Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6PLus)

Applying for German citizenship (for foreigners entitled to naturalisation)

Description

Upon naturalisation, you acquire German citizenship and become an equal citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany with all rights and obligations.

With German citizenship you can, among other things,

exercise their right to vote in the federal states and to the German Bundestag,
enjoy freedom of movement within the European Union as a citizen of the Union,
travel outside of Europe without a visa to many countries.

If you meet the requirements, you are entitled to acquire German citizenship:

You must have been legally resident in Germany for 8 years.
Their identity and nationality have been clarified.
They are capable of acting or legally represented.
You hold a residence permit or a permanent right of residence, which is in principle aimed at permanent residence.
You are able to support yourself and that of your dependent family members without receiving certain public benefits.
You have not been convicted of a crime.
You have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1).
You have knowledge of citizenship, which must be proven by means of a naturalisation test.
You give up your foreign citizenship or lose it.
Your classification in the German living conditions is guaranteed, i.e. in particular, you are not married to several spouses at the same time.
You are committed to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law, i.e. you do not support or have supported any anti-constitutional or extremist activities, unless you have credibly turned away from previous persecution or support.

Naturalisation becomes effective upon delivery of the certificate of naturalisation.

The competent authority is the nationality authority of your place of residence.

Requirements

The naturalisation of entitlement pursuant to § 10 of the Nationality Act (StAG) requires an application.

You must have been legally resident in Germany for 8 years.
- Reduction to 7 years: if you successfully attend an integration course with written proof
- Possibility of reduction to 6 years: for special integration services
Their identity and nationality have been clarified.
They are capable of acting or legally represented.
- Anyone who has reached the age of 16 is capable of acting.
At the time of naturalisation, you possess
- a permanent right of residence
  - for example, settlement permit; Union citizens and nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland entitled to free movement and their family members; Turkish workers or their family members who have a right of residence under the EU's right of association with Turkey
- or a residence permit based on permanent residence
  - for example, a residence permit for the purpose of studying is not suitable for naturalisation.
You are able to support yourself and that of your dependent family members without receiving certain public benefits,
- i.e. without benefits from the basic provision for jobseekers or social assistance, unless you do not have to represent the claim of social benefits.
You have not been convicted of a crime.
- This means that you have neither been sentenced to a penalty nor has a measure of correction and security been ordered against you for incapacity.
- The following are not taken into account:
  - educational measures or means of breeding in accordance with the Juvenile Court Act,
  - sentences to fines of up to 90 daily rates,
  - Sentences to imprisonment of up to 3 months, suspended and issued at the end of the probation period.
- These exceptions do not apply if you have been sentenced to imprisonment, a fine or a juvenile sentence for an unlawful anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic or other inhuman act and such a motive has been established in the judgment.
- If investigations are currently being carried out on suspicion of a criminal offence, the naturalisation procedure must be suspended until the proceedings have been concluded.
You have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1).
- Exception: This is waived if you cannot meet this requirement due to a physical, mental or emotional illness or disability or due to age.
You have knowledge of citizenship, which must be proven by means of a naturalisation test.
- Exception: This is waived if you cannot meet this requirement due to a physical, mental or emotional illness or disability or due to age.
You give up your foreign citizenship or lose it.
- Exception: Nationals of member states of the European Union and Switzerland, refugees and persons from states in which it is not possible to renounce foreign citizenship or only under particularly difficult conditions.
Your classification in the German living conditions is guaranteed, i.e. in particular that you are not married to several spouses at the same time.
They are committed to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law and make a declaration of loyalty (from the age of 16).
- That is, you do not support or have supported anti-constitutional or extremist activities unless you have credibly turned away from previous persecution or support.

Which documents are required?

Valid national passport or official identity document with photo
Valid residence permit
Civil status documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree or death certificate of the spouse), possibly with translation, legalisation or apostille
School, vocational, training and/or university qualifications obtained in Germany
if you are a student: current school certificate
if you are a student: current certificate of enrolment
if you are employed: employment contract and proof of income
if you receive a pension: pension notice / pension insurance history (issued by the German Pension Insurance)
if you are self-employed: business registration, current income tax assessment and proof of the profit achieved (for example, by informal certificate from the tax consultant about the net income or business evaluation)
Lease
Proof of health insurance coverage
Proof of retirement provision (e.g. real estate ownership, private life insurance / pension insurance)
Proof of renunciation or loss of previous nationality
Proof of sufficient German language skills (e.g. certificate B1); in children under 16 years of age, age-appropriate language development is sufficient
Proof of civic knowledge (e.g. by certificate "Living in Germany/naturalisation test") from the age of 16
in the case of minors: proof of custody (for example, in the case of divorced or unmarried parents, by custody order)
in the case of joint parental authority: consent of the other parent with custody
The commitment to the free democratic basic order and the declaration of loyalty are made from the age of 16 at the personal interview.

Further documents may be added depending on the individual case. Please note the following:

When submitting foreign documents, please refer to the information on the homepage of the Federal Foreign Office (www.auswaertiges-amt.de) under the heading "International Document Traffic".
Foreign certificates or documents must be submitted with a translation by an approved translator. You can find out which translator is licensed on the following website: www.justiz-dolmetscher.de/suche.jsp
The translation must be firmly attached to a copy of the document and sealed.

What are the fees?

The regular fee is EUR 255.00.
Fornaturalized minor children who have no income of their own within the meaning of the Income Tax Act, the fee is EUR 51.00.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

If a naturalisation guarantee is given, this is usually limited to 2 years; It may be extended. During this time, the release from the previous nationality must be effected.

Who should I contact?

The competent authority is the nationality authority of your place of residence.

Process flow

Applications can be submitted online or by submitting a written application:

First of all, an initial interview is required, among other things for the submission of the commitment to the free democratic basic order, identity verification and clarification, verification of the authenticity of foreign documents.
The naturalisation authority will check the requirements and decide on your application.

The further procedure now decides whether you are allowed to keep your previous nationality or whether you have to give it up:

If you cannot renounce your previous nationality or can only give it up under particularly difficult conditions, you will be naturalised with the acceptance of multiple nationality.
In all other cases, the renunciation of the previous nationality is required for naturalisation.
If your previous citizenship can be renounced before naturalisation, you will receive a so-called naturalisation assurance from the naturalisation authority. This guarantees naturalisation in the event that you can prove that you have been released from your previous nationality. You must then seek release from your previous nationality.
If, according to the law of the foreign state, the previous nationality can only be renounced after naturalisation or if this is only possible when you reach a certain age, you will be naturalised subject to conditions. You are obliged to renounce your foreign citizenship as soon as possible.
To apply for dismissal, contact the competent diplomatic mission in your country of origin.
Please prove to your naturalisation authority that you have lost your foreign citizenship.
If the requirements are still met, you will be given a certificate of naturalisation. You are then a German citizen or a German citizen.
Before handing it over, you must make the following solemn confession: "I solemnly declare that I will respect the Basic Law and the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and refrain from anything that could harm it."