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Expert-Curated Guide

Citizenship

German Citizenship

The 2024 StAG reform reduced the residency requirement to 5 years and fully legalised dual citizenship. Here is what the current law requires.

Germany's citizenship law was fundamentally reformed in 2024. The Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG) now allows dual or multiple citizenship and reduces the standard residency period from 8 to 5 years. The previously available fast-track route after 3 years was abolished on 30 October 2025 — a minimum of 5 years of lawful residence is now universally required. Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency, financial self-sufficiency, and a commitment to Germany's constitutional order.

Standard Naturalisation (§ 10 StAG)

Requirements: 5 years of lawful residence in Germany (reduced from 8 years), German language proficiency at least at B1 level, financial self-sufficiency (no ongoing Bürgergeld / social welfare receipt), a clean criminal record, and passing the Einbürgerungstest (33 multiple-choice questions on German history, law, and society, with a pass mark of 17/33).

§ 10 StAG

Dual and Multiple Citizenship

Since June 2024, Germany fully permits dual and multiple citizenship for naturalised citizens. You are no longer required to renounce your original nationality. Children born in Germany to a non-German parent who has held a legal residence permit for at least 5 years automatically acquire German citizenship (§ 4 StAG).

§ 4 StAG§ 10 StAG

Expert Answers

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to give up my current passport?
No, as of June 2024. The 2024 StAG reform removed the general requirement to renounce prior citizenship. Multiple nationalities are now fully permitted for naturalised German citizens.
What is the Einbürgerungstest?
A 33-question multiple-choice test on German history, political system, and society. You need at least 17 correct answers to pass. The test is administered by the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) and can be taken at authorised testing centres.
Can time on a student visa count toward the 5-year requirement?
Study periods count at half-value toward the 5-year residency requirement under § 10 StAG. Practically, this means a 4-year student residence counts as 2 years toward the naturalisation threshold.

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