Apply for naturalisation

• You must have been living legally in Germany for 5 years. The required period of residence may be shortened under certain circumstances if you can provide proof of special integration achievements and German language skills at level C1.
• Your identity and nationality must be clarified.
• You have the legal capacity to act or are legally represented. In the naturalisation procedure, you are generally capable of acting if you have reached the age of 16.
• You have a permanent right of residence at the time of naturalisation, for example:
  • a settlement permit or
  • another permanent residence permit.
  • For example, a residence permit for the purpose of studying is not suitable for naturalisation.
• You can provide for your living expenses and those of your dependent family members without receiving certain public benefits.
• You have not been convicted of a criminal offence. If you are currently under investigation on suspicion of a criminal offence, the citizenship authority will suspend the naturalisation procedure until the proceedings have been concluded.
• You have sufficient knowledge of the German language, at least at level B1.
  • This does not apply, for example, if you are unable to fulfil this requirement due to a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability, or due to age.
  • For underage children who have not yet reached the age of 16, age-appropriate language development is sufficient.
• You have civic knowledge. You do not need to provide proof of civic knowledge if
  • you are unable to do so due to a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability or due to age, or
  • you have a German school, college or university degree or
  • you entered Germany as a guest worker before 30 June 1974 or you travelled to Germany as the spouse of this person in a temporal context or
  • you entered Germany as a contract worker before 2 October 1990 or you travelled to Germany as the spouse of this person in the same period.
• You are not married to more than one person at the same time.
• They commit themselves to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law and make a declaration of loyalty. This means,
  • They do not support any anti-constitutional or extremist activities.
  • If you have supported such activities in the past, you must have credibly turned your back on them.
• They acknowledge Germany's special historical responsibility for the unjust National Socialist regime and its consequences, in particular
  • for the protection of Jewish life and
  • the peaceful coexistence of peoples and
  • the ban on waging a war of aggression.

• Application for naturalisation
• Valid passport or official identity document with photo
• valid residence permit
• Civil status documents, for example:
  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • Divorce decree or death certificate, with translation, legalisation or apostille if necessary
    • the previous spouse or the previous spouse or
    • of the previous registered civil partner
• School, vocational, training or study qualifications obtained in Germany
• if you go to school: current school certificate
• if you are a student: current certificate of enrolment
• if you are employed: Employment contract and proof of income
• when you receive your pension: Pension certificate and pension insurance history that you receive from the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung)
• if you are self-employed:
  • Business registration
  • current income tax assessment
  • Proof of the profit made, for example by means of an informal certificate from the tax office on the net income or a business analysis
• Rental agreement
• Proof of health insurance cover
• Proof of pension provision, for example:
  • Property ownership
  • private life insurance
  • Pension insurance
• Proof of sufficient German language skills at least at level B1, for example with a B1 certificate
• Proof of civic knowledge, for example with a certificate of participation in the integration course "Living in Germany" or naturalisation test
• at your personal appointment:
  • Their commitment to the free democratic basic order and
  • Their acknowledgement of Germany's special historical responsibility for the unjust National Socialist regime and its consequences, and
  • Your declaration of loyalty
• for minors: Proof of custody, for example in the case of divorced or unmarried parents by means of a custody order
• In the case of joint parental custody: Declaration of consent from the other parent with custody
• Further documents may be added depending on the individual case

• § Section 10 (2) of the Citizenship Act (StAG)

• Contradiction
• Action before the competent administrative court

• Foreign nationals can apply for naturalisation
• German citizenship with all rights and obligations is acquired with naturalisation
• German citizenship, for example:
  • the right to vote and stand for election in the municipalities, in the federal states, to the German Bundestag and to the European Parliament
  • Freedom of movement within the European Union (EU), i.e.
    • move freely within the EU,
    • are employed or self-employed in the EU and
    • travelling outside the EU without a visa to many countries

• General information on naturalisation in Germany on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)
• Further information on naturalisation can be found on the website of the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration
• Search function on the interpreter and translator database website
• Information on international documentary transactions on the website of the Federal Foreign Office (AA)

Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs (BMI)