How Germany’s voting rules for foreigners compare to other countries

Foreigners who naturalised as German last year had the chance to take advantage of their newly granted right to vote in the last national election in February.

But those who haven’t gained citizenship for any reason were left out – in total around 10 million foreign nationals were ineligible to vote at the time.

If voting in the next federal election is important to you, your only choice is to apply for German citizenship well ahead of the next federal vote – which is set for March of 2029.

That’s because Germany maintains some of the strictest rules around voting rights in Europe, matched only by Austria and France.

Here’s a look at voting regulations for foreign residents in Germany, and how they compare to European countries with more and less relaxed policies.

The rules for voting in Germany for foreigners

Only Germans can vote at either the federal or state level in the Bundesrepublik.

Generally non-German EU citizens can vote at the municipal and district level in Germany, while non-EU citizens have no voting rights at all. 

Unfortunately for those living in Berlin, Hamburg or Bremen, these cities are also federal states which means that EU citizens living here can really only vote in their local districts. In places like Cologne or Munich, meanwhile, people with EU passports can play a role in electing the city council.  

Other EU citizens can also vote in EU elections in Germany.

Non-EU foreign nationals have no right to vote in any official elections in Germany.

OPINION: In Germany’s snap elections, too many voices will yet again go unheard

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Austria has tighter restrictions 

Austria’s voting policy largely mirrors Germany’s – here too only Austrian citizens are able to vote in all elections, and foreign EU citizens are limited to municipal and district elections.

However, it’s also harder to gain citizenship in Austria than in Germany, especially since Germany passed its dual citizenship law last year, which reduced the requirements to naturalise.

In Vienna, for example, the combination of these voting regulations on top of tough requirements for citizenship has resulted in a whopping 600,000 foreign residents being unable to vote – more than a third of the city’s entire population. Critics of the related regulations have gone as far as suggesting the Austrian capital is a “half democracy”.

READ ALSO: Who would win the Vienna elections if foreigners were allowed to vote?

In comparison, Berlin has a lower proportion of foreign residents – at about 24 percent as of 2022. (Statista data from 2023 shows that the proportion of foreigners to Germans was similar.) And with record-breaking numbers of applications for citizenship reported since the rules were updated last year, a growing portion of those foreigners have gained the right to vote.

READ ALSO: ‘Always be vigilant’ – Expert tips for finding an apartment in Berlin

Sweden has better voting rights for non-nationals

Taking quite the opposite approach, Sweden allows all foreign nationals who have lived in the country for at least three years to vote at the municipal and regional levels (as opposed to only EU citizens as it is in Germany and Austria).

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Sweden is joined by other EU countries like Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland and others in allowing third-country nationals to vote at this level.

The impact of these policies varies immensely from country to country or even city to city, because of the different proportions of foreign residents.

Federal parliamentary elections in Sweden, however, are limited to Swedish citizens over the age of 18, similar to many other countries. Basic requirements to apply for citizenship in Sweden are similar to those in Germany i.e. you need to live in the country for five years, have the right to residence and generally show that you’re a working, law-abiding resident.

EXPLAINED: Where in Europe can non-EU foreigners vote in local elections?