https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Applicants for German citizenship need to have been living in the country for a certain amount of time in order to qualify. At what point does your time spent in Germany start to count towards your application? https://www.thelocal.de/20260505/when-does-your-residency-in-germany-start-counting-toward-citizenship Tue, 05 May 2026 16:18:25 +0200 when-does-your-residency-in-germany-start-counting-toward-citizenship Marrying a German national can entitle you to German citizenship in some cases - but you don't get it automatically. Here's what to know if you live abroad and want to become German through your spouse. https://www.thelocal.de/20250108/can-you-apply-for-german-citizenship-through-marriage-while-living-abroad Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:03:43 +0100 can-you-apply-for-german-citizenship-through-marriage-while-living-abroad Applicants for German citizenship need to jump through a number of hoops before they can be naturalised - and not everyone manages to clear these hurdles. Here are some of the most common reasons a German citizenship application may be turned down. https://www.thelocal.de/20241217/the-reasons-your-german-citizenship-application-might-be-rejected Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:51:09 +0100 the-reasons-your-german-citizenship-application-might-be-rejected People with German ancestry may qualify to reclaim their citizenship rights in certain cases. But like the process for naturalising via residency, first they have to submit a comprehensive application – and then potentially wait for years. https://www.thelocal.de/20260415/difficult-and-opaque-applying-for-german-citizenship-via-ancestry-often-takes-years Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:26:35 +0200 difficult-and-opaque-applying-for-german-citizenship-via-ancestry-often-takes-years The far-right Alternative for Germany recently tried, and failed, to significantly tighten the Naturalisation Act. With the issue once again in the spotlight, we look at how parties voted and why citizenship rules are so fiercely debated. https://www.thelocal.de/20260409/are-germanys-current-citizenship-laws-at-risk-after-far-rights-latest-bid Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:17:49 +0200 are-germanys-current-citizenship-laws-at-risk-after-far-rights-latest-bid Germany's immigration authorities are notoriously slow to process naturalisation applications. Here's where average wait times are fastest and where they are slowest. https://www.thelocal.de/20260330/where-in-germany-wait-times-for-citizenship-are-the-longest Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:13:35 +0200 where-in-germany-wait-times-for-citizenship-are-the-longest If you've been left waiting months, or even years, to hear a decision on your application to naturalise as German you may be wondering what you can do to speed things up. We asked experts to lay out some options. https://www.thelocal.de/20260402/what-can-you-do-to-get-a-faster-response-on-your-german-citizenship-application Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:30:35 +0200 what-can-you-do-to-get-a-faster-response-on-your-german-citizenship-application If you're taking the German citizenship test, you'll be hit with a random selection of questions on anything from former German chancellors to returning a faulty TV. Here are some of the questions I faced - and some tips for preparing for the unexpected. https://www.thelocal.de/20230526/what-i-was-asked-about-in-my-german-citizenship-test Fri, 26 May 2023 14:34:22 +0200 what-i-was-asked-about-in-my-german-citizenship-test The western German city of Cologne saw a sharp rise in naturalisations last year. We asked the city – which has previously struggled with a backlog of citizenship applications – what is behind the increase. https://www.thelocal.de/20260310/whats-behind-the-significant-rise-of-naturalisations-in-cologne Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:19:31 +0100 whats-behind-the-significant-rise-of-naturalisations-in-cologne Conservative lawmakers in Germany have had their sights set on tightening the country's citizenship law since it was reformed in 2024. Here's how the party wants to make it harder for foreign residents to get a German passport this year. https://www.thelocal.de/20260227/how-the-cdu-aims-to-tighten-germanys-citizenship-rules-in-2026 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:13:54 +0100 how-the-cdu-aims-to-tighten-germanys-citizenship-rules-in-2026 Indian law does not allow for dual citizenship, so Indians are forced to renounce their citizenship if they choose to naturalise abroad. Dr Mihir Nayak told The Local about his experience of becoming German, and how he still feels close to his home. https://www.thelocal.de/20260306/theres-a-sadness-why-i-had-to-give-up-being-indian-to-become-german Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:48:39 +0100 theres-a-sadness-why-i-had-to-give-up-being-indian-to-become-german New figures reveal Germany's largest cities are seeing record number of naturalisations. But conservative lawmakers continue to push for higher hurdles to citizenship. https://www.thelocal.de/20260225/german-cities-see-soaring-number-of-naturalisations-as-cdu-pushes-for-tighter-rules Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:58:29 +0100 german-cities-see-soaring-number-of-naturalisations-as-cdu-pushes-for-tighter-rules Berlin reported a new record of naturalisations in 2025, with more than 39,000 people gaining German citizenship in the capital. However, nearly five percent of applications were rejected. https://www.thelocal.de/20260224/how-many-of-berlins-nearly-40000-naturalisations-last-year-were-rejected Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:15:33 +0100 how-many-of-berlins-nearly-40000-naturalisations-last-year-were-rejected Most citizenship applicants in Germany will need to secure some translations of official documents. Here's the papers you might need and how to go about getting them. https://www.thelocal.de/20240812/how-to-get-certified-translations-for-your-german-citizenship-application Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:28:34 +0200 how-to-get-certified-translations-for-your-german-citizenship-application German citizenship can only be revoked in very specific situations, but the number of revocations jumped significantly last year compared to recent years. https://www.thelocal.de/20260126/how-many-newly-naturalised-germans-have-their-citizenship-revoked-each-year Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:33:02 +0100 how-many-newly-naturalised-germans-have-their-citizenship-revoked-each-year Police in Nuremberg have uncovered a scheme in which paid stand‑ins used forged identity documents to sit German language and naturalisation exams for migrants. We look at what it could mean for foreign residents applying for German citizenship. https://www.thelocal.de/20260210/german-police-investigate-large-scale-fraud-in-language-and-citizenship-tests Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:32:39 +0100 german-police-investigate-large-scale-fraud-in-language-and-citizenship-tests Residents who've lived in Germany for more than five years may be considering applying for citizenship. What documents do you need to apply? https://www.thelocal.de/20240122/checklist-what-do-i-need-to-apply-for-german-citizenship-under-the-new-law Mon, 22 Jan 2024 17:33:58 +0100 checklist-what-do-i-need-to-apply-for-german-citizenship-under-the-new-law Germany maintains a 'special responsibility' to the state of Israel and expects its citizens to embody that. Here's a look at how certain statements, and even social media activity, can endanger a dual-nationals' citizenship status. https://www.thelocal.de/20260203/when-can-german-citizenship-be-revoked-for-statements-against-israel Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:56:19 +0100 when-can-german-citizenship-be-revoked-for-statements-against-israel The German passport has recorded its lowest ranking in 16 years, and slipped from first place to fourth place between 2024 and 2026. https://www.thelocal.de/20260123/german-passport-falls-to-fourth-in-global-rankings Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:36:56 +0100 german-passport-falls-to-fourth-in-global-rankings Like it or not, proving your own financial stability is required to naturalise as German. But are the rules around meeting the requirement clear? Here's what our readers told us based on their own experiences. https://www.thelocal.de/20251023/make-it-black-and-white-how-clear-are-the-financial-requirements-for-german-citizenship Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:55:14 +0200 make-it-black-and-white-how-clear-are-the-financial-requirements-for-german-citizenship