Many people who come to Germany think about applying for German citizenship eventually. With German citizenship. You can vote and also run for political office in Germany. Furthermore, you will be able to benefit from freedom of movement within the EU and can live and work in other countries in the European Union without a residence permit. Inside Germany, having German citizenship saves you from some administrative obligations, as you no longer have to go to the Immigration Office.
If your parents are German citizens or if you were born in Germany (provided your parents meet specific requirements). You will be automatically granted German citizenship. You will learn more in our chapter “Born in Germany”. You can also obtain German citizenship without being born here or having parents who are German citizens. To do so, you need to go through a process called naturalisation (“Einbürgerung”).
What do you need to know
You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for German citizenship:
- You must have a permanent residence permit (“Niederlassungserlaubnis”) or a residence permit which entitles you to a permanent residence permit.
- You have been living legally in Germany for at least 5 years.
- You are not entitled to or receive any benefits from the Jobcenter or the Social Welfare Office.
- You speak German at level B1 or higher.
- You have passed the naturalisation test covering the German legal and social order or have a German school-leaving certificate.
- You have not been convicted of any serious crimes.
- You declare in writing and orally to the naturalisation authority your commitment to the German Basic Law and the free and democratic basic order.
- You also acknowledge Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust, in particular for the protection of Jewish life (Section 10 (1) sentence 1 no. 1a Naturalisation Act).
- You have only one spouse.
- You have a passport or other documents (driving licence, birth certificate and such) which verify your identity, or you can prove that your home country is refusing to issue you any papers.
The following groups of people do not have to prove they can independently secure their livelihood thanks to the new “hardship regulation” (“Härtefallregelung”) for naturalisation:
- Former guest workers who came to the FRG before June 1974 and contract workers who came to the GDR before June 1990 can. Under certain conditions, be naturalised without having to secure their own livelihood. This also applies to their spouses who came to Germany during the same period.
- People in full-time employment also do not have to secure their own livelihood if they have worked full-time for at least 20 months in the last 24 months.
The regulation also favours spouses of full-time employees. If you live with your spouse or registered partner (who works full-time) and a child, you do not have to prove you can support yourself.
The new Naturalisation Act revokes other exceptions to the requirement to secure a livelihood that existed before.
How much does a naturalisation application cost
When applying, you have to pay €255. If you are also applying for your children, currently you have to pay €51 per child. In exceptional cases, this fee can be reduced. That may be the case, for instance, for a family with several children or those who do not earn much.
Where and how can you apply for naturalisation
The office responsible for naturalisation varies from state to state. To find the appropriate authority, seek advice from the District Office (“Bezirksamt”). The city administration or the Immigration Office. You can also ask the Migration Counselling Office or Youth Migration Service in your city for the correct address. You can even use Google to find the appropriate office by searching for the name of your town and the term “Einbürgerung”.
You will find an application form for naturalisation at the competent Naturalisation Office. This form can be obtained either on-site or online at the Naturalisation Office’s website. Before you submit your application, you should seek advice from the staff at the Naturalisation Office. The staff can tell you exactly what documents you need to submit along with the application.
You can also view these posts:
Things to know before immigrating to Germany
Frequently Asked Questions on Germany
All you need to know about Job seek visa in Germany
