International Heidelberg

305 new Germans welcomed in 2022

Heidelberg is a city of diversity, tolerance and equal opportunities in which approximately 160,000 people from about 180 nations live. About 56,000 out of them are people with immigration history. In the course of its integration policy the City of Heidelberg ascribes high importance to the naturalization of the new German citizens. The aim is not only to convey to the "new Germans" that they are welcomed here but also showing that people from different nations or origins, different religions or cultures are seen as true enrichment to the city.

The number of naturalizations in Heidelberg in 2022 was at the usual high level. A total of 305 people were issued naturalization certificates in Heidelberg in 2022. For comparison: In 2020, 343 people were naturalized in Heidelberg, in 2020 it was 382 people and in 2019 it was 589 people. A new record was not reached in 2022, but the demand for German citizenship is still high. The group of refugees in particular was responsible for a proportion of the applications in the past year. Many of the people who came to Germany in 2015 seeking protection are now applying for naturalization. This is possible after six years at the earliest.

Background: Numbers of naturalization in Heidelberg