Einbürgerung beantragen

The naturalization requirements, the procedure and the fees are regulated in the Citizenship Act (StAG). There are further special regulations for stateless and homeless foreigners.

The naturalization test is also regulated by federal law in the Naturalization Test Ordinance.

Foreign nationals can acquire German citizenship on application under certain conditions. As a rule, the following requirements must be met

• five years of legal residence in Germany
• unlimited right of residence or a permanent residence permit
• clarified identity and nationality
• commitment to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany and to Germany's special historical responsibility for the National Socialist reign of injustice 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 a war of aggression
• no conviction for a criminal offense
• independent means of subsistence (also for dependent family members) without social assistance and unemployment benefit II. Exceptions apply to persons who have been in full-time employment for at least 20 months in the past 2 years.
• Sufficient knowledge of German
• Knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany (civic knowledge)
• No polygamous marriages and no evidence of disregard for equal rights for men and women

You also no longer have to give up your previous nationality. Multiple citizenship is now permitted with the entry into force of the new Citizenship Act on June 27, 2024.

You can find detailed information on the requirements at

The standard fee for naturalization is 255.00 euros, and 51.00 euros for children under the age of majority who are also to be naturalized.

Fees are charged when the application is submitted.

Those interested in naturalization who have reached the age of 16 can apply for naturalization themselves. For younger persons, the legal representatives must apply for naturalization; these are usually the parents.

The authorities responsible for naturalizations are the district administrations and municipal administrations of the independent cities - in rural districts, the application can also be submitted to the municipal administrations of the independent municipalities, the association municipal administrations and the municipal administrations of the large cities belonging to the district.

The naturalization authorities provide free and non-binding advice. Advice is available regardless of whether an application has been submitted.

The naturalization authorities have application forms available. They will also clarify which documents you need to enclose with your application, saving you time and unnecessary queries.

Application forms are also available from the municipal and association municipal administrations in rural districts.