diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fa091949c8..a32fa03155 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ If possible, provide tooling that performs the changes, e.g. a shell-script.
 
 #### Dependencies
   * We now use Doxygen version 1.9.8 to build our documentation ([\#3197](https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/pull/3197)).
+  * We bumped the minimal CMake version to 3.5 ([\#3223](https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/pull/3223)).
 
 # 3.3.0
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f28c478728..5a3e9f080c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 # SeqAn3. To build tests, run cmake on one of the sub-folders in this directory
 # which contain a CMakeLists.txt.
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 
 find_path (SEQAN3_MODULE_PATH "seqan3-config.cmake" HINTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/build_system/")
 list (APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${SEQAN3_MODULE_PATH}")
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1ca254d79a..556b22dbcf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Please see the [online documentation](https://docs.seqan.de/seqan/3-master-user/
 |                   | requirement                                          | version  | comment                                     |
 |-------------------|------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------------------------------------------|
 |**compiler**       | [GCC](https://gcc.gnu.org)                           | ≥ 11     | no other compiler is currently supported!   |
-|**build system**   | [CMake](https://cmake.org)                           | ≥ 3.4    | optional, but recommended                   |
+|**build system**   | [CMake](https://cmake.org)                           | ≥ 3.5    | optional, but recommended                   |
 |**required libs**  | [SDSL](https://github.com/xxsds/sdsl-lite)           | ≥ 3.0.3  |                                             |
 |**optional libs**  | [cereal](https://github.com/USCiLab/cereal)          | ≥ 1.3.1  | required for serialisation and CTD support  |
 |                   | [zlib](https://github.com/madler/zlib)               | ≥ 1.2    | required for `*.gz` and `.bam` file support |
diff --git a/build_system/seqan3-config.cmake b/build_system/seqan3-config.cmake
index 37f24a6c0d..67bbe6dedd 100644
--- a/build_system/seqan3-config.cmake
+++ b/build_system/seqan3-config.cmake
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 #
 # ============================================================================
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4...3.12)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5...3.12)
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Set initial variables
diff --git a/doc/setup/quickstart_cmake/index.md b/doc/setup/quickstart_cmake/index.md
index eec7fa2455..ad376dfc33 100644
--- a/doc/setup/quickstart_cmake/index.md
+++ b/doc/setup/quickstart_cmake/index.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ works.
 # Software
 Requirements:
   - gcc >= 11
-  - cmake >= 3.4
+  - cmake >= 3.5
   - git
 
 ## Installing GCC
diff --git a/test/external_project/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/CMakeLists.txt
index c9bb477b08..eb87d0108f 100644
--- a/test/external_project/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # shipped with this file and also available at: https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_test_external_project CXX)
 
 include (../seqan3-test.cmake) # for SEQAN3_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_CMAKE_ARGS, SEQAN3_VERSION
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ endif ()
 option (SEQAN3_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_FIND_DEBUG_MODE
         "Enable this option if you want to get a detailed list which paths were considered for find_package(...)" false)
 
-if (NOT ${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 3.14) # cmake 3.14 version is needed to install cmake 3.4.
+if (NOT ${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 3.14) # cmake 3.14 version is needed to install cmake 3.5.
     set (SEQAN3_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_CMAKE_COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}")
-    include (use-cmake3.4.cmake) # ensure that seqan3 can be used with cmake 3.4
+    include (use-cmake3.5.cmake) # ensure that seqan3 can be used with cmake 3.5
 else ()
     set (SEQAN3_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_CMAKE_COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}")
 endif ()
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ endif ()
 #    fetch_content
 #
 # If your current CMake version is >= 3.14, we
-#  * download CMake  3.4
-#  * test test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt with CMake 3.4
-#  * test test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt with CMake 3.4
-#  * test test/external_project/seqan3_installed/CMakeLists.txt with CMake 3.4
+#  * download CMake  3.5
+#  * test test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt with CMake 3.5
+#  * test test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt with CMake 3.5
+#  * test test/external_project/seqan3_installed/CMakeLists.txt with CMake 3.5
 #  * test test/external_project/seqan3_fetch_content_zip/CMakeLists.txt with your current CMake version
 
 # 1) This tests test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt
 #    That means we use add_subdirectory directly on seqan3's top level CMakeLists.txt.
 #    This will automatically call find_package and expose our seqan3::seqan3 target.
-#    This is expected to work with CMake >= 3.4.
+#    This is expected to work with CMake >= 3.5.
 # (ExternalProject_Add simulates a fresh and separate invocation of cmake ../)
 ExternalProject_Add (
     seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ ExternalProject_Add (
 # 2) This tests test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt
 #    We have a seqan3 checkout somewhere and we point CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH to <checkout>/seqan3/build_system
 #    and then use `find_package` to find `seqan3-config.cmake` which exposes our `seqan3::seqan3` target.
-#    This is expected to work with CMake >= 3.4.
+#    This is expected to work with CMake >= 3.5.
 # (ExternalProject_Add simulates a fresh and separate invocation of cmake ../)
 ExternalProject_Add (
     seqan3_submodule_find_package
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ ExternalProject_Add (
 #    https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/releases, and unzipping it to some folder and making
 #    that path globally accessible by CMAKE_SYSTEM_PREFIX_PATH.
 #    We need CMake >= 3.14 to be able to package seqan3, but we actually expect that this
-#    test works with CMake >= 3.4.
+#    test works with CMake >= 3.5.
 # (ExternalProject_Add simulates a fresh and separate invocation of cmake ../)
 if (NOT ${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS 3.14) # cmake 3.14 version is needed to install seqan3.
     ExternalProject_Add (
diff --git a/test/external_project/seqan3_installed/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/seqan3_installed/CMakeLists.txt
index c96d635ea8..5b43cda3f8 100644
--- a/test/external_project/seqan3_installed/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/seqan3_installed/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # shipped with this file and also available at: https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_app CXX)
 
 # --- helper scripts
diff --git a/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial/CMakeLists.txt
index 2678684bb2..1a3273811b 100644
--- a/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ file (COPY "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../src/hello_world.cpp" DESTINATION "${CMAKE_CUR
 set (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/../../../../source")
 
 ## [adding_files]
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_tutorial CXX)
 
 # add seqan3 to search path
diff --git a/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg/CMakeLists.txt
index b94ea8fae6..1dd0dad1a7 100644
--- a/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ set (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/../../../../source")
 list (APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH "${SHARG_ROOT}/build_system")
 
 ## [adding_files]
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_tutorial CXX)
 
 # add seqan3 to search path
diff --git a/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg_installed/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg_installed/CMakeLists.txt
index 74341532cc..5f9403f071 100644
--- a/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg_installed/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/seqan3_setup_tutorial_with_sharg_installed/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # shipped with this file and also available at: https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_app CXX)
 
 # --- helper scripts
diff --git a/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt
index d1e6c3b8c2..f9e9f87eb3 100644
--- a/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_add_subdirectory/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # shipped with this file and also available at: https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_app CXX)
 
 # --- helper scripts
diff --git a/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt b/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f2f859fcc..98c3c9d55d 100644
--- a/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/external_project/seqan3_submodule_find_package/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # shipped with this file and also available at: https://github.com/seqan/seqan3/blob/master/LICENSE.md
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.4)
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.5)
 project (seqan3_app CXX)
 
 # --- helper scripts
diff --git a/test/external_project/use-cmake3.4.cmake b/test/external_project/use-cmake3.5.cmake
similarity index 55%
rename from test/external_project/use-cmake3.4.cmake
rename to test/external_project/use-cmake3.5.cmake
index bc3f9ca49e..d3d9135fef 100644
--- a/test/external_project/use-cmake3.4.cmake
+++ b/test/external_project/use-cmake3.5.cmake
@@ -10,26 +10,26 @@ project (seqan3_test_seqan3_config CXX)
 
 # require Linux and x86_64
 if (NOT (CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux" AND CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8))
-    message (STATUS "cmake 3.4 test requires Linux and x86_64")
+    message (STATUS "cmake 3.5 test requires Linux and x86_64")
     return ()
 endif ()
 
 include (FetchContent)
 FetchContent_Declare (
-    cmake34
-    URL "https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.4.3/cmake-3.4.3-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz"
+    cmake35
+    URL "https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.5.2/cmake-3.5.2-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz"
     URL_HASH "SHA256=66b8d315c852908be9f79e1a18b8778714659fce4ddb2d041af8680a239202fc")
-FetchContent_MakeAvailable (cmake34)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable (cmake35)
 
-set (cmake34_command "${cmake34_SOURCE_DIR}/bin/cmake")
+set (cmake35_command "${cmake35_SOURCE_DIR}/bin/cmake")
 
-execute_process (COMMAND ${cmake34_command} --version
-                 RESULT_VARIABLE cmake34_result
-                 OUTPUT_VARIABLE cmake34_output)
+execute_process (COMMAND ${cmake35_command} --version
+                 RESULT_VARIABLE cmake35_result
+                 OUTPUT_VARIABLE cmake35_output)
 
-if ("${cmake34_result}" STREQUAL "0" AND cmake34_output MATCHES "cmake version 3.4.3")
-    set (SEQAN3_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_CMAKE_COMMAND "${cmake34_command}")
-    message (STATUS "Use cmake3.4 in tests [${cmake34_command}]")
+if ("${cmake35_result}" STREQUAL "0" AND cmake35_output MATCHES "cmake version 3.5.2")
+    set (SEQAN3_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_CMAKE_COMMAND "${cmake35_command}")
+    message (STATUS "Use cmake3.5 in tests [${cmake35_command}]")
 else ()
-    message (AUTHOR_WARNING "Couldn't execute cmake3.4 --version [${cmake34_command}]")
+    message (AUTHOR_WARNING "Couldn't execute cmake3.5 --version [${cmake35_command}]")
 endif ()