Germany is one of the countries, where many people aspire to live, work and study, so the demand for German citizenship is very high. Germany is referred to as a country full of bureaucratic procedures and red tape, so of course, even the German Federal Foreign Office admits that citizenship law is very complicated in Germany.
However, we have broken this guide into comprehensive sections, which can provide you with many tips and information, guide you through the application procedure, and show you how to become a German citizen.
What does obtaining German citizenship mean?
When you live in Germany as a permanent resident, this does not mean that you have the full qualifications of a German citizen. This procedure puts some restrictions on you, which is why many permanent residents in Germany seek German citizenship.
German citizenship gives you rights and freedoms that non-nationals do not have. You will have such opportunities if you are a German citizen:
The right to vote.
The right to freedom of movement and movement.
The right of assembly and association.
Right to protection from the German Consulate.
Unrestricted access to the German labor market.
The right to become a government employee, etc.
Along with all the rights enshrined in the German constitution, you will also have the obligations and duties of every German citizen. This includes integration into society, respect and enforcement of all laws, and even the possibility of German military service.
What are the ways to obtain German citizenship?
Becoming a German citizen will not be possible in all cases. But there are three main situations that can lead to your obtaining German citizenship.
Naturalization.
By right of blood or lineage.
By birth or land right.
Obtaining citizenship by naturalization means that you have fulfilled certain requirements set by the German government and are eligible to apply for German citizenship. The other type is by jus sanguinis and
means that you can obtain German citizenship if you are a direct descendant of German citizens. The “right of blood” includes only your parents and does not include any other relatives.
As for the right to land, “it means that you were born within the borders of Germany and on German soil, so it is possible to obtain German citizenship.
All persons except citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss citizens, must meet all of these requirements and be in one of these categories to obtain German citizenship.
Although the three previously mentioned cases seem quite clear, they each have their own rules and regulations, which we will discuss further in this article.
German Nationality
German citizenship means that after a certain period of living in Germany as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship. But there are many restrictions and requirements for obtaining German citizenship, so not everyone has the opportunity to obtain it.
Requirements for obtaining German citizenship
The requirements that you must submit to be eligible for citizenship are as follows:
You have lived in Germany on a residence permit for at least eight years, without interruption.
You have lived in Germany under a residence permit for seven years and attended an integration course.
You must prove your German language proficiency at least B1.
You need to be financially able to support yourself and your family without any help from the state.
Be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record or misdemeanor.
You must pass a citizenship test.
You must renounce any previous citizenship.
Your residence permit records are in the government system, so it will be easy to implement this clause if it is asked of you. As for proof of financial stability, you can send bank statements and other documents that show your financial and banking situation. It is also worth noting that, you must renounce all previous citizenships, unless your home country does not allow this or it is impossible to renounce your original citizenship. This impossibility is the case with many countries involved in conflicts and wars, such as Syria.
One of the most important requirements for obtaining citizenship, which you must prove through the test, is language proficiency. You can prove that you know German up to level B1 by submitting any of these documents:
German language certificate such as Zertifikat Deutsch.
You have a certificate that you obtained through an integration course, such as the “DTZ – German language test for immigrants”.
A certificate proving that you have completed a German secondary school.
Proof of admission to a German secondary school.
A certificate that proves that you have completed at least four years of study in German with a passing grade.
Proof of completion of higher education degrees in German.
If you do not have any documents proving your language proficiency, you can complete the government language test administered by the Nationality Authority. Either way, you must have the required German level to be eligible for citizenship or any other type of German citizenship.
How to apply for German citizenship?
If you can prove that you meet all the requirements for naturalization, you can begin the application process. People over the age of 16 can apply themselves. Parents and legal guardians of children under the age of 16 apply for it. The steps to apply for citizenship are as follows:
Get the application form
Since Germany is such a large country, each state and region has its own immigration office. Therefore, if you want to obtain a citizenship application form, you must obtain it from one of the following places:
local immigration office
If you live in an urban area, go to the city council.
If you live in a German regional area, go to the regional area office.
City Council or other local authorities.
Fill out the application form and start compiling a file containing all the documents, which prove that you meet all the necessary conditions.
Pass the German citizenship test
To prove that you are ready for German citizenship, you must pass a citizenship test. This test includes 33 multiple-choice questions about German life, society, rules and laws, as well as special questions about where you live. The test may take 1 hour, and you must answer at least 17 questions correctly to pass the test. When you pass the test, you will receive a certificate of naturalization, which you can add to your document file.
To prepare for the test, you can take an integration course, or simply read more information about German life and laws.
You can be exempt from the naturalization test if you belong to any of these groups:
You cannot take the test because of old age, illness or disability.
You are under 16 years old.
You have a higher education degree from a German university in politics, law or social sciences.
How much is the German citizenship fee?
There are also certain fees associated with applying for German citizenship through naturalization. These are the fees you must pay:
Application form 255 euros for adults
Application form €51 for children under 16 years old
Naturalization / citizenship test for 25 euros
Citizenship certificate for 25 euros
Submit all documents
Take documents that prove you meet the requirements for naturalization, such as your application form, receipts to show that you have paid all fees, and your certificate of naturalization, to the application office. The officers will review your file and, if approved, you will get a citizenship certificate. The certificate now proves that you are a German citizen and not just a permanent resident.
German citizenship by marriage
Persons eligible for citizenship are not only those who have had permanent residence in Germany for a specified period. If you have married a German citizen, you are also able to obtain citizenship. By applying for citizenship.
Foreign nationals already married to a German citizen must meet all requirements for naturalization and pass the test. However, they must also meet the requirements of marriage. The “marriage requirement” means that a foreign spouse cannot apply for citizenship unless the spouses have been married for at least two years, and have lived in Germany for at least three years.
German citizenship by descent
The second type of German citizenship is the right of blood
. “Right of blood” means that you have at least one German parent, father or mother, or both, and does not take into account whether you were born in Germany or not. You will obtain German citizenship by descent if your parents register you with the German authorities in the country where you were born before you are one year old. And if your parents are of different nationalities, you will get German citizenship; However, between the ages of 18 and 23, you will have five years to choose which nationality you want to keep.
If your parents are divorced, you can acquire German citizenship by descent only if your father recognizes you as a legal child according to the rules of German law.
You cannot obtain German citizenship if you were born in a foreign country and your German parents were also born in a foreign country after January 1, 2000. In addition, you cannot claim German citizenship through any other ancestors except your parents, including German citizenship through grandparents.
Another example of obtaining German citizenship by descent is if you were adopted by German citizens when you were a child under the age of 18.
As it turns out, German citizenship by descent is not an easy task in most cases. Obtaining the appropriate documents to prove your eligibility can be difficult and the application itself may take a long time to process. It should also be noted that dual citizenship is often not allowed in such cases and you may lose your current citizenship as a result of this type of citizenship. However, there are many benefits to obtaining German citizenship if you wish to continue your application.
Obtaining German citizenship by birth
If your parents are not German, but you were born within the borders of Germany, you can qualify for citizenship by birth or by right of land. This citizenship is obtained under the following conditions:
If one of the parents lived in Germany for at least eight years before the child was born.
If at the time of the child's birth one of the parents had a permanent residence permit.
To obtain this type of citizenship, the child will again have to choose the citizenship of the parents or the citizenship of Germany between the ages of 18 and 23. The child must renounce the citizenship of the parents in order to obtain German citizenship or to apply for dual citizenship.
Only children born after February 2, 1990 are entitled to this type of citizenship.
Renunciation of German citizenship
German rules do not allow its citizens to renounce German citizenship. More specifically, if a German citizen wants to renounce their citizenship to avoid an obligation to Germany, such as taxes or military service, they will not be allowed to do so, since they are not allowed to renounce citizenship, you can lose it under these circumstances only:
If you requested this from the German authorities or another country granted you citizenship.
If a foreigner adopts a German child, that child will lose German citizenship.
Your joining the military forces of the country in which you hold another nationality without permission from the German authorities.
If you acquire another citizenship, you will lose your German citizenship.
If your citizenship was obtained by naturalization and you lost it due to illegal activities.
German citizenship renewal
If you have given up your German citizenship in the past or lost it for reasons other than criminal activity, you can apply for reinstatement of citizenship. The procedure will be the same for those who apply for citizenship the first time, and you will have to give up all previous citizenships.
The law of loss of citizenship, dual citizenship or retention of citizenship is complex in nature, and for this reason, it is highly recommended that you receive advice from legal consultants who specialize in the field of German immigration law.