Facilitating the acquisition of German citizenship: demands of the ministers of integration

Nowadays Germany has strict conditions for obtaining citizenship, especially for those who expect to receive a passport by naturalization - after continuously living in the country for a certain period of time. For such foreign citizens the following conditions are mandatory:

• great knowledge of the German language - checked by taking an exam;
• consent to the obligatory renunciation of the previous citizenship;
• passing a naturalization test (includes questions on history, economics, etc.);
• residence in the country for at least 8 years.

Compared to many other countries, these conditions are quite stringent. For example, in order to obtain a passport in Sweden or France, it is enough to live in these countries for only 5 years.

What are the conditions that are being offered by the ministers of integration?

The integration ministers proposed to the government of the country to facilitate the process of obtaining citizenship for those who have been living in the country for a long time. In particular, we are talking about accelerated naturalization - the need to live in the country for 4 years (not 8 years as before) to obtain a passport. As for the children of residents of other countries, they are encouraged to grant citizenship after six years of continuous residence in the country.

Whether such changes will be adopted depends on many factors. It should be noted that Germany has many students from the CIS and other countries who have chosen prestigious European universities to study. In addition, foreign job seekers come here regularly to work. Given all these trends, the German authorities are wary of those wishing to obtain citizenship. Accordingly, it is too early to say whether they will accept the new proposal.