. In contrast, other laws were published just a few days after the parliamentary decision.
What happens to current applications?
This is likely to cause uncertainty, especially for applicants whose application has not yet been decided by the time the law comes into force. This is because the law does not provide for a transitional arrangement for proceedings that are still ongoing.
This means that as soon as the law is valid and in force, all current applications will be assessed uniformly according to the regular five-year deadline. Anyone who has not yet met this deadline must expect their application to be rejected under the new legislation - even if it was submitted under the previous law.
Conclusion
Naturalization naturalization was one of the most visible projects of the former traffic light government - intended as a reward for particularly rapid integration and as a signal to skilled workers from abroad.
But after just 15 months, it is history. In future, the following will apply again: anyone who wants a German passport will need patience - and at least five years of legal residence.
