Getting German citizenship is about to get a lot easier. The German government is considering relaxing dual citizenship laws. Millions of individuals living in Germany without citizenship are expected to benefit from the move.
Here are the changes which the German government is considering at the moment.
Individuals who have lived for more than 5 years in Germany will be able to apply for citizenship. Fulfilling certain requirements can cut this limit to 3 years. Currently, only those individuals are allowed to apply for citizenship who have lived for more than 8 years in Germany.
After getting German citizenship, individuals will be allowed to keep dual nationality. Currently, dual citizenship is allowed in certain cases. For instance, individuals belonging to European Union (EU) member countries are allowed to keep dual citizenship currently.
Individuals aged 66 or above will not be required to clear German language or citizenship tests.
Currently, there are 11 million individuals living in Germany who don’t have citizenship. Simply put, 1 in 8 individuals doesn’t have German citizenship.
The German government is aiming to bring individuals who are living and working in Germany into the mainstream. Ultimately, after acquiring German citizenship, these individuals will be able to vote.