German elections & expat voting rights

Elections are held in Germany for multiple levels of government, meaning that they are quite a frequent occurrence. The right to vote in Germany is generally reserved for those with German citizenship. However, local and EU elections are open to international residents from EU member states. Non-EU citizens are not eligible to vote in Germany.

German elections

In Germany, there are separate elections for three levels of government: the municipalities, the federal states (Bundesländer), and the federal government (Bundesregierung). 

General elections (Bundestagswahlen)

General elections take place every four years in Germany, to elect members of the Bundestag (federal parliament) and thereby determine who the new chancellor will be. As of 2025, the German parliament has 630 seats, and these are distributed between the parties according to their vote share. 

Germany uses a system of fixed member proportional representation or “personalised proportional representation” in its general elections. This means that each voter gets two votes:

• One for a single candidate to represent their constituency
• One for their chosen political party

Around half of the seats are reserved for candidates who win them outright in their constituency. The remaining seats are distributed among the parties according to their total vote share nationwide. A party needs to get at least 5% of the vote in order to take a seat in the Bundestag. This is known as the Sperrklausel. 

State elections (Landtagswahlen)

Each federal state holds a state election every five years. This election is known as a Landtagswahl in most federal states, except in the city-states of Bremen and Hamburg, where it is a Bürgerschaftswahl, and Berlin, where it is a Wahl zum Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin. Bremen is also another exception because it holds its state elections every four years. 

State elections are held to elect representatives to the Landtag (state assembly) in the 16 federal states. The state assembly determines how the state is governed, and also appoints members to represent the state in the Bundesrat. 

Since federal states can determine their own election procedures, the exact system varies from state to state, but most use personalised proportional representation, as in the general election. 

State elections are not held simultaneously nationwide - they are staggered to spread them out.

Municipal elections (Kommunalwahlen or Bezirksversammlungswahlen)

Municipal or local elections take place every five or six years and select political representatives for local, city and district councils. In some areas, they are also used to elect mayors and district administrators. 

Local elections sometimes take place on the same day as other elections. 

Local, city and district councils make decisions on a local level, usually in coordination with the mayor. Local councillors are not always full-time politicians. They often have another day job. 

EU Elections (Europawahlen)

In European parliament elections, people in Germany vote to distribute their 96 seats in the EU parliament. EU citizens can vote either in their country of origin or in Germany.

European parliament elections take place every five years. 

Next elections in Germany

The next elections in Germany are scheduled to take place on the following dates:

• March 8, 2026: State elections in Baden-Württemberg and municipal elections in Bavaria
• March 15, 2026: Munich elections in Hesse
• March 22, 2026: State elections in Rhineland-Palatinate
• September 6, 2026: State elections in Saxony-Anhalt
• September 13, 2026: Municipal elections in Lower Saxony
• September 20, 2026: State elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Spring 2027: State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein and Bremen
• Autumn 2027: State elections in Lower Saxony
• Spring 2028: Municipal elections in Schleswig-Holstein
• Autumn 2028: State elections in Bavaria and Hesse
• Spring 2029: European elections
• Spring 2029: General election
• Spring 2029: Municipal elections in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia
• Autumn 2029: State elections in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia

You can find an up-to-date list on the Federal Returning Officer’s website.

Voting in Germany

On election days, polling stations are typically open from 8am to 6pm. Elections are usually held on Sundays in Germany. 

If you want to exercise your democratic rights and take part in elections in Germany, here’s what you need to know. 

Who can vote in Germany? 

To be eligible to vote in most elections in Germany, you must be over the age of 18 and have German citizenship. 

However, there are some exceptions, as follows: 

• German citizens over the age of 16 can vote in state elections in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. 
• In all federal states apart from Bavaria, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Saxony, German citizens over the age of 16 can vote in municipal elections. 
• EU citizens who have lived in Germany for at least three months can vote in local elections. 
• EU citizens over the age of 18 can vote in EU elections. 

The same rules apply for both voting and standing for election. This means that EU citizens who have lived in Germany for at least three months can stand in municipal elections. EU citizens can also stand as MEPs. 

If you’re not sure who to vote for, you can use the Wahl-O-Mat website. It provides a guide to the major political parties and helps you find the party your views are most aligned with by asking your opinion on a range of issues. 

Do I need to register to vote?

You do not (normally) need to register to vote in Germany. Simply being registered with your local citizens’ office is sufficient. You will be automatically added to the electoral register if you are eligible to vote. 

Receiving your polling card (Wahlbenachrichtigung)

If you are eligible to vote in Germany, you should receive your polling card (Wahlbenachrichtigung) in the post no later than three weeks before an election. If you have not received one, you should contact your local voting office (Wahlamt) to make sure you are on the list of registered voters.

Your voting card will tell you where your local polling station is, and clearly state the opening hours. 

If you lose your card, it is still possible to vote without it; you just need to show up at your local polling station on the designated day with a valid form of ID, such as a passport or an ID card.

Absentee ballot

If you are unable to vote because you are sick or away on holiday, you can apply to do what is known as an “absentee ballot”. You will find a form on the back of your polling card that you can fill out to apply for an absentee ballot. Your voting documents will then be sent to you in the post, so you can fill them out and send them back before election day. 

Largest political parties in Germany

Germany's system of proportional representation allows for a wide variety of political parties. Here are some of the biggest, who are currently represented in the federal parliament or the European parliament: 

• CDU - Christian Democratic Union of Germany (Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands)
• CSU - Christian Social Union in Bavaria (Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern)
• AfD - Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland)
• SPD - Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands)
• Grüne - Alliance 90/The Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
• Linke - The Left (Die Linke)
• BSW - Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht)
• FDP - Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei)
• FW - Free Voters (Freie Wähler)
• Volt - Volt Germany (Volt Deutschland)
• The Party (Die Partei)
• ÖDP - Ecological Democratic Party (Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei)
• PdF - Party of Progress (Partei des Fortschitts)
• Familie - Family Party of Germany (Familien-Partei-Deutschlands)
• Tierschutzpartei - Human Environmental Animal Protection Party (Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz)