Germany's Naturalizations Hit Record High of 332,500 in 2025 Amidst Dual Citizenship Reform

Germany has achieved a new milestone in naturalizations, with 332,500 foreigners acquiring German citizenship in 2025. This figure represents a 14% increase compared to 2024 and marks the fifth consecutive year of growth, surpassing the 300,000 threshold for the first time since statistics began in 2000. This surge is largely attributed to a landmark legislative reform implemented in mid-2024, which simplified the naturalization process by permitting dual citizenship and reducing the residency requirement from eight to five years.

Previously, dual nationality was restricted to specific groups, such as EU citizens or those whose home countries did not permit renunciation of citizenship. The reform's most striking effect is the high rate at which new citizens are choosing to retain their original nationality. According to research, over 85% of those naturalized since the law took effect have kept their previous citizenship. This has led to an estimated 3.6 million people in Germany now holding dual nationality, with nearly 70% being European Union nationals.

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For the fifth year in a row, the number of naturalizations in Germany has increased, reaching unprecedented levels since the beginning of the millennium.

While the number of new naturalization applications saw a slight decrease of 10% to around 189,000 in 2025, this is likely due to the initial wave of applications spurred by the reform having been largely processed. Syrians continue to be the largest group of naturalized individuals, with 65,600 obtaining German citizenship in 2025. However, their numbers dropped by 21% compared to the previous year, partly because many refugees who arrived in 2015-2016 had already been naturalized in 2024.

Significant increases were observed among Turkish and Russian citizens, with 34,100 and 19,700 naturalizations respectively. These groups saw a combined increase of 51%. Bosnian citizens also experienced a dramatic rise, with 8,800 naturalizations, a 126% jump from 2024. The data highlights a changing demographic landscape in Germany, shaped by both new arrivals and evolving citizenship laws.

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More than 85% of people who obtained German citizenship since the law came into effect chose to keep their original nationality.