Naturalisation

Some advantages of German citizenship are:

• You can move freely within Germany and choose your place of residence and occupation freely (right to freedom of movement).
• You have the right to vote in Germany and to run for political office yourself (universal suffrage).
• You also become a citizen of the European Union (EU). This means you can live, study or work in any EU country without further authorisation.
• You can travel to many countries around the world without a visa. In addition, the visa application process is simplified if you need one.
• You cannot be expelled to another country or extradited to another country. 
• You are under the protection of the Federal Republic of Germany when abroad (consular protection).

To obtain German citizenship, all of the following requirements must be met:

• You have been living permanently and legally in Germany for at least five years.
• You can prove your identity and your current nationality(ies).
• You have an unlimited right of residence in Germany, an EU Blue Card or a temporary residence permit that can lead to a permanent residence permit.
• You have sufficient oral and written German language skills (at least level B1).
• You have sufficient knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany. Successful completion of the naturalisation test is accepted as proof. 
• You are committed to the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• You acknowledge Germany's special historical responsibility for the National Socialist regime and its consequences, in particular for the protection of Jewish life, as well as for the peaceful coexistence of peoples and the prohibition of waging war of aggression.
• You are able to independently provide for yourself and your dependent family members. This includes, for example, your spouse and your children, for whom you pay maintenance.
• You have not been convicted of a criminal offence, and there are no other reasons that would prevent you from being naturalised (so-called ‘grounds for exclusion’).

You must take and pass the naturalisation test if you are 16 years of age or older. If you have a German school or university degree, you do not usually have to take the test.

You can register for the test at the examination centres of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Your local naturalisation authority can provide you with a list of examination centres in your area.

Participation in the naturalisation test costs €25 (as of 2026). You can prepare for the naturalisation test via the online test centre on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Here you can also download the complete list of questions for preparation.

To obtain German citizenship, you must submit an application. You can submit this application yourself from your 16th birthday onwards. For children and young people under the age of 16, the legal representatives – usually the parents – must submit the application.

You can obtain the application form from the naturalisation authority responsible for your place of residence. You can find out which authority this is from, for example, your local or district administration or the immigration office. Your naturalisation authority can also tell you which documents and evidence you need to submit with your application. All evidence and documents must be submitted in German.

The application can take 18 months or longer to process. In some cases, the authorities may request additional evidence.

Naturalisation costs €255 per person (as of 2026). the naturalisation fee is usually €51 (as of 2026) for minor children without their own income who are naturalised together with their parents. Additional costs may be incurred, for example, for the naturalisation test, proof of identity or a language certificate.

If you become a naturalised citizen of Germany, you can retain your previous citizenship under German law. However, different legal regulations may apply in the country of your previous citizenship. You can ask the relevant authorities in that country whether dual citizenship is permitted there.

If you are eligible for naturalisation, i.e. if you meet all the requirements, your minor children and your spouse can also be naturalised. This also applies if they have not yet been resident in Germany for five years. The decision on this is at the discretion of the naturalisation authority.

Children born in Germany to foreign parents automatically acquire German citizenship in addition to their parents' nationality if at least one parent has been living legally in Germany for more than five years and has a permanent residence permit.