After amendment to the law: number of naturalizations increases to the highest level

The number of naturalizations in Germany rose to a maximum last year. 291,955 foreigners acquired German citizenship in 2024, as the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced, citing preliminary results. Never before since the introduction of statistics in 2000 there have been more naturalizations. The number rose by almost half in the year (46 percent).

As a statement, the Federal Office referred to legal changes that came into force in June 2024 with the law on the modernization of nationality law. Accordingly, the previous nationality can be kept. In addition, five years of stay in Germany are sufficient as a prerequisite.

Good school or professional achievements can shorten the deadline to up to three years. About seven percent of the naturalizations took place in 2024 after a shortened length of stay through special services, as the Federal Office announced.

Syria most common country of origin

The most common in 2024 Syrians were naturalized, as the Federal Office announced: more than every fourth naturalized person (28 percent) was owned by Syrian citizenship.

People with a Turkish (eight percent), Iraqi (five percent), Russian (four percent) and Afghan (three percent) citizens were followed by a large distance. Among the five most frequently represented citizenship, the number of naturalizations of Russians and Russians with plus 551 percent rose to 12,980 people.

An average of almost twelve years in Germany

The average length of stay in Germany at the time of naturalization was 11.8 years in 2024, which was a little longer than in the previous year at 10.9 years. In the case of Syrian nationals, the average value was 7.4 years, in Turkish 23.1 years, in Russian 14.5 years, in Iraqi 8.7 and for 8.9 years in Afghan.

The Federal Office also calculated the naturalization rate, which shows the proportion of people living in Germany with a certain nationality in 2024. Of the five most common nationals among all naturalizations, this was highest among Syrians at nine percent.

In people from Iraq, it was six percent, five percent in people from Russia and two percent in people from Turkey. The highest quota was 22 percent of people living in Germany.