German nationality law
Dual Citizenship in Germany: The Rules in 2026
For decades, holding two passports was the exception in Germany. Since June 2024 it is the rule. Here is which provisions were struck from the statute, and what actually changes for you.
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The short answer
Yes, you can hold two nationalities in Germany. Since 27 June 2024 multiple nationality is no longer a special case but the ordinary legal position. People who naturalise here keep their old passport, and Germans who acquire another nationality abroad no longer lose their German one.
This did not happen through a change in administrative practice. It happened because two provisions were deleted. Look them up in the German Nationality Act today and you find a single word in brackets where the rule used to be: weggefallen, repealed.
Two deleted provisions, one new legal position
Until June 2024, German nationality law ran two barriers against dual citizenship, working from opposite directions. One hit Germans applying for a second passport abroad. The other hit foreign nationals applying to become German. Both are gone.
The first was section 25 StAG. It triggered automatic loss of German nationality as soon as someone acquired a foreign one on their own application. Germans who naturalised in Canada, the United States or Turkey lost their German passport, frequently without realising it in time. The provision now reads simply: repealed.
The second sat in section 10 paragraph 1. Number 4 required applicants to surrender or lose their existing nationality. That number is now marked as repealed too, which leaves a gap in the list of requirements. The gap is the second passport.
The Federal Foreign Office sums up the effect for Germans abroad in one sentence: "Seit 27.06.2024 gilt, dass der antragsgemäße Erwerb einer ausländischen Staatsangehörigkeit nicht mehr zum Verlust der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit führt."
The retention permit no longer exists
Before the reform there was one way around section 25: the Beibehaltungsgenehmigung, a permit to retain German nationality. You had to apply in advance, justify the application, and wait. Miss the deadline and you ended up without German citizenship.
With section 25 gone, the procedure lost its subject matter and was abolished. Certificates issued earlier have had no legal effect since 27 June 2024. That sounds alarming at first, but the reason is reassuring: the certificate is ineffective only because the loss it protected against can no longer occur.
In practice, if you live abroad and want to naturalise there, you no longer need to file anything in Germany beforehand.
What else naturalisation requires
Keeping your old passport is a relief, not a shortcut. The remaining requirements in section 10 paragraph 1 StAG are unchanged: five years of lawful habitual residence, sufficient German language skills, which paragraph 4 specifies as level B1, a secured livelihood, and a commitment to the free democratic basic order. Number 1a additionally requires a commitment to Germany's particular historical responsibility, expressly including the protection of Jewish life.
There used to be a shortcut: naturalisation after three years for special integration achievements. The Bundestag removed it on 8 October 2025, and since 30 October 2025 the five-year period applies without exception. Section 10 paragraph 3 now carries the same bracketed note as the others.
| Case | Fee | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalisation | 255 euros | Section 38 (2) StAG |
| Minor child naturalised with a parent, no own income | 51 euros | Section 38 (2) StAG |
| Reduction or waiver | possible case by case | Section 38 (4) StAG |
How common the second passport is
In 2025, according to the Federal Statistical Office, 332,500 people acquired German citizenship, 14 percent more than the year before. The largest single group by previous nationality was Turkish, at 34,100 people, up 51 percent on 2024.
The obvious follow-up question is harder to answer than it should be, and it is worth saying so openly. How many of those people kept their old passport is no longer recorded: the official naturalisation statistics dropped that variable in 2025. The last nationwide figure dates from 2023 and stood at roughly 80.9 percent.
To fill the gap, Mediendienst Integration surveyed the 50 largest German cities and found shares between 85 and 98 percent for 2025. Those are individual municipal returns rather than an official national total, but the direction is not in doubt.
If you are new to Germany
Citizenship is rarely the first thing to sort out after a move. Health cover and a bank account come first. These comparisons on checkeverything.de go further:
- Student health insurance – compulsory from enrolment, with a comparison of the funds.
- Private health insurance – the alternative route once you pass the income threshold.
- Car insurance comparison – no vehicle is registered here without proof of cover.
Frequently asked questions
Are Germans allowed dual citizenship?
Yes. Since 27 June 2024, multiple nationality is the normal case rather than the exception. Section 25 of the German Nationality Act (StAG), which used to strip Germans of their citizenship the moment they acquired a foreign one on application, now appears in the statute as "(weggefallen)", meaning repealed.
Can I keep my German passport if I naturalise abroad?
Yes. The German Federal Foreign Office states it plainly: "Seit 27.06.2024 gilt, dass der antragsgemäße Erwerb einer ausländischen Staatsangehörigkeit nicht mehr zum Verlust der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit führt." In English: since 27 June 2024, acquiring a foreign nationality on application no longer causes loss of German nationality.
Do I still need a retention permit (Beibehaltungsgenehmigung)?
No. The procedure was abolished because it no longer has a purpose. Where no loss can occur, there is nothing to retain. Retention certificates issued before the reform have had no legal effect since 27 June 2024. You no longer need to apply for anything in Germany before naturalising in another country.
Do I have to give up my old passport to become German?
Not from the German side. Section 10 paragraph 1 number 4 StAG, which required applicants to surrender or lose their previous nationality, is listed as repealed. Whether your country of origin takes the same view is a separate question governed by its own law: some states release their nationals automatically, others do not.
Will Germany cancel dual citizenship again?
The most recent change did not touch it. On 8 October 2025 the Bundestag abolished the accelerated three-year route to naturalisation, and since 30 October 2025 the five-year residence requirement applies without exception. That amendment removed paragraph 3 of section 10; sections 25 and 29 remain repealed, so multiple nationality is unaffected.
What is the five-year rule for German citizenship?
Section 10 paragraph 1 StAG requires that you have had lawful habitual residence in Germany for five years. The German text reads "seit fünf Jahren rechtmäßig seinen gewöhnlichen Aufenthalt im Inland". There is no shorter route any more: the three-year option for special integration achievements was removed with effect from 30 October 2025.
Does a child born in Germany have to choose one nationality at 18?
No. That obligation, known as the Optionspflicht, was set out in section 29 StAG. The provision now appears in the statute as repealed, so children born in Germany holding two nationalities are not required to pick one on reaching adulthood.
How much does naturalisation cost?
Section 38 StAG sets the fee at 255 euros. For a minor child naturalised together with a parent and without own income, the fee is reduced to 51 euros. Paragraph 4 additionally allows authorities to reduce or waive the fee on grounds of equity or public interest.
In summary
Whether Germany permits dual citizenship has had a clear answer since June 2024. Two provisions that said the opposite for decades were struck from the statute, taking the retention procedure and the obligation to choose with them.
What remains is the rest of the naturalisation requirements, and those have recently become stricter rather than looser. The five-year period has applied without exception since 30 October 2025. If you are planning an application, gather your documents early and check the specifics with your local naturalisation authority, which is the only body that decides your individual case.
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