What is Naturalization naturalization?
Naturalization naturalization is a special regulation in citizenship law. It enables particularly well-integrated people to obtain a German passport much faster than via the regular deadlines.
Until June 2024, Naturalization was possible after eight years of residence in Germany. Since the reform of citizenship law, it is now possible after five years. In addition, certain applicants can obtain a German passportafter three years withNaturalization naturalization.
What are the requirements for Naturalization naturalization?
As with Naturalization after five years, applicants for Naturalization naturalization must meet certain requirements in order to obtain a German passport after three years. These are much stricter than those for regular Naturalization.
- Language skills, at least at C1 level
- special integration achievements, e.g. above-average performance at work or university or voluntary work
- at least three years residence in Germany
In addition, all requirements apply as for regular Naturalization:
- Secure livelihood without social benefits
- No serious criminal offenses
- Commitment to the free and democratic basic order
- legal, for the Naturalization released Residence permit
- a passed integration test ("Living in Germany" test)
- Valid proof of identity and citizenship
How long has Naturalization naturalization been around?
Naturalization naturalization is part of the reform of citizenship law. The corresponding bill was first discussed in the Bundestag on November 30, 2023. It was introduced by the then federal government (SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens and FDP) under the leadership of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD).
The regulation was a key project of the coalition government. In the coalition agreement, the government announced that it would create a "modern citizenship law", enable multiple citizenship and simplify the path to German citizenship.
After several intensive debates, the Bundestag passed the reform on 19 January 2024, noticeably relaxing the rules for Naturalization .
Why was the nationality law reformed?
The federal government at the time used various arguments to justify the reform.
Visibly rewarding integration
People who make a particularly good contribution to Germany should be recognized for their achievements, according to the German government at the time. Turbo Naturalization was intended to demonstrate this: Those who actively integrate become part of society more quickly.
Germany as an attractive destination for migrants
Faster Naturalization should make Germany more attractive for qualified skilled workers. The reform aimed to make Germany a more attractive location for committed migrants and skilled workers.
Dual citizenship
Naturalization naturalization went hand in hand with the relaxation of multiple citizenship: those who naturalized no longer had to automatically give up their original citizenship. The aim was to reduce the hurdles to Naturalization .
When did Naturalization come into force?
Naturalization naturalization came into force with the Act on the Modernization of Citizenship Law on 27 June 2024. All new regulations came into effect on this date, including the possibility of Naturalization after three years in the case of special integration achievements and dual citizenship.
How many naturalizations under the three-year rule have there been since then?
In 2024, the number of naturalizations in Germany reached a record high: 291,955 people received a German passport - an increase of 46% compared to the previous year and the highest figure since the survey began in 2000. Nevertheless, the option of Naturalization was still used comparatively rarely.
In Berlin, for example, 573 people were granted citizenship under the three-year rule in the past 15 months. This makes the capital the clear frontrunner.
In the other federal states, the figures (as far as is known) were significantly lower:
- Bavaria: 78 people by the end of April 2025
- Baden-Württemberg: 16 cases in 2024, no figures yet available for 2025
- Rhineland-Palatinate: 20 cases
- Hesse and Lower Saxony: 4 cases each
- Hamburg: 5 cases
- Brandenburg: 1 case
- Bremen: no cases
- Thuringia: less than 3 cases
- Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt: only isolated cases, no concrete figures known
Why should Naturalization naturalization be abolished again?
With the change of government after the federal elections in February 2025, the political direction on migration and Naturalization also changed. The CDU/CSU - the strongest party after the election - is one of the fiercest critics of the reform of citizenship law, especially Naturalization naturalization. The CDU/CSU criticized the fact that citizenship was being granted too quickly as a result and called for a return to stricter naturalization criteria.
In the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD, the new governing parties finally agreed to abolish Naturalization naturalization. Naturalization after five years and dual citizenship remain in place.
The bill to abolish Naturalization was first introduced to the Bundestag on 27 June 2025 - exactly one year after the regulation came into force. In it, the German government justifies the change by stating that three years is not enough to guarantee sustainable integration into German society.
When will the new law come into force?
This is still uncertain. Following the first consultation in the Bundestag, the draft is currently in the Committee on Internal Affairs. A further consultation in the Bundestag is expected in the coming weeks. However, an exact date is not yet known.
A decision could be made during the next consultation. A simple majority is required to pass the law. This is the case if there are more yes votes than no votes among the MPs present. Abstentions and invalid votes are not counted.
It is very likely that the law will receive a majority. Both the CDU/CSU and SPD as well as the AfD are likely to vote in favor of the law. The Greens and the Left Party are against it.
According to the draft law, the law comes into force on the day after promulgation. In other words, the day after it is published in the Federal Law Gazette.
What happens to current applications if the law changes?
The planned abolition of Naturalization is causing uncertainty for many naturalization applicants. The question is particularly explosive: will ongoing procedures still be decided according to the old regulation - or according to the new law?
In principle, the following applies: as long as the new law is not legally binding, the current regulation applies. Applications for Naturalization can still be submitted; applications that have already been submitted will (currently still) be reviewed according to the three-year rule.
What happens after the new law comes into force depends on a possible transitional arrangement. This could, for example, stipulate that applications submitted before the law comes into force will continue to be processed according to the three-year rule.
If there is no transitional regulation, however, all applications that have not yet been decided would be rejected if the applicant has lived in Germany for less than five years.
The current version of the law does not provide for a transitional arrangement. However, representatives of the Greens and SPD called for the introduction of such a regulation during the initial debate. The coming weeks will show whether and in what form it will be introduced.
What can those affected do if Naturalization is rejected due to the new law?
Legally, the protection of legitimate expectations plays a role here. Applicants can generally trust that existing legal situations on which they have relied will not be subsequently tightened.
For current applications, this means that anyone who submitted their application after the three-year rule can argue that the previous legal situation should continue to apply to them. The following factors are decisive here:
- Date of application
- Knowledge about planned legislative changes
- Whether the law provides for a transitional arrangement
- Behavior of the authority, for example, whether the application has been processed quickly so far
If an application is rejected after the new law comes into force, those affected can generally take legal action against it. The administrative courts then examine whether or not the new regulation may be applied to the ongoing proceedings.
Those affected can therefore lodge an objection or file a complaint, pointing to the time of application and their justified reliance on the old regulations. However, the chances of success depend very much on the individual circumstances (i.e. time of application, knowledge of changes to the law, etc.) and are always decided on a case-by-case basis.
In short: even with the abolition of Naturalization , there is still a chance that the old regulation will continue to be applied(in individual cases!) for ongoing proceedings - the right to judicial review remains. In most cases, however, the chances of success are likely to be very slim.
