Becoming a German citizen - naturalisation rules in 2026

Under section 10 of the Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG) you are usually entitled to naturalisation if you:

• have had your lawful, habitual residence in Germany for five years;
• have clarified your identity and nationality, normally with a valid passport;
• hold a qualifying right of residence - an unlimited right of residence (for example a settlement permit, an EU long-term residence permit or EU free movement), a residence permit for Swiss citizens under the free movement agreement, an EU Blue Card, or another residence permit. Permits for certain purposes do not qualify, including studies, searching for a job or study place, temporary protection (section 24) and some humanitarian permits; the Quick-Check will tell you;
• commit to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law and sign a declaration of loyalty. Since 2024 this explicitly includes acknowledging Germany's particular historical responsibility for the Nazi regime and its consequences, in particular the protection of Jewish life, as well as the peaceful coexistence of peoples and the prohibition of wars of aggression;
• can support yourself and your dependants without Bürgergeld (SGB II) or social assistance (SGB XII). Exceptions apply to people recruited as guest workers before 1974 or contract workers in the GDR before 1990, to people who have worked full-time for at least 20 of the last 24 months, and to their spouse or registered partner living with them and a minor child;
• have not been convicted of a crime. Minor convictions - fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended prison sentences of up to three months - are generally disregarded, but not if the offence had an antisemitic, racist or other inhuman motive. Pending criminal investigations put the procedure on hold;
• have German at level B1;
• have knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany, usually shown by the citizenship test;
• are not married to more than one person at the same time and do not act in a way that disregards the equal rights of men and women under the Basic Law.

Your spouse or registered partner and your minor children can usually be naturalised together with you even if they have lived in Germany for less than five years.

Under section 9 StAG, spouses and registered partners of Germans should generally be naturalised after three years of lawful residence in Germany, if the marriage or partnership has existed for at least two years and the other requirements of section 10 are met. This route is separate from the abolished fast track and still exists in 2026.

Language: you prove B1 with a recognised certificate - typically the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ) at B1 after an integration course, or an equivalent exam - or with a German school-leaving certificate, a German vocational or university qualification, or similar. People of the guest-worker generation only need to show that they can communicate orally in everyday German. Exceptions also exist where someone cannot reach B1 despite sincere efforts (hardship), and for illness, disability or age.

Citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest): 33 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes; you pass with at least 17 correct answers. 30 questions cover democracy, history and responsibility, and people and society; three are about the federal state where you live. The fee is €25. You can practise the full official question catalogue in the BAMF online test centre. If you passed the Leben in Deutschland test at the end of an integration course with at least 17 points, that counts instead. A German school-leaving certificate also exempts you, as do illness, disability or age that make the test impossible.

In Berlin the test is offered by the adult education centres (Volkshochschulen). You can register at any Berlin VHS regardless of your district; registration and the test take place on different days.

Since 27 June 2024 Germany no longer requires you to give up your previous citizenship, and Germans who acquire another nationality no longer lose German citizenship automatically. Whether you keep your other citizenship depends on the law of that country: some countries withdraw their nationality when a citizen voluntarily acquires another one. Check with your country's embassy or authorities before you apply.

Since 1 January 2024, all naturalisation applications in Berlin are handled centrally by the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), Department S, at Sellerstraße 16, 13353 Berlin; the district offices no longer process them.

1. Quick-Check. Use the free online Quick-Check to see whether you are likely to meet the requirements. It replaced the former mandatory consultation appointments.
2. Online application. Applications under sections 8, 9 and 10 StAG must be submitted with the digital form in the Service-Portal Berlin. Upload your documents.
3. Pay the fee online (credit card or PayPal) before submitting, and save the PDF confirmation.
4. Review. The LEA examines your application and asks for further documents if needed. Applications are not handled strictly in order of arrival; completeness and up-to-date documents matter. The LEA states that it cannot answer status enquiries about pending applications.
5. Appointment and handover. If your application is approved, you receive an invitation. Naturalisation takes effect when the naturalisation certificate (Einbürgerungsurkunde) is handed over, after you make a solemn declaration to respect the Basic Law and the laws of Germany. The law provides for the handover to take place at a public ceremony where possible.
6. Afterwards. Apply for a German ID card and passport at a Bürgeramt. Keep the certificate safe: the original is issued only once, and the LEA can only provide certified copies (€51 in 2026). If you must travel urgently around the time of your appointment, the LEA says you can ask a Bürgeramt for an emergency travel document with your invitation and proof of travel.

Processing time: the LEA took over about 40,000 open cases from the districts in January 2024, naturalised almost 22,000 people in 2024, and receives up to around 1,000 new applications a week. Expect a long wait and keep your residence permit valid in the meantime.

• €255 per adult (and per child aged 16 or over).
• €51 per child under 16 applying together with a parent who has custody.
• If the application is refused, the full fee is still due; if you withdraw after processing has started, half the fee is due.
• Plus €25 for the citizenship test and the exam fee for a B1 certificate if you need one.

A child born in Germany to non-German parents automatically becomes German at birth if at least one parent has had lawful, habitual residence in Germany for five years and holds a permanent right of residence at the time of birth (section 4(3) StAG). Such children may also keep their parents' citizenship.