In 2025 there has been a historic boom in German citizenship applicants: More than 309,000 persons became German citizens last year, gaining a German passport during the twelve months. That’s an increase of 46 percent compared to previous years and 6 percent higher than the previous record set in 2016; the number for naturalizations is thus higher than ever in the history of German naturalization laws. Experts and authorities are pointing at two main aspects of the new German citizenship law that have led to the sharp increase.
The core elements of the new reform are two main aspects, that make becoming a German citizen much easier for long-term residents. First of all, the residency time to get a citizenship was nearly cut in half: from eight to only five years. Under special circumstances it is even possible to become a German citizen after fewer years. This opened up possibilities for thousands of people, who have lived and worked in Germany for many years but were not able to meet the previous residency requirements.
Secondly – and possibly the more influential aspect – the new law formally introduces dual citizenship. Prior to this change, one had to renounce their original citizenship if they wished to obtain a German passport. This was the biggest stumbling block for many individuals as the renunciation of one’s homeland always has a big personal, cultural, and practical significance. According to the new law, it is possible to obtain a German passport without renouncing the original nationality and retaining the dual citizenship. Many who had previously been prevented from becoming a German citizen because they were forced to renounce their homeland now seized the opportunity.
The statistics also showed that the majority group from the last wave of naturalization applicants were Syrians, making up as much as 28 percent of all citizens; Turkish nationals were also largely represented in the last wave. This could be due to the fact that both communities have had established presences in Germany for a long time, and the eased requirements for getting a citizenship motivated many to finally apply for the German passport.
But Germany is already getting ready for the next wave of applicants, as there is the strong perception that the next rush of new citizens will be Ukrainians, hundreds of thousands of whom came to Germany after the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainians, a lot of them with established residencies for more than 3 years, are close to meeting the new 5-year residency requirements.
The approaching deadline is significant: The protection status that Ukrainian citizens have currently under a collective system will expire in spring 2027. This protection status is by definition only temporary, and many Ukrainians may want a more permanent stay in the country, a solution that the German citizenship law can now offer. Migration advisors and legal professionals already foresee a large number of applications coming in for the next one or two years from this group.
Overall, there is a big change happening in Germany’s immigration policy and definition of belonging: more and more of Germany’s migrants are obtaining a German citizenship.
