Germany’s ruling CDU is preparing a proposal that would end dual citizenship for new naturalised citizens and tighten language and financial requirements. The plan emerges after the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a historic 43.8 % of the vote in the Saxony‑Anhalt state election on 6 September, prompting the CDU to reconsider its citizenship policy.
Proposed changes
- Renunciation of previous nationality – Applicants would have to give up their former passport before receiving German citizenship.
- Higher language standard – Instead of the current B1 level for everyday use, candidates would need to pass an exam covering complex subjects, approaching C1 proficiency.
- Full financial self‑sufficiency – The existing rule that covering 51 % of one’s livelihood from personal income would be replaced by a requirement to fund all living costs from own earnings.
- Anti‑Semitism clause – Prospects would have to formally disavow “all forms of anti‑Semitism.”
The proposals would overturn the 2024 citizenship reform that introduced a five‑year residence requirement, allowed dual nationality for most applicants, and created a short‑lived three‑year fast‑track for highly integrated candidates.
Recent reforms and statistics
- June 27 2024 – The “Act on the Modernisation of Nationality Law” reduced the standard residence period from eight to five years and permitted dual citizenship for most naturalisers.
- October 2025 – The Bundestag abolished the three‑year fast‑track, but retained the five‑year rule and dual citizenship.
- 2025 naturalisations – A record 332,500 people were granted German citizenship, a 14 % increase over 2024. The majority retained their original nationality; the Destatis microcensus counted 4.03 million dual nationals in Germany, with the largest groups from Poland (458 k), Turkey (389 k), Russia (353 k), Syria (243 k) and the United States (103 k).
Political context
- The CDU‑CSU parliamentary group’s deputy chairman, Günter Krings, argues that previous governments made naturalisation “too fast and too easy.”
- The AfD’s breakthrough in Saxony‑Anhalt reduced the CDU’s vote share to 17.2 % from over 30 % in 2021, intensifying pressure on the governing parties.
- Any amendment would need the support of the SPD, whose coalition agreement explicitly preserves dual citizenship and the five‑year residence rule. SPD co‑leader Lars Klingbeil has so far rejected calls to end dual citizenship.
Implications for investment‑linked migration
- The 2024 reform also repealed the rule that Germans automatically lost their citizenship when acquiring a foreign one, opening the door for Germans to obtain citizenship by investment abroad without forfeiting their German passport.
- Germany does not offer a “golden visa,” but its Section 21 self‑employment residence route serves as a de‑facto investor pathway. Applicants who later naturalise via this route would face the stricter language and income criteria proposed by the CDU.
Legislative outlook
- The proposal remains an internal CDU discussion; no bill has been introduced.
- Passage would require amending the coalition agreement with the SPD, which has previously defended the dual‑citizenship reform.
- Upcoming state elections in Berlin (20 September) and Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania could keep citizenship policy in the political spotlight.
If enacted, the CDU’s plan would represent a significant shift back toward a more restrictive German nationality regime, reversing recent liberalisations and potentially affecting millions of dual nationals and future naturalisation applicants.
Source article: www.imidaily.com
