Applying for German citizenship

Have you already been living in Germany for a long time and want to have German citizenship? Then you can apply for naturalisation in Germany and thus German citizenship. A German passport offers many advantages, especially when it comes to travelling. Germany ranks third among the best passports when it comes to travel. In this article, you can find out what requirements you will have to fulfil for naturalisation in Germany, what documents you need and whether you will have to take a naturalisation test.

If you have lived in Germany for at least five years and have an open-ended or permanent residence permit, you can apply for German citizenship by naturalising in Germany. You submit your application to the authority responsible for naturalisation in your place of residence. These can be your local city or district administration, immigration office or migration counselling office.  

After submitting your application, it will be checked to verify your fulfilment of the naturalisation requirements. If you do indeed meet the requirements, your application will be approved. Naturalisation in Germany finally takes effect when the naturalisation certificate is issued.

So you now want to apply for naturalisation in Germany? Then you will have to meet the following requirements:  

• Open-ended or permanent right of residence at the time of naturalisation
• Verified identity and nationality
• Five years of legal and habitual residence in Germany
• Commitment to the free and democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany
• You can support yourself and your dependent relatives
• Oral and written German language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• Sufficient knowledge of the legal system, society and way of life in Germany (naturalisation test or school-leaving certificate in Germany)
• No polygamy or conduct that disregards the equality of men and women laid down in the Basic Law
• No conviction for a criminal offence

It may not be necessary for you to have lived in Germany for five years if your spouse, registered partner or minor child has already lived in Germany for five years.

You can also apply for naturalisation if you have lived in Germany for three years and meet the following requirements:

• You can demonstrate special integration achievements (in particular good performance in school, vocational training or professional life, or civic commitment)
• You can support yourself without having to depend on public benefits  
• You have German language skills at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

If you meet all these requirements, you can apply for German citizenship. To do this, you will need the following documents:  

• Naturalisation application (online or in paper form)
• Passport or, for EU citizens, ID card
• Valid residence permit (does not apply to EU nationals)
• Transcript from the birth register for persons born in Germany
• Proof of current employment
• Employer’s confirmation or proof of income from self-employment, certificate of enrolment or school certificate, certificate of attendance at kindergarten, or pension notice
• Proof of sufficient oral and written German language skills (school reports, certificates, etc.)
• Proof of knowledge of the legal system, society and way of life in Germany by means of a certificate of a successful naturalisation test or graduation from a school of general education in Germany
• after a reasoned request from the competent authority: proof of civil status (e.g. birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree)

You may have to submit further documents at the request of the respective authority. In addition, you must have all foreign documents translated into German and certified.

• “Zertifikat Deutsch” or an equivalent language diploma at language level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• Four years of attendance at a German-language school with demonstrable success, for example graduation or transfer to the next higher class
• Acquisition of a secondary school leaving certificate or an equivalent German school-leaving certificate
• Transfer to the tenth grade of a secondary German-language school (Realschule, Gymnasium or Gesamtschule)
• Successful completion of a degree at a German-speaking university, university of applied sciences or German vocational training

• Successful graduation from a secondary school or a comparable or higher school leaving certificate from a German general-education school  
• Completed training in an apprenticeship  
• Successful graduation from a German university in the fields of law, social sciences and political science  
• If you are not able to provide any evidence as above of knowledge of the legal system and society, you will have to take a naturalisation test or the “Leben in Deutschland” test. A naturalisation test can be taken at adult education centres.

If you have to take a naturalisation test, you can usually take it at the adult education centre in your place of residence. The naturalisation test consists of 33 questions from the politics, history and culture of Germany. Three of these questions are related to the federal state in which you live and submit your application. For each question, you have four answer options from which you have to choose the correct answer. To pass the naturalisation test, you have to answer at least 17 questions correctly.  

You do not have to take a naturalisation test if:  

• you can provide any of the above evidence,
• you are under 16 years of age, or
• cannot meet the requirements due to illness, disability or age.

You can test your knowledge for an upcoming naturalisation test on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Prepare well for your naturalisation test. Even though you can repeat the test as often as you want, it will cost you 25 euros each time.

Since June 2024, there have been no more restrictions on dual citizenship in Germany. This means that if you apply for naturalisation in Germany in the future, you may also keep other nationalities, so-called homeland citizenship, in accordance with German law.