A law that allowed foreigners to apply for citizenship after three years of residence in Germany has been abolished. The proposal to change the law was overwhelmingly supported in a vote in the country’s Federal Parliament (Bundestag). The law, which allows foreigners who adapt more quickly and meet certain requirements to apply for citizenship after three years of residence, came into force in June last year under the previous government.
The previous coalition government, consisting of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), had reduced the residence period for applying for citizenship from eight to five years. For those who performed better in terms of integration, this period was set at three years. It was also possible to retain your national citizenship in order to obtain German citizenship.
The rule that only allowed you to apply for citizenship after three years was put to the vote in parliament and abolished. As a result, other provisions in the law will remain as they are.
The number of people applying for citizenship reached a record high last year, with around 292,000. It is estimated that less than 1 percent of them apply after three years of residence in the country.
