Germany introduces a 10-year ban on obtaining citizenship for fraud

Photo: Bild

Germany is introducing a ten-year ban on obtaining citizenship in cases of fraud or providing false information, reports Migrando. The new rule has become a key element of a large legislative package on naturalization, migration and asylum, approved by the Bundestag on December 5. The amendment was added to the draft just a few days before the vote and was endorsed by the Interior Committee on the same day. The law will take effect after publication in the Federal Gazette, with the exact date yet to be announced.

The changes were prompted by a series of fraudulent schemes involving forged language and integration certificates uncovered in late summer 2025. According to RTL and Stern, fictitious language schools promoted A1–C2 certificates on TikTok and Instagram, offering documents without exams for prices ranging from several hundred to 1,500 euros.

Bild reports that at the end of November, federal police carried out a large-scale operation in Baden-Württemberg and Hesse: searches were conducted in language schools, residential premises and offices in the Stuttgart, Heilbronn and Frankfurt regions. Investigators suspect a group of 15 people of manipulating exam results and selling forged documents.



Lawmakers aim to stop such practices and strengthen the consequences for applicants who deliberately distort information. Under the new rules, the ten-year ban applies in the following situations:

— revocation of already granted citizenship due to violations;
— fraud, threats or bribery;
— false or incomplete information regarding key requirements.

This refers to data on identity, residence permits, criminal records, income and German-language proficiency. The legal basis for applying the rule is Paragraph 35 of the Nationality Act, which allows revoking naturalization obtained through fraud or deliberately false statements within ten years after it was granted. The new provision expands this mechanism by establishing a single blocking period for reapplication. It is still unclear whether the law will distinguish between intentional violations, mistakes or simple negligence: the full text of the amendments has not yet been published.

The reform package includes other measures as well. The federal government will be able to independently determine the list of “safe countries of origin” without the involvement of the Bundesrat. This will speed up the processing of asylum applications from citizens of such states and increase the likelihood of applications being classified as “manifestly unfounded.” The current list includes 37 countries, including EU member states, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Senegal and Serbia. Planned additions include Algeria, India, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and Tunisia.

Another change concerns the conditions of people held in deportation detention. The mandatory provision of a state-funded lawyer, introduced in 2024 to enhance legal protection, will be abolished.



The bill was prepared by the CDU/CSU–SPD parties. Alexander Throm, a representative of the parliamentary group on internal policy, stressed that applicants must meet all established requirements and that citizenship cannot be the result of bypassing the rules. The Greens, however, argue that adding the amendment just two days before the vote is an inappropriate way to change fundamental citizenship norms. MP Filiz Polat emphasized that such issues require separate and thorough parliamentary debate. The party also questions the proportionality of the ten-year ban, especially given that it may be imposed for incomplete information regardless of intent.

According to the Federal Administrative Office, 1,009 people have been stripped of German citizenship over the past five years, including 270 in 2025. The reasons for these decisions are not specified. To obtain a German passport, a person must live in the country for at least five years and demonstrate German-language proficiency at level B1 or higher. The accelerated three-year eligibility period has been abolished. Other requirements, including those related to family grounds, have also been tightened.

Analysts at International Investment note that Germany’s migration policy is becoming increasingly strict, in line with the broader European trend. The practical effects of the new rule will depend on its application and on how authorities define the criteria for distinguishing intentional fraud from an error. Until a consistent approach is established, the risk of inconsistent enforcement remains high.