EXPLAINED: What you need to know about applying for German citizenship
Many people, including Brits, are considering applying for German citizenship. Here’s what you need to know about the process.
Those who live in Germany will be no stranger to its red tape and bureaucracy.
But it's not impossible to navigate through the system and actually become German. We’ve put together a guide to help you get informed about the process.
Why’s it important for British people to think about citizenship?
The UK left the EU at the end of January.
But due to a law passed by the German government, Brits who meet the conditions to apply for German citizenship will have until the end of the transition period (December 31st 2020) to apply.
And if they've applied during that time, they will be allowed to get dual citizenship and keep their British passport.
READ ALSO: 'No big bang but things will change down the line': How Brexit will affect Brits in Germany
This is normally only an option for EU citizens. After the transition period, Brits who apply for German citizenship would likely have to give up their British passport to become German.
After the UK general election in December 2019, Matt Bristow from citizens’ rights group British in Germany told The Local: “Assuming the withdrawal agreement is passed then it means that British people living in Germany have until the end of the transition period to apply for German citizenship, and still keep their British citizenship (assuming they meet all other criteria at the point of application).
“This is important for people who meet the criteria before the end of 2020 to get their applications in on time if they want to keep both.”
What about if you're not from the EU?
For other nationalities from outside the EU (and for Brits in future), becoming German will probably mean renouncing your current citizenship, but there’s also the option to gain permanent residency. You can read our articles and talk to your local authority for advice to find out what's best for you.
READ ALSO: 'Brits should try for German citizenship even if they think they don't qualify'
Permanent residency
If completely saying farewell to your Stars and Stripes doesn’t quite feel right, permanent residency to guarantee you can stay long-term might be a better bet.
The general requirements for these permits are that you have adequate German skills, can support yourself financially, have health insurance and have no criminal record.
Photo: DPA
READ MORE: How to secure permanent residency in Germany
For non-EU residents there's also the possibility of getting an EU Blue Card holders (people with a gross income over €49,600, or €38,688 depending on the profession) can get permanent residence after working 33 months, or just 21 months with a B1 language certificate.
Plus, self-employed people with a successfully established business can also apply within three years.
Germany also will grant immediate permanent residence to “highly qualified” immigrants, such as scientists, instructors or researchers, who also have firm job offers.
READ MORE HERE: How to get a 'Blue Card' to live and work in Germany
If you want citizenship
To become a naturalized citizen, you have to have lived in Germany under a limited residence permit for at least eight years. But you can also get this shortened to six years if you take a German-language integration course, which can be done fairly affordably through a local Volkshochschule.
But very crucially, you also have to know German.
“The ability to speak German is an absolute necessity. Being able to communicate in German is essential for social and economic integration,” writes the Interior Ministry.
So how good does your German have to be?
You have to be able to pass a B1 exam (or B2 in some cases, for example if you are applying after six years of residence and meet other integration conditions).
“Sufficient command is defined as being able to cope in German with daily life in Germany, including dealing with the authorities, and being able to conduct conversations commensurate with one’s age and education," says the Interior Ministry.
"As a rule, this includes being able to read, understand and orally reproduce a German text on a general topic.”
READ ALSO: ''Paperwork was out of this world' the ups and downs of getting German citizenship'
Anything else?
On top of that, you have to prove you can support yourself financially and have a clean criminal record.
Non-EU citizens must also give up their current nationality – except for in circumstances where this isn’t possible, like countries that do not allow citizens to do this. EU citizens are permitted to hold dual nationality with Germany and their native EU country.
Do I have to sit the test?
Yes. The naturalization test has 33 questions in B1 level German about the country’s laws, history and people.
READ ALSO: Quiz: Can you pass these German citizenship test questions?
"By passing the naturalization test you can prove that you have the knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany that you need in order to be German," officials say.
You can apply to sit the test at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees’ test centres.
In the exam you have 60 minutes to answer the questions, and must select the correct answer to each question from four possible answers.
Photo: DPA
If you answer a minimum of 17 questions correctly, you have passed the test. You will then receive a certificate with your test results.
You can use this certificate to provide proof of your civic knowledge to the naturalization authority. And don't worry if it all goes wrong – you can repeat it.
It costs €25 to take the test.
How much does everything cost?
You must pay a fee of €255 for the whole process.
A fee of €51 applies to children who are to be naturalized with their parents. Minors who are to be naturalized without their parents must also pay €255.
If you are on a very low wage or have several children who will be naturalized at the same time as you, the fee can be reduced, or payment in instalments can be agreed.
If you’re married or have kids
If you’re already married to a German, or in a same-sex partnership, this can make things way easier. Spouses must live in Germany legally for three years and have been married to their partner for at least two years at the time of application.
And the general requirements of naturalization also apply: good command of German, no serious criminal record, and the like.
Children born to at least one German parent, even outside the country, are also eligible for German citizenship.
But kids born inside of Germany to non-German parents – on or after January 1st 2000 – can also get citizenship under certain circumstances. At least one parent must have lived in the country legally and regularly for at least eight years and have a permanent right of residency.
Still, between 18 and 23 years of age, the child has to decide which nationality to keep, if they have more than one.
Is anyone else entitled to citizenship?
Earlier this year, the German government eased rules allowing the descendants of people who fled Nazi Germany to reclaim citizenship.
Relatives of people who left Nazi Germany before their nationality was evoked by the regime can now reclaim it under the new decree.
People who previously would not have been accorded German nationality, because their father was a foreigner and whose mother lost her German citizenship under the Nazis, for example, can now also benefit from the new rules.
For more information check out the official German government website here.
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Those who live in Germany will be no stranger to its red tape and bureaucracy.
But it's not impossible to navigate through the system and actually become German. We’ve put together a guide to help you get informed about the process.
Why’s it important for British people to think about citizenship?
The UK left the EU at the end of January.
But due to a law passed by the German government, Brits who meet the conditions to apply for German citizenship will have until the end of the transition period (December 31st 2020) to apply.
And if they've applied during that time, they will be allowed to get dual citizenship and keep their British passport.
READ ALSO: 'No big bang but things will change down the line': How Brexit will affect Brits in Germany
This is normally only an option for EU citizens. After the transition period, Brits who apply for German citizenship would likely have to give up their British passport to become German.
After the UK general election in December 2019, Matt Bristow from citizens’ rights group British in Germany told The Local: “Assuming the withdrawal agreement is passed then it means that British people living in Germany have until the end of the transition period to apply for German citizenship, and still keep their British citizenship (assuming they meet all other criteria at the point of application).
“This is important for people who meet the criteria before the end of 2020 to get their applications in on time if they want to keep both.”
What about if you're not from the EU?
For other nationalities from outside the EU (and for Brits in future), becoming German will probably mean renouncing your current citizenship, but there’s also the option to gain permanent residency. You can read our articles and talk to your local authority for advice to find out what's best for you.
READ ALSO: 'Brits should try for German citizenship even if they think they don't qualify'
Permanent residency
If completely saying farewell to your Stars and Stripes doesn’t quite feel right, permanent residency to guarantee you can stay long-term might be a better bet.
The general requirements for these permits are that you have adequate German skills, can support yourself financially, have health insurance and have no criminal record.
Photo: DPA
READ MORE: How to secure permanent residency in Germany
For non-EU residents there's also the possibility of getting an EU Blue Card holders (people with a gross income over €49,600, or €38,688 depending on the profession) can get permanent residence after working 33 months, or just 21 months with a B1 language certificate.
Plus, self-employed people with a successfully established business can also apply within three years.
Germany also will grant immediate permanent residence to “highly qualified” immigrants, such as scientists, instructors or researchers, who also have firm job offers.
READ MORE HERE: How to get a 'Blue Card' to live and work in Germany
If you want citizenship
To become a naturalized citizen, you have to have lived in Germany under a limited residence permit for at least eight years. But you can also get this shortened to six years if you take a German-language integration course, which can be done fairly affordably through a local Volkshochschule.
But very crucially, you also have to know German.
“The ability to speak German is an absolute necessity. Being able to communicate in German is essential for social and economic integration,” writes the Interior Ministry.
So how good does your German have to be?
You have to be able to pass a B1 exam (or B2 in some cases, for example if you are applying after six years of residence and meet other integration conditions).
“Sufficient command is defined as being able to cope in German with daily life in Germany, including dealing with the authorities, and being able to conduct conversations commensurate with one’s age and education," says the Interior Ministry.
"As a rule, this includes being able to read, understand and orally reproduce a German text on a general topic.”
READ ALSO: ''Paperwork was out of this world' the ups and downs of getting German citizenship'
Anything else?
On top of that, you have to prove you can support yourself financially and have a clean criminal record.
Non-EU citizens must also give up their current nationality – except for in circumstances where this isn’t possible, like countries that do not allow citizens to do this. EU citizens are permitted to hold dual nationality with Germany and their native EU country.
Do I have to sit the test?
Yes. The naturalization test has 33 questions in B1 level German about the country’s laws, history and people.
READ ALSO: Quiz: Can you pass these German citizenship test questions?
"By passing the naturalization test you can prove that you have the knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany that you need in order to be German," officials say.
You can apply to sit the test at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees’ test centres.
In the exam you have 60 minutes to answer the questions, and must select the correct answer to each question from four possible answers.
Photo: DPA
If you answer a minimum of 17 questions correctly, you have passed the test. You will then receive a certificate with your test results.
You can use this certificate to provide proof of your civic knowledge to the naturalization authority. And don't worry if it all goes wrong – you can repeat it.
It costs €25 to take the test.
How much does everything cost?
You must pay a fee of €255 for the whole process.
A fee of €51 applies to children who are to be naturalized with their parents. Minors who are to be naturalized without their parents must also pay €255.
If you are on a very low wage or have several children who will be naturalized at the same time as you, the fee can be reduced, or payment in instalments can be agreed.
If you’re married or have kids
If you’re already married to a German, or in a same-sex partnership, this can make things way easier. Spouses must live in Germany legally for three years and have been married to their partner for at least two years at the time of application.
And the general requirements of naturalization also apply: good command of German, no serious criminal record, and the like.
Children born to at least one German parent, even outside the country, are also eligible for German citizenship.
But kids born inside of Germany to non-German parents – on or after January 1st 2000 – can also get citizenship under certain circumstances. At least one parent must have lived in the country legally and regularly for at least eight years and have a permanent right of residency.
Still, between 18 and 23 years of age, the child has to decide which nationality to keep, if they have more than one.
Is anyone else entitled to citizenship?
Earlier this year, the German government eased rules allowing the descendants of people who fled Nazi Germany to reclaim citizenship.
Relatives of people who left Nazi Germany before their nationality was evoked by the regime can now reclaim it under the new decree.
People who previously would not have been accorded German nationality, because their father was a foreigner and whose mother lost her German citizenship under the Nazis, for example, can now also benefit from the new rules.
For more information check out the official German government website here.
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