How to apply for German citizenship
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You have been living in Germany for some time, feel connected to the country and would like to finally become officially German themselves(r) yourself? The lawyers at RT & Partner will explain to you how you can apply for German citizenship can, which documents you need for this and how how the procedure works. This will ensure that you are well informed and you can look forward to your naturalization soon.
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Shahroch Taleqani
Dual citizenship and more: New naturalization law
On June 27, 2024, the new Citizenship Act came into force, which includes some important changes to obtaining German citizenship. The most important of these is the general authorization of dual or multiple citizenship. Under the old legal situation, you generally had to give up your previous citizenship in order to obtain German citizenship. Now that the new Naturalization Act has come into force, this is no longer the case. If this is also possible under the legal situation in their country of origin, foreigners in Germany can obtain German citizenship in addition to their previous citizenship.
In addition, the new law period of residencebefore you can apply for German citizenship, reduced by a whole three years. In cases of particularly good integration there is also an entitlement to naturalization after only three years of residence in Germany. In the next section, we explain which requirements you must meet for naturalization under the new legal situation.
Requirements for applying for German citizenship
In order for your application for German citizenship to be successful, a number of requirements must be met. What these are is determined in most cases by § 10 Para. 1 StAG (Citizenship Act). We explain these requirements in detail below. Alternatively, you can also use our simple and free naturalization check do.
Checklist: The requirements for naturalization
- Capacity to act
- Identity and previous nationality have been clarified
- Residence in Germany for at least 5 years (with particularly good integration: possible reduction to up to 3 years)
- Settlement permit or residence permit for permanent purposes
- Securing your livelihood
- Confession of loyalty
- German language skills (at least level B1)
- Knowledge of the legal and social order (proof e.g. by German school-leaving certificate, naturalization test or "Living in Germany" test)
- No criminal record
First of all, it is important that you 16 years old or older or older. The law requires that you have the legal capacity to act. However, this does not mean that naturalization is not possible for people under the age of 16. For naturalization applicants under the age of 16 the legal representatives (e.g. the parents) must submit the application for German citizenship on behalf of the children or young people.
Your identity and previous nationality must also be clarified. If you have a valid passport this requirement is not a problem. As a rule, many naturalization authorities also require a birth certificate in addition to a valid passport.
You must also have have had your habitual and legal residence in Germany for at least five years. have resided in Germany.
Exceptions:
With German language skills at level C1 and in addition to this special integration achievements, such as special voluntary work or particularly good performance at work, training or school, the naturalization authority can reduce this minimum period of residence by up to two years. In these cases, you can therefore after just three years of residence be naturalized.
There is another exception for the spouses or registered partners of German nationals: According to § 9 para. 1 StAG, they can apply for naturalization after 3 years of residence in Germany if the marriage or registered partnership has existed for at least 2 years.
If you wish to apply for German citizenship, you must be in possession of a settlement permit or another residence permit that not only for a temporary purpose purpose. Examples of such a residence permit include the EU Blue Card (Section 18g AufenthG), the residence permit for skilled workers (Section 18a or Section 18b AufenthG), or recognition of asylum (Section 25 (1), (2) AufenthG). A detailed list of all residence permits with which you can apply for German citizenship can be found here. As an EU citizen, you generally do not need a residence permit.
For naturalization, the livelihood of you and your dependent family members must be secured. This means that you should not be dependent on state benefits such as citizens' allowance or social assistance. We have explained what exactly applies and what exceptions there are here explained here.
In addition, as part of the naturalization process, you must commit to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law and to Germany's special historical responsibility historical responsibility. This is also known as a declaration of loyalty or declaration of allegiance.
Finally, you must have at least knowledge of the German language at the level B1 as well as sufficient knowledge of the legal and social order have.
Finally, you must also not have a criminal record have a criminal record. However, not all previous convictions are actually relevant. Further information and the exact details of the regulation can be found in our Article on previous convictions for naturalization.
Documents for applying for German citizenship
If you want to apply for German citizenship, you must be able to prove that you meet all of the above requirements. A whole range of documents and papers are required for this. Below we have listed some examples of the average documents required.
Please note that this list is not detailed and exhaustive and that the documents required in individual cases vary depending on your life situation and the respective naturalization authority.
Checklist: Documents for the application for naturalization in Germany
Usually necessary:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Residence permit
- Proof of secure livelihood
- Proof of sufficient pension provision
- Proof of knowledge of the legal and social order
- German language certificate B1 or higher
If applicable:
- Marriage certificate / divorce decree
- Passport, birth certificate and school certificates of your family members
Documents from abroad that are available in another language must be translated into German by sworn translators. translated into German by sworn translators. In some cases, foreign documents must also be legalized or issued with an apostille be provided with an apostille.
In addition, depending on the naturalization authority various forms must be completed and submitted with your application for naturalization, for example a declaration of livelihood and an employer and landlord confirmation. These forms vary from authority to authority. In individual cases, the naturalization authority may also request further documents. It is therefore advisable to seek legal advice throughout the application for German citizenship. This way you are always on the safe side and know that you are submitting all your documents for the naturalization application.
You can find more detailed information on the documents you need to apply for naturalization in our document guide.
Applying for German citizenship: What does it cost?
In principle, the naturalization authority charges a fee for the granting of German citizenship through naturalization in the amount of 255 euros per naturalization applicant aged 16 and over. Children under the age of 16 can be naturalized together with you. For these joint naturalizations, the fee is then only 51 euros per child under the age of 16.
You may also incur further costs. For example each attempt at the naturalization test costs 25 euros. The language test is usually subject to a fee, although the exact amount depends on the provider. Finally, costs may also arise in connection with documents from your country of origin, for example for the translation into German or for the issuing an apostille.
After applying for naturalization: The naturalization procedure
You have applied for German citizenship, but what happens next? First of all, the relevant naturalization authority must receive and review your application. They may contact you to request further documents. It will certainly take several months to process your application. Even before the new Naturalization Act mentioned above came into force, the processing time was often processing time was often around 12 months. However, the new law will significantly increase the number of applications for citizenship. It is therefore not unlikely that processing times will double.
We therefore recommend that you legal assistance legal assistance. Because experienced lawyers can potential problems and questions in advance and support you in submitting an application that is as correct and complete as possible. In this way, you can ensure that your naturalization procedure is not delayed due to errors in the application. During the ongoing procedure, your lawyers can ask the authorities on your behalf about the status of the processing and, if necessary, file an action for failure to act so that you can obtain your rights as quickly as possible.
FAQ on naturalization:
Dual citizenship - Which countries are included?
Good news for foreigners who would like to be naturalized in Germany: Since the summer of 2024, Germany has offered the possibility of dual citizenship. Anyone who wants to be naturalized in Germany no longer has to give up their previous citizenship - at least under German law.
However, the law of the country of origin must also allow dual citizenship. This is the case in most countries in the world, but not in all. Some countries have laws that allow the voluntary acquisition of citizenshipcitizenship of another country to automatic loss of the original nationalitynationality leads to. Although people from these countries can acquire German citizenship through naturalization, they cannot acquire dual citizenship.
To give you an overview, we have compiled the following list of all countries in the world countries. For each country, we have researched which regulations the national citizenship law makes regarding dual citizenship. So you can see at a glance the countries with which dual citizenship is possible in Germany in 2025.
Please note, however, that as lawyers admitted to practice in Germany, we can only advise on German law. German law. We can therefore assume no liability for the timeliness or accuracy of the following information. In addition, many countries have exceptions for certain persons (e.g. minors) or for certain situations (e.g. naturalization due to marriage to a German or dual citizenship by birth in Germany). dual citizenship by birth in Germany). Furthermore, dual citizenship is only possible with some countries if certain obligations are met. We therefore advise you to always consult a lawyer in your a lawyer in your country of origin for comprehensive information.
Interactive country table
Search the list for a country.
| Countries | Status |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan (officially, dual citizenship is not recognized under the Law on Citizenship; in practice, however, it is; only certain offices are incompatible with dual citizenship) | ✅ |
| Albania | ✅ |
| Algeria | ✅ |
| Angola | ✅ |
| Antigua & Barbuda | ✅ |
| Argentina (basically allows double SBS; unlike with other countries, there is no special agreement with Germany; the possibility of double SBS therefore depends entirely on German law) | ✅ |
| Armenia | ✅ |
| Australia | ✅ |
| Bangladesh (application for Dual Nationality Certificate required) | ✅ |
| Barbados | ✅ |
| Belgium (permitted since 2008, citizenship previously lost can be regained by application) | ✅ |
| Belize | ✅ |
| Benin | ✅ |
| Bolivia | ✅ |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | ✅ |
| Brazil | ✅ |
| Bulgaria | ✅ |
| Burkina Faso | ✅ |
| Burundi | ✅ |
| Chad (neither legally recognized nor prohibited) | ✅ |
| Chile | ✅ |
| Costa Rica | ✅ |
| Denmark | ✅ |
| Dominica | ✅ |
| Dominican Republic | ✅ |
| Djibouti | ✅ |
| Ecuador | ✅ |
| El Salvador (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Eswatini (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Fiji | ✅ |
| Finland | ✅ |
| France | ✅ |
| Gabon | ✅ |
| Gambia (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Ghana | ✅ |
| Grenada | ✅ |
| Greece | ✅ |
| Guatemala | ✅ |
| Guinea-Bissau | ✅ |
| Haiti | ✅ |
| Honduras (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Iraq | ✅ |
| Ireland | ✅ |
| Iceland | ✅ |
| Israel | ✅ |
| Italy | ✅ |
| Jamaica | ✅ |
| Yemen | ✅ |
| Jordan | ✅ |
| Cambodia | ✅ |
| Canada | ✅ |
| Cape Verde | ✅ |
| Kenya | ✅ |
| Kyrgyzstan | ✅ |
| Kiribati (only for citizens of I-Kiribati descent) | ✅ |
| Colombia | ✅ |
| Kosovo | ✅ |
| Croatia | ✅ |
| Cuba | ✅ |
| Lesotho | ✅ |
| Latvia | ✅ |
| Lebanon | ✅ |
| Liechtenstein | ✅ |
| Luxembourg | ✅ |
| Malawi (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Maldives | ✅ |
| Mali | ✅ |
| Malta | ✅ |
| Morocco | ✅ |
| Mauritius (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Mexico (only for native-born citizens or children of Mexican parents born in Germany) | ✅ |
| Micronesia | ✅ |
| Moldova | ✅ |
| Mongolia | ✅ |
| Mozambique | ✅ |
| Namibia (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Nauru | ✅ |
| New Zealand | ✅ |
| Nicaragua (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Niger | ✅ |
| Nigeria (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| North Macedonia | ✅ |
| Norway | ✅ |
| East Timor (Timor-Leste) | ✅ |
| Pakistan | ✅ |
| Palestine | ✅ |
| Palau | ✅ |
| Panama (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Papua New Guinea | ✅ |
| Peru | ✅ |
| Philippines (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Poland | ✅ |
| Portugal | ✅ |
| Republic of Congo | ✅ |
| Rwanda | ✅ |
| Romania | ✅ |
| Russia | ✅ |
| Solomon Islands | ✅ |
| Samoa | ✅ |
| São Tomé & Príncipe (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Sweden | ✅ |
| Switzerland | ✅ |
| Senegal (tolerates dual citizenship in practice, but officially only recognizes Senegalese citizenship) | ✅ |
| Serbia | ✅ |
| Seychelles | ✅ |
| Sierra Leone | ✅ |
| Zimbabwe (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Slovenia | ✅ |
| Somalia | ✅ |
| St. Kitts & Nevis | ✅ |
| St. Lucia | ✅ |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | ✅ |
| Sudan | ✅ |
| South Sudan | ✅ |
| Syria | ✅ |
| Taiwan (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Thailand | ✅ |
| Togo (only for native citizens) | ✅ |
| Tonga | ✅ |
| Trinidad & Tobago (only for citizens by birth or descent) | ✅ |
| Czech Republic | ✅ |
| Tunisia | ✅ |
| Turkey | ✅ |
| Tuvalu | ✅ |
| Uganda | ✅ |
| Hungary | ✅ |
| Uruguay | ✅ |
| Vanuatu | ✅ |
| Venezuela | ✅ |
| United States of America (USA) | ✅ |
| United Kingdom (UK) | ✅ |
| Vietnam | ✅ |
| Cyprus | ✅ |
| Egypt (dual citizenship is only permitted with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior; in practice, however, the lack of permission often has no consequences) | ❌ |
| Andorra | ❌ |
| Equatorial Guinea | ❌ |
| Azerbaijan | ❌ |
| Ethiopia | ❌ |
| Bahamas | ❌ |
| Bahrain | ❌ |
| Bhutan | ❌ |
| Botswana | ❌ |
| Brunei | ❌ |
| China | ❌ |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD) | ❌ |
| Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) | ❌ |
| Eritrea | ❌ |
| Estonia (not legally permitted, but native Estonians are not deprived of their citizenship in practice) | ❌ |
| Georgia (unless Georgian citizenship has been granted by presidential decree) | ❌ |
| Guinea | ❌ |
| Guyana | ❌ |
| India | ❌ |
| Indonesia | ❌ |
| Iran (does not recognize dual citizenship, but does not automatically forfeit Iranian citizenship) | ❌ |
| Japan | ❌ |
| Cameroon | ❌ |
| Kazakhstan | ❌ |
| Qatar | ❌ |
| Comoros (loss of native citizenship prohibited by the constitution; however, loss of citizenship in case of voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship simply regulated by law) | ✅ |
| Kuwait | ❌ |
| Laos | ❌ |
| Liberia | ✅ |
| Libya | ❌ |
| Lithuania | ❌ |
| Madagascar | ❌ |
| Malaysia | ❌ |
| Marshall Islands (only with the permission of the Cabinet) | ❌ |
| Mauritania | ❌ |
| Monaco | ❌ |
| Montenegro | ❌ |
| Myanmar | ❌ |
| Nepal | ❌ |
| Netherlands | ❌ |
| North Korea | ❌ |
| Oman (except with permission by royal decree of the Sultan) | ❌ |
| Austria | ❌ |
| Zambia | ✅ |
| San Marino | ❌ |
| Saudi Arabia (except with the permission of the Prime Minister) | ❌ |
| Singapore | ❌ |
| Slovakia | ❌ |
| Spain | ❌ |
| Sri Lanka (application for retention required) | ❌ |
| South Africa (except with a permit from the Ministry of Home Affairs) | ❌ |
| South Korea (Republic of Korea) | ❌ |
| Suriname | ❌ |
| Tajikistan | ❌ |
| Tanzania | ❌ |
| Turkmenistan | ✅ |
| Ukraine (Ukrainian citizenship can be revoked ex officio upon naturalization in Germany, but this rarely happens in practice) | ❌ |
| Uzbekistan | ❌ |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | ❌ |
| Central African Republic | ❌ |
How long will it take for a decision to be made on my naturalization application?
Even now, it usually takes up to 12 monthsuntil a decision is made on an application for naturalization. When the new law comes into force on 26 June 2024, the number of naturalization applications is expected to increase significantly will increase significantly. This will probably also increase the processing times by several months. If the authorities do not make a decision on your application for too long, it may be advisable to file an action for failure to act action for failure to act. Our lawyers will be happy to advise you on this.
Do you still have to take a naturalization test under the new Citizenship Act?
YesThe new law does not change the rules for the naturalization test. However, as before, you do not have to take the test if you are at least a German school-leaving qualification (qualificationRealschule, Abitur etc.)a completed vocational training with a grade in the subject of social studies or a degree in the fields of law and social sciences, social sciences or politics naor politics.
Can I get my foreign citizenship back if I have already given it up due to naturalization in Germany?
Whether you can get back your old citizenship, which you gave up for naturalization, depends on on the Rright of your originstaates from. According to German law, from June 27, 2024, when the the new Citizenship Act comes into force, there will be nothing to stop it.
Can I keep my citizenship if I have already submitted an application or have already been granted naturalization?
The modernized Citizenship Act (StAG) came into force on 27 June 2024. Since this date, the new legal situation has applied, according to which renunciation of current citizenship is no longer required for naturalization in Germany. In principle, the new legal situation applies to you if you are issued a naturalization certificate after 27 June 2024.
Before the naturalization certificate is issued, you will first receive an assurance of naturalization, which is usually valid for 2 years. Before 27 June, when the assurance of naturalization was issued, you were asked to submit proof that you had renounced your current citizenship so that the naturalization certificate could then be issued. You had time to do this as long as the assurance of naturalization was valid.
If you have received an assurance of naturalization before 27 June 2024, you should ask for a date to be set after this date to receive your naturalization certificate without renouncing your current citizenship. Our lawyers will be happy to advise you on this.
Can I apply for naturalization now if I want the provisions of the new law (dual citizenship, shorter period of residence, etc.) to apply to me?
The new law on citizenship comes into force on 27 June 2024, but the processing time for an application for naturalization is usually around 12 months. The decisive factor for your application is the legal situation at the time when the authorities make a decision. It is very likely that this will not be until after June 27. This means that you can, in principle, submit an application for naturalization now, which will then be decided according to the new legal situation. If a decision is made on your application before June 27, 2024, you will first be asked to provide proof that you have been released from your existing citizenship. If you do not do this by June 27, you will be able to benefit from the new law after this date and retain your citizenship.
However, this varies from authority to authority and also depends on how long you have been in Germany. Our lawyers will be happy to advise you on your personal situation.
I have already applied for naturalization. Can I still get dual citizenship?
The question of dual citizenship depends on the legal situation at the time you receive your naturalization certificate. If you meet all the requirements, you will initially only receive an assurance of naturalization from the authorities, in which you will be asked to renounce your previous citizenship.
This assurance of naturalization is usually valid for two years. As the new law comes into force on June 27, 2024, you can then be naturalized without having to give up your previous citizenship.
When and for whom is dual citizenship permitted under the new law?
According to the new Citizenship Act, since June 27, 2024, anyone who wants to be naturalized in Germany can now retain their previous citizenship under German law.
However, the country of origin must also allow dual citizenship. In some countries, such as Austria, China, India and South Korea, citizenship is automatically lost if you naturalize in another country.
A detailed list of countries with which dual citizenship is not possible can be found here.
Tip: Before starting the naturalization process, always check whether the previous citizenship may be retained under foreign law. You can inquire about this at foreign missions, for example. German lawyers are generally unable to provide information on foreign legal issues.
What will be the minimum period of residence for naturalization in the future?
Since the new law on citizenship came into force on June 27, 2024, the minimum period of residence in Germany is now only five years. It can be shortened to up to three years in cases of particularly good integration.
When does a child of parents with foreign citizenship automatically receive German citizenship at birth?
Since June 27, 2024, when the new Citizenship Act came into force, children born in Germany to foreign parents automatically receive German citizenship if one parent has been living legally in Germany for more than five years and has an unlimited right of residence. For children born before June 27, 2024, this period is still eight years according to the old legal situation.
