Most New Germans Choose Dual Citizenship After Law Change

Germany has seen a significant uptake in dual citizenship since a reform to its nationality law took effect in June 2024. A large majority of individuals naturalizing as German are choosing to retain their previous citizenship, according to a survey by the Mediendienst Integration.

The survey indicates that the rate of dual nationality among new citizens in cities that collected data ranged from 85% to 98%. This widespread adoption of the "double passport" reflects a liberalization of German citizenship rules, which previously restricted dual nationality in most cases.

Individuals who did not opt for dual citizenship typically did so because they were stateless before naturalization or because their country of origin does not permit multiple citizenships. Countries like India, Ethiopia, and Eritrea are cited as examples where dual nationality is generally not allowed or only permitted under specific exceptions.

Prior to the reform, retaining one's original citizenship was largely limited to citizens of EU countries or specific exceptional circumstances where renunciation of the old citizenship was refused. The new law simplifies this, allowing most new German citizens to keep their previous nationality. Additionally, the residency requirement for naturalization has been reduced from eight years to five, with highly integrated individuals able to apply after just three years, although this accelerated path was reportedly abolished by the current government last year.