How to get German citizenship in 5 or even 3 years

The German government plans to reform the citizenship law to make the process of obtaining citizenship easier and faster. The reform is included in the coalition agreement of the governing parties. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the purpose of the simplified naturalization is to promote the integration of immigrants, to ensure their greater political participation and to increase respect for them. This is also due to the economy's need for qualified specialists in various sectors.

According to the plans, it will be possible to obtain citizenship after five years of residence in Germany, and with special integration achievements, the period will be reduced to three years. In addition, it will become easier to hold dual citizenship in Germany and another country. It is also planned to replace the written German language test for migrants over the age of 67 with an oral test and to abolish the history and law test for this age group, which is intended to "assess the life's work of the so-called guest worker generation".

In order to obtain citizenship after 3 years, it is necessary to demonstrate special integration achievements, such as outstanding professional or educational achievements, or voluntary activities. It is also necessary to prove knowledge of the German language at level C1. These changes are planned as part of the citizenship reform proposed by the German government.

The bill will be discussed at a meeting of the federal government in the near future. It will then be submitted to the Bundestag for three readings and a vote. It will be several months before these new rules come into effect.