Germany is seeing an uptick in people naturalising after citizenship rules were relaxed in 2024.
As The Local recently reported, 69,000 people became German last year in the five largest cities: Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt. Figures from immigration authorities across the country are not yet available.
The cities of Berlin and Cologne in particular saw a huge rise in naturalisations compared to 2024.
READ ALSO: German cities see soaring number of naturalisations as CDU pushes for tighter rules
Cologne welcomed 7,000 new German citizens last year – up from 3,400 the previous year. In 2023, 3,672 people became German in the western city.
Of course it's far from Berlin's roughly 39,000 naturalisations, but still notable.
READ ALSO: How many of Berlin's 39,000 naturalisations last year were rejected?
What's behind the increase in Cologne?
The city put the rise down to multiple reasons, including the reform of citizenship law at the federal level.
At the local level, Cologne increased the number of employees working on naturalisation cases from 29 to 73, and made the system more efficient.
The city hit headlines in May 2024 after immigration authorities stopped accepting citizenship applications due to being overwhelmed by the backlog. At the time around 8,000 people were waiting for an initial appointment but there were too few staff to process the applications.
"The significant increase in naturalisations last year is due to a considerable increase in staff, comprehensive process optimisations and legal simplifications (in particular the acceptance of dual-citizenship)," a spokesperson for the City of Cologne told The Local.
READ ALSO: What to expect when applying for German citizenship in Cologne
Following Germany's reform of citizenship laws in the summer of 2024 under the previous SPD-led coalition government, applicants are allowed to keep their original nationality when naturalising.
The reforms also shortened the residency requirement for naturalisation: foreign residents can now apply after five years of legal residence, down from the previous eight years.
Who are the newest Germans in Cologne?
Cologne is a diverse city, and each year people from all over the world apply to become German citizens.
According to authorities, people of Turkish origin made up the largest share of naturalisations last year at 21 percent. They were followed by applicants from Iraq (11 percent), Syria (9 percent), Iran (6 percent) and Russia (6 percent).
The citizenship law change prompted many long-term residents to apply for German citizenship, including members of the so-called 'guest worker generation', many of whom came from Turkey to address labour shortages in the decades after World War II.
At the same time, a growing number of people who arrived in Germany as refugees have also been obtaining citizenship in recent years, helping to explain the relatively high figures for several of these nationalities.
How many applications were rejected in Cologne?
In 2025, a total of 159 applications for naturalisation were rejected.
"This corresponds to a rejection rate of around 2 to 2.5 percent," the spokesperson said.
According to authorities, the most common reasons for rejection in Cologne were people receiving social benefits, having an "unclear identity or nationality", criminal convictions and a "lack of language skills or insufficient knowledge of the legal and social order".
READ ALSO: German police investigate 'large scale' fraud in language and citizenship tests
How long do people in Cologne have to wait to get citizenship?
Foreign residents in Cologne should be aware that it's still not a quick process.
According to the city, waiting times for an appointment stand at around 15 months. After this appointment, it typically takes more time for the naturalisation application to be approved.
A notice on the city's website says: "Interest in naturalisation is currently very high. The waiting time for an appointment is currently around 15 months.
"As soon as your application is ready, you will receive a proposed appointment date. We therefore ask for your patience."
The spokesperson from the city authorities said that following the appointment, "the subsequent decision usually takes a few weeks to a maximum of three months, depending on the complexity of the individual case".
They added that they are working to reduce waiting times.
"By significantly increasing its staff, the City of Cologne is continuously working to speed up the process and reduce waiting times," the spokesperson said.
READ ALSO: What do I need to apply for German citizenship?
Have you naturalised in Cologne or are currently going through the process? We'd love to hear from you. Please email news@thelocal.de
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