The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) has provided official information regarding the recognition of residence periods under § 24 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) in the context of acquiring German citizenship.
According to § 10 (1) of the Nationality Act (StAG), naturalization requires a continuous, lawful, and habitual residence of at least five years in Germany.
Residence under § 24 AufenthG (temporary protection) can be counted towards this period if the individual subsequently obtains another residence title that entitles them to citizenship (e.g., a residence permit for employment under § 18a AufenthG or a permanent settlement permit – Niederlassungserlaubnis).
Therefore:
Applying for citizenship solely based on residence under § 24 AufenthG is not possible.
The residence period will be recognized once the person switches to an eligible residence title.
The minimum residence requirement is five years, including the time spent under § 24 AufenthG, provided that an appropriate title is obtained afterward.
This means that residence in Germany under § 24 AufenthG does not in itself grant the right to apply for citizenship. However, this period is counted towards the required five years of residence, provided the person later obtains another residence title that makes naturalization possible.
Used with permission of Mihajlo Uldis based on the official response of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community of Germany (BMI).
Compiler of the selection
Anastasiia Malyshenko