Who is allowed to vote, and who is not?
In a democratic state like Germany, the right to vote is of central importance. It allows citizens to take part in political decision-making and help determine the composition of the government. In Germany, voters must meet certain requirements in order to vote. They must hold German citizenship and have reached the age of 18 (for certain elections, the minimum voting age is 16). In addition, eligible voters must have had a residence in Germany for at least three months or otherwise habitually reside there.
The right to vote in democratic systems follows certain fundamental principles. Elections should be:
- universal, so that as many citizens as possible can participate,
- free, meaning that everyone votes without coercion or pressure,
- equal, so that every vote has the same value,
- and direct, without any intermediary bodies.
These principles ensure that elections are fair and democratic.
Active and passive voting rights
There is a distinction between active and passive voting rights. Active voting rights refer to the right to vote itself, meaning the ability to cast a ballot in an election. Passive voting rights, by contrast, refer to the right to stand for election and run for political office. In Germany, citizens can generally vote in Bundestag elections from the age of 18, provided they have lived there for at least three months.
The rules are somewhat different for elections to the Berlin House of Representatives, the district assemblies, and the European Parliament elections: here, Germans can already vote from the age of 16, provided that they have also lived in Germany or another EU country for at least three months. Citizens of other EU member states are also allowed to vote in the European elections in Germany. They must live in Germany, be at least 16 years old, and have lived in Germany or another EU country for at least three months.
Both forms of voting rights are closely connected. Active voting rights ensure that people can choose their representatives, while passive voting rights determine who is allowed to stand for election in the first place.
Voting eligibility
Voting eligibility refers to the question of who is allowed to participate in an election at all. It is a central component of voting rights and determines which people are allowed to help shape political decisions. In a democratic state like Germany, the fundamental goal is to enable as many citizens as possible to participate in elections.
In democracies, voting eligibility is based on the principle of universal suffrage. Accordingly, no groups should be excluded without a legitimate, objective reason. At the same time, however, there are still clear criteria such as age or nationality that determine who may participate. Voting eligibility therefore plays an important role in determining how fair and representative a political system is.
Citizenship
Citizenship is the legal relationship between an individual and a state. It is a formal connection between the individual and the state that comes with certain rights and obligations on both sides. In Germany, citizenship means, for example, that a person is entitled to state protection, can hold a German passport, and enjoys certain political and social rights. At the same time, citizenship also comes with obligations. These include obeying the law, fulfilling civic obligations such as paying taxes, or, in some countries, compulsory military service. In Germany, citizenship is also tied to a special historical responsibility to protect Jewish life.
There are several ways of obtaining German citizenship. The process is complicated. One possible route is descent, if both parents are already citizens. In Germany, as in many countries, citizenship can also be acquired through naturalization, for example if a person has lived in the country for a longer period, meets certain requirements, and commits to the constitutional order. In other states, the place of birth also plays a role.
The requirements for naturalization in Germany include the following:
- lawful and habitual residence in Germany, usually for a period of five years,
- financial independence without reliance on social welfare or Bürgergeld,
- sufficient language skills, usually at around B1 level,
- commitment to the free democratic basic order of the constitution and to Germany’s special historical responsibility for the injustices of the National Socialist dictatorship and its consequences. This particularly includes the protection of Jewish life.
In many cases, dual or multiple citizenship is also permitted. Once these requirements are largely fulfilled, an application for naturalization can be submitted to the naturalization authority responsible for the applicant’s place of residence. The time until actual naturalization varies considerably. By law, the process is supposed to take up to three months, but in many cases this deadline has been exceeded. Berlin has since digitalized its procedures and thereby accelerated the process. In 2025, around 39,000 people were naturalized, approximately twice as many as in 2024.
Here you can find the Berlin Wiki page of Berliner Morgenpost.
