Naturalization after three years of residence is no longer possible in Germany. An amendment to the German Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG) abolished the fast-track route (Turbo-Einbürgerung) effective October 30, 2025, and five years of lawful residence is once again the standard requirement. Applicants who filed under the three-year rule, and anyone planning an application now, need to know where they stand.
At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, our German citizenship lawyers advise applicants affected by the change, from those whose three-year applications were refused to those preparing new applications under the current rules.
What Changed on October 30, 2025
Since October 30, 2025, a foreign national generally needs five years of lawful, habitual residence in Germany to be entitled to naturalization under Section 10(1) StAG. The three-year route, introduced in 2024 for applicants who could show outstanding integration achievements and C1-level German (on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), no longer exists.
Other parts of the 2024 reform remain in place. Applicants can still keep their previous nationality when they become German citizens. The core requirements for naturalization by residency under Section 10(1) StAG also continue to apply, including clarified identity and nationality, financial self-sufficiency, B1-level German and passing the naturalization test (Einbürgerungstest).
If You Applied Under the Three-Year Rule
Applications filed under the three-year rule were decided under the five-year rule once the amendment took effect, because it contained no transitional provision for pending applications. Applicants who could not show five years of lawful residence when the authority decided faced refusal.
A refused three-year application does not close the door. Once the five-year residence requirement and the other requirements of Section 10(1) StAG are met, a new application is possible. Any three-year application still pending can only succeed if the five-year period is completed before the authority decides.
Can You Still Become a German Citizen in Less Than Five Years?
Yes, through marriage or a registered partnership with a German citizen. Under Section 9 StAG, spouses and registered partners of German citizens will generally be naturalized after three years of lawful, habitual residence in Germany, provided the marriage or registered partnership has existed for two years and they meet the other requirements of Section 10(1) StAG.
Section 9 StAG adds three further points:
- Shorter residence period: Where the marriage or partnership has lasted three years, the residence period can be shortened further for reasons of public interest.
- Children: Minor children of the applicant can be naturalized at the same time, even if they have not yet lived in Germany for three years.
- After death or divorce: The route remains open for one year after the German spouse’s death or after a divorce, or the dissolution of the partnership, becomes final, provided the applicant has custody of and lives with a minor child from that marriage or partnership who is already a German citizen.
How Schlun & Elseven Can Help
At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, our citizenship law team advises applicants whose plans were affected by the October 2025 change. We review refused three-year applications, assess when the five-year requirement will be met, prepare applications under Sections 9 and 10 StAG, and represent clients where an authority delays or refuses a decision, including through a failure-to-act lawsuit (Untätigkeitsklage).
If you applied under the three-year rule or are unsure which route applies to you, contact our team to have your situation assessed.
Frequently Asked Questions about German Citizenship After Three Years
Only as the spouse or registered partner of a German citizen. The general three-year route for applicants with outstanding integration achievements was abolished effective October 30, 2025. Under Section 9 StAG, spouses and registered partners of Germans can generally be naturalized after three years of residence if the marriage or partnership has existed for two years.
Yes. Once you meet the five-year residence requirement and the other requirements of Section 10(1) StAG, you can submit a new application. Three-year applications were decided under the five-year rule because the amendment contained no transitional provision for pending applications.
Five years of lawful, habitual residence under Section 10(1) StAG, or three years for spouses and registered partners of German citizens under Section 9 StAG.
Yes. The October 2025 amendment did not change the 2024 rules that allow applicants to keep their previous nationality.
The standard requirement is B1 German. The C1 level applied only to the abolished three-year route.
No. EU Blue Card holders follow the same five-year rule as other applicants. The Blue Card counts as a qualifying residence title for naturalization under Section 10(1) StAG, but it does not shorten the residence period.
The Blue Card does offer a faster route to permanent residence. Under Section 18c(2) of the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG), Blue Card holders can obtain a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) after 27 months of Blue Card employment with pension contributions and basic German skills, or after 21 months with sufficient German skills, provided the other statutory requirements are met.
Practice Group: German Citizenship Law
Practice Group:
German Citizenship Law
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