How the CDU aims to tighten Germany's citizenship rules in 2026

"The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, led by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has decided that it will further pursue tightening Germany's citizenship law this year, with the aim of reinstating an eight year residency requirement. The decision was made at a party conference held on February 20th and 21st in Stuttgart."

"The top-line change that CDU lawmakers have agreed to push for is to raise the residency requirement for German citizenship to eight years. In other words, anyone wishing to naturalise as German would need to have lived in the country for at least eight years first. This would essentially be a reversal to the previous requirement."

"For those applying to naturalise through residency, rather than through ancestry or marriage, an eight year requirement had been in effect until the Naturalisation Act was updated in June 2024. The reform reduced the residency requirement to five years, as well as reducing the German language requirement to the B1 level and allowing non-EU citizens to have dual-citizenship."

Germany's conservative CDU party, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has committed to tightening the country's citizenship law during 2024. At a February party conference in Stuttgart, the CDU resolved to reinstate an eight-year residency requirement for naturalization, reversing the June 2024 Naturalisation Act reforms that reduced the requirement to five years. The 2024 reforms also lowered German language requirements to B1 level and permitted dual citizenship for non-EU citizens. Beyond citizenship, the CDU outlined additional policy goals including social media restrictions for children under 14, elimination of telephone doctor's notes for sick leave, smoking bans in cars, and prohibitions on full face coverings. With the CDU leading Germany's federal government, these party resolutions are expected to advance toward draft legislation in coming months.

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