- A sharp increase in applications for naturalisation in Hesse
The new German citizenship law has significantly increased the number of naturalization applications in Hesse. From July 1 to July 30 of this year, 3,500 people have applied for naturalization, compared to 2,900 in the previous month, according to the Ministry of the Interior in Wiesbaden. No figures were available for the average processing time.
The new citizenship law, formulated by the traffic light coalition, has been in effect since June 27, 2024, and provides for a claim to naturalization after five years instead of the previous eight – provided all conditions are met. Foreigners can become German citizens in as little as three years if they make exceptional contributions to integration.
Multiple citizenship
The requirements for faster naturalization include good performance in school or work, excellent language skills, or volunteer work. Multiple citizenship is generally allowed. The Hessian Ministry of the Interior reported that there are no figures on how many naturalization applicants wish to retain their current citizenship.
"Corresponding inquiries have been received," the ministry said. Germans who wish to acquire another (additional) citizenship must contact the relevant authorities of that country.
"Rapid, unusual increase"
The government presidency in Darmstadt has recorded a naturalization record in the first six months of this year. 7,360 people received a German passport, a 32% increase compared to the previous year, the authority reported.
One reason for the "current rapid, unusual increase" is that many older cases – especially from non-EU countries such as Turkey and Russia – are being completed. These cases had already been finally reviewed, but the persons concerned could not be naturalized because they had not yet been released from their previous citizenship. This previously necessary release has been abolished due to a legal change.
The traffic light coalition, comprising the governing parties, was responsible for formulating the new citizenship law that allows for faster naturalization. The lighting coalition's revised law has led to a significant surge in naturalization applications, with 3,500 applications received in just one month.
