Germany Now Lets Pakistanis Keep Both Passports: Citizenship 2026

3 min read · Updated 1 October 2026

185 countries without a visa. That's what a German passport gets you. A Pakistani passport gets 29. And since January, Pakistanis who become German can keep both.

This is Borderlines. Today, how long it really takes to become German, what the test asks, what it costs, and the fast lane that just disappeared.

First, how long do you have to wait?

Since June 2024, the standard wait is five years of legal residence in Germany. Before that, it was eight. In most cases, years spent studying or training in Germany count too.

There was also a fast lane. Three years, for people with C1 German and outstanding integration. It's gone. The Bundestag voted it out in October 2025. So five years is now the minimum for almost everyone.

So what do you need?

German at level B1. That's everyday German. You can handle work, forms, and a visit to the doctor. You prove it with a certificate, for example from telc or the Goethe Institute.

Then the naturalisation test. 33 multiple choice questions about German law, history and society. You need 17 right. The full question pool is published online, so you can practise every single question.

You also have to support yourself and your family without Bürgergeld, Germany's basic income support. There are exceptions, for example if you worked full time for 20 of the last 24 months.

And you commit to Germany's democratic constitution. Since 2024, anyone convicted of antisemitic, racist or other inhumane acts is excluded, even for small sentences.

Now the big one. Two passports.

Germany has allowed dual citizenship since June 2024. You no longer have to give up your old nationality. But that only helps if your home country lets you keep it too.

For Pakistanis, that was the problem. Germany wasn't on Pakistan's list of countries allowing dual nationality. In January 2026, Pakistan added Germany. So now you can be German and Pakistani at the same time.

And children born in Germany become German at birth, if one parent has lived here legally for five years and has a permanent right of residence. They can keep Pakistani citizenship too.

The fee is 255 Euros per adult, and 51 Euros for each child naturalised with a parent. And demand is at a record. In 2025, 332,500 people became German, more than ever before.

Why so many? A German passport means visa free travel to 185 countries, the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union, and the right to vote. Germany ranks fourth in the world. Pakistan ranks 101st.

Realistically, the path looks like this. Arrive, work, learn German to B1, and after five years, apply. Processing can take months, in big cities often much longer. So apply as soon as you qualify.

If Germany is your plan, keep every residence permit and pay slip, start German early, stay out of trouble, and check your local authority's current rules, because they do change.

And if you're just starting out, watch my video on what a 4,000 Euro salary really pays in Germany.