Germany Sets Travel Limits for Foreigners Applying for Citizenship
- Germany's Nationality Act sets strict rules on how long foreigners can stay abroad without losing their residency progress toward citizenship
- Stays abroad of more than six months can interrupt ordinary residence, affecting how long an applicant must wait before qualifying
- Previous time spent in Germany may still count toward naturalisation under specific conditions, even after a long absence
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Germany has set clear travel limits for foreign nationals who are working toward citizenship, with the country's Nationality Act spelling out exactly how time spent abroad affects a person's path to naturalisation.
Under Section 12b of the Act, a foreigner can travel outside Germany for up to six months without it counting as a break in their ordinary residence.
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Beyond that six-month threshold, the absence is treated as an interruption unless the foreigner's authority granted an extension deadline before the person left and the individual returns within that approved timeframe.
German citizenship: When long absences still count
The law makes an exception for foreigners who exceed the approved return deadline because they were completing statutory military service in their home country.
In such cases, ordinary residence is still considered unbroken, provided the person returns to Germany no more than three months after being discharged.
A stricter rule applies when the total time spent abroad exceeds half the residency period required for naturalisation. In that situation, ordinary residence is generally not considered to have continued, even if other conditions were otherwise met.
This means applicants need to be careful about extended trips home, as spending too much time outside Germany can effectively reset part of their waiting period.
EU and EEA nationals, along with their family members and certain other qualifying persons, are covered by separate provisions under the Freedom of Movement Act rather than the standard rules set out above.
German citizenship: Previous residence can still count
Foreign nationals who have been abroad for more than six months and do not meet any of the exemption conditions are not necessarily starting from scratch.
The law allows up to three years of previous German residence to be credited toward the naturalisation requirement, even after a qualifying absence.
The same crediting arrangement applies where the stricter rule about absences exceeding half the required residency period comes into force.
On procedural matters, the Act also says that gaps in lawful residence caused by a foreigner failing to apply for a residence permit on time are disregarded.
For interruptions that arise for other reasons, previous residence can again be partially counted, in line with the provisions on extended absences.
Legit.ng reported that Germany published the official cost of its 10-year passport for applicants.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Germany set the minimum age requirement for its 10-year passport.
Germany sets age requirement for citizenship applicants
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Germany shared the age requirement for foreigners applying for citizenship.
Those below that age cannot submit the application themselves.
For children and young people under 16, the law requires a legal representative to handle the naturalisation application. In most cases, this responsibility falls to the child's parents.
Source: Legit.ng
