Germany recorded its highest-ever number of new citizens in a single year, with 291,955 individuals acquiring German citizenship in 2024—a 46% increase from 2023. This surge was primarily driven by nationals from Syria, Turkey, Russia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, following sweeping legal reforms that made it significantly easier for long-term residents to become German nationals.
The figures, released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), mark the highest annual naturalisation count since records began in 2000. Syrians led the trend with 83,150 new citizens, representing nearly 28% of the total. Other notable groups included Turkish (22,525), Iraqi (13,545), Russian (12,980), and Afghan (10,085) nationals.
Russian nationals saw the steepest year-on-year rise, with naturalisations increasing more than sixfold from just 1,995 in 2023. Turkish naturalisations also more than doubled, rising by 11,790.
The dramatic increase follows the implementation of the Citizenship Law Modernisation Act on June 27, 2024, which introduced several key changes:
Reduced residency requirement: From eight years to five, or even three for those demonstrating exceptional integration (e.g., academic or professional achievement).
Legal acceptance of dual nationality: Previously rare, dual citizenship is now permitted in most cases, encouraging more eligible residents to apply.
Despite being one of Germany’s largest immigrant communities, only 2% of Turkish nationals were naturalised in 2024. In contrast, stateless individuals had the highest naturalisation rate at 22%, followed by Syrians (9%), Iraqis (6%), and Russians (5%).
In terms of legal pathways:
86% of new citizens qualified under Sections 10(1) and 10(2) of the German Nationality Act, covering standard cases and family members.
Only 7% qualified under Section 10(3) (exceptional integration), a drop from 22% in 2023, reflecting the broader accessibility created by the reforms.
The average length of stay before naturalisation was 11.8 years, though this varied significantly by nationality:
Syrians: 7.4 years
Russians: 14.5 years
Turkish nationals: 23.1 years
While the official data does not specify the number of Indian nationals naturalised in 2024, they remain a prominent immigrant group in Germany.
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