US law sparks debate in Germany
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group is once again considering limiting or completely abolishing dual citizenship. This has been triggered by a recent proposal from the USA, where Republican Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio has introduced the "Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025." The aim is to end dual citizenship in the USA in the future.
According to the proposed law, people with two passports would have to choose one nationality and voluntarily renounce the other. Those who fail to do so in time would automatically lose their US citizenship.
Moreno, who is originally from Colombia and is now a US citizen, justifies the law by raising the question of loyalty in times of crisis. In his view, one can "only truly serve one country."
German passport: What does the Union demand?
Some EU politicians see the American initiative as a possible model for Germany. CSU interior expert Stephan Mayertold Bild newspaper earlier this week that the US plan was "a step in the right direction." In his view, serious crises or military conflicts can lead to loyalty issues when a person has dual citizenship.
Mayer therefore considers it "desirable" that no one should be a German citizen and a citizen of another country at the same time. Especially in times of crisis, it must be clear to which country a person feels committed. "I can therefore only repeat: we need a fundamental reform of citizenship law, "said Mayer.
Cornell Babendererde (CDU), the representative responsible for citizenship law, also supports the idea. Citizenship is more than just an ID card—it stands for belonging, responsibility, and loyalty to a country. In times of increasing international conflict, this issue is becoming increasingly important.
SPD disagrees: No changes to dual citizenship
However, the SPD, which forms the federal government together with the CDU/CSU, clearly rejects this demand. Interior expert Sebastian Fiedler refers to the coalition agreement in a statement to the AFP news agency. In it, both parties have set out the projects they want to implement during this legislative period—including the abolition ofNaturalization and the suspension of family reunification.
According to the coalition agreement, however, there will be no change to the rules on dual citizenship. This position of the SPD was confirmed once again in the vote in the Bundestag at the beginning of October, whenNaturalization wasNaturalization .
Background: Dual citizenship possible in Germany since 2024
Since the reform of nationality law in 2024, dual citizenship has been permitted in Germany. Those who wish to become naturalized citizens no longer have to surrender their old passports.
This has led to a significant increase in naturalizations: in 2024, around 292,000 people were naturalized —more than ever before. Almost 80 percent of them were allowed to retain their previous nationality.
However, even before the 2024 reform, dual citizenship was already possible in many cases. For example:
- if the country of origin did not allow dismissal or only allowed it under very difficult or unreasonable conditions,
- in the case of children, if one parent was a German citizen and the other had foreign citizenship,
- as well as for children born in Germany to foreign parents, provided they met certain requirements.
The 2024 reform did not abolish these existing rules, but expanded and standardized the possibilities for dual citizenship.
Classification: Can the US plans be implemented in Germany?
Even though EU politicians refer to the US model, such a law would be virtually impossible to implement in Germany. The reason for this lies in the Basic Law, which provides special protection for German citizenship. Automatic loss of passport —as provided for in the US draft—would be unconstitutional here.
German citizenship may only be revoked in a few, strictly limited exceptional cases, for example
- in the case of fraudulent Naturalization
- in participating in terrorist combat operations,
- upon voluntary enlistment in a foreign army (without the permission of the German Ministry of Defense)
In addition, a person may voluntarily renounce their German passport. However, this is only possible if it does not result in them becoming stateless.
Important: Last week, the Bundestag passed a new law stating that anyone who has Naturalization or provided false information during the Naturalization can be excluded from obtaining a German passport for ten years.
This makes it clear that even if the political debate continues, measures based on the US model are hardly feasible in Germany.
Conclusion: Dual citizenship remains in place
Important: There are currently no political plans to abolish dual citizenship in Germany again. The debate among some CDU/CSU politicians has no impact on the current legal situation.
What's more, the Union would be working directly against its coalition partner, the SPD, with such a legislative initiative. In the past, the SPD has repeatedly spoken out clearly in favor of retaining dual citizenship.
Adopting the US law would also not be possible in Germany. German citizenship is specially protected by the Basic Law and can only be revoked in very limited exceptional cases. Automatic loss of citizenship, as provided for in the US draft, would be unconstitutional.
