Bill amending the Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz

Anyone who wants to apply for German citizenship will in future have to have lived legally in Germany for at least 5 years. An exception that made naturalization possible after 3 years will be abolished. This exception applied to people with particularly strong German-language skills and proven income. The Federal Government justifies ending the exception by saying that 3 years is too short to become a lasting part of society.