citizenship
The way to get a German passport should be easier
In the future it should be easier to get a passport in Germany
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
On Thursday, the Bundestag will discuss for the first time a draft law that is intended to simplify naturalization. However, the government wants to make naturalization more difficult for people who cannot support themselves.
The traffic light coalition wants to reform nationality law. On Thursday, the Bundestag will discuss for the first time a draft law that is intended to simplify naturalization and fundamentally enable dual citizenship. The naturalization of people who cannot support themselves or who do not subscribe to the free democratic basic order Germany, however, wants to make things more difficult.
Naturalization deadline
People from abroad who have been living legally in Germany for a long time will now be able to apply for a German passport after just five years. So far, the deadline has usually been eight years. With “special integration services”, naturalization should in future even be possible after three years. This could be good language skills, volunteer work or very good performance at school or work.
Germany: Double passport should be possible
Until now, with a few exceptions, the principle applied: Anyone who accepts German citizenship must give up their old citizenship. In the future, multi-nationality should in principle be possible. The draft points out that many immigrants have so far shied away from giving up their old citizenship – also because of emotional ties to their country of origin or that of their parents.
Children
All children born in Germany to foreign parents should in future receive German citizenship without any further reservation if at least one parent has lived legally in Germany for more than five years. Previously the deadline was eight years. In principle, children born in Germany can obtain and permanently retain their German citizenship and the citizenship of their parents.
linguistic proficiency
Special relief should apply to members of the so-called guest worker generation, who have often been living in Germany for decades. In the future, these older migrants should no longer have to take a written German test in order to be naturalized. They should also no longer have to complete a written naturalization test. The draft states that these simplifications are intended to honor the “lifetime achievements” of this older generation.
Commitment to the Basic Law
The commitment to the free democratic basic order that has already been required is made more precise. The draft makes it clear that “anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic or other inhumanely motivated acts” are incompatible with the Basic Law’s guarantee of human dignity. At the suggestion of the Federal Council, this list should be expanded to include “gender-specific or sexual orientation-related” actions.
Livelihood
In principle, only those who can support themselves and dependent family members from their own resources should receive German citizenship. However, there are a number of exceptions, for example for former “guest workers” who came to Germany before 1974 or former GDR contract workers, as well as for everyone who has worked full-time for at least 20 months in the past two years and their Spouses or registered life partners in a family community with at least one child.
Naturalization ceremony
The naturalization certificate should generally be handed out at a public celebration.
facts and figures
The Federal Ministry of the Interior puts the number of people living in Germany with foreign citizenship at around twelve million. Of these, around 5.3 million have been in Germany for at least ten years.
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According to the template, the double passport has long since become the norm in practice in Germany: of the people who were naturalized in 2021, 69 percent would have at least one other citizenship.