Einbürgerung Verleihung der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit für Ausländer mit Einbürgerungsanspruch

Are you a foreigner and have been living in Germany for some time? Then you can become a German citizen under certain conditions.

On 19 January 2024, the German Bundestag passed the Act on the Modernization of Citizenship Law. Among other things, the law provides for a reduction in the required period of residence in Germany from 8 to 5 years and the general acceptance of multiple citizenship. The law is expected to come into force at the end of June 2024 at the earliest. Until it comes into force, naturalizations will be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the current Citizenship Act:

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stag/StAG.pdf

Please refrain from making inquiries about the new legislation at the moment.

Information on the reform of the Citizenship Act can be found under "Further information" - "Where can I find out more?" - "Questions and answers: Reform of the Citizenship Act".

Fortunately, more and more foreign citizens are deciding to apply for German citizenship. Unfortunately, the increasing number of applications also leads to longer processing times.
Applications from the 1st quarter of 2022 are currently being processed. We will contact you as soon as your application is in the final processing stage.

Please note that, for reasons of equal treatment, naturalization applications are always processed according to the date of receipt.

With naturalization you receive German citizenship and become an equal citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany with all rights and obligations.

With German citizenship you can, among other things

• exercise your right to vote in the federal states and for the German Bundestag,
• enjoy freedom of movement within the European Union as a citizen of the Union,
• travel outside Europe to many countries without a visa.

If you meet the requirements, you can apply for German citizenship through naturalization.

• The application form describes which documents are usually required in your life situation.

  Naturalization requires the submission of a variety of documents.

  Which documents must be submitted depends on your personal life situation.

To obtain German citizenship, you must meet the following requirements:

• You reside in Bremen.
• You have 8 years of domestic residence.
• Your identity and citizenship have been clarified.
• You are committed to the Basic Law.
• You are in possession of a permanent residence permit.
• You do not receive unemployment benefit II or social welfare.
• You are willing to give up your citizenship.
• You have no criminal record.
• You have sufficient knowledge of the German language.
• You have basic knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany.
• You fit into the German living conditions.

With the so-called "Quick Check" you have the opportunity to check without obligation whether you meet the requirements for naturalization. The "Quick-Check" is provided by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sports and Integration. You can find the "Quick-Check" under "Further Information".

Exceptions to the listed requirements are possible under certain circumstances. For further information, please refer to the FAQ section. You are also welcome to contact the naturalization authority for further clarification.

1. consultation

Before you apply for naturalization, a consultation with the naturalization authority is useful and recommended. For a consultation, please contact us by telephone (0421 - 361 - 88670). Telephone availability: Mondays to Thursdays from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. During the consultation, the requirements for naturalization will be explained to you and you will receive your individual information on the procedure. After a telephone consultation, we will be happy to send you the application form. Alternatively, you can also send us an e-mail (Einbuergerung@migrationsamt.bremen.de). Please ensure that you include your full name, date of birth and telephone number in your e-mail. You also have the option of informing us of your interest in naturalization by completing a "Contact form for initial consultation". We ask you to fill out the contact form as completely as possible.

If you are sure that naturalization is an option for you and you would like to forego a telephone or written consultation, you can also submit the naturalization application without prior consultation. Please use the form to apply for naturalization. This can be found under "Further information".

2. submission of application

Applications can currently only be submitted by post. Please ensure that you have completed and signed the application form in full. Please only send us copies of the required documents. The fees are only due when the naturalization authority asks you to pay the fee. Please refrain from making a bank transfer. Please send the completed application form and copies of all required documents to the following address:

Migrationsamt
Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde
Postfach 10 78 49
28078 Bremen
(alternatively: drop it in the in-house letterbox/Stresemannstraße 48).

3. examination of your application for naturalization

Once your application has been received, your documents will be checked for completeness. If something is still missing, e.g. the naturalization test, you can also submit these documents later.

Fortunately, more and more foreign citizens are deciding to apply for German citizenship. Unfortunately, the increasing number of applications also leads to longer processing times.

We will contact you again once we have checked all the requirements. If the requirements are met, the naturalization certificate will be issued with your personal details. You will now receive an invitation to hand over your naturalization certificate in person.