With naturalization, you obtain 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 local, state, federal, and European Parliament elections.
• Enjoy freedom of movement within the European Union (EU), i.e.
  • move freely within the EU,
  • work as an employee or self-employed person in the EU, and
  • travel to many countries outside the EU without a visa.

Naturalization becomes effective upon delivery of the naturalization certificate.

The competent authority is the citizenship authority of your place of residence.

Your competent citizenship/naturalization authorities.

• Application for naturalization
• Valid passport or official identity document with photo
• Valid residence permit
• Civil status documents, for example:
  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • Divorce decree or death certificate, if applicable, with translation, legalization, or apostille, if necessary
    • of the previous spouse or
    • the previous registered civil partner
• School, vocational, training, or university qualifications obtained in Germany
• if you are attending school: current school certificate
• if you are a student: current certificate of enrollment
• if you are employed: employment contract and proof of income
• if you receive a pension: pension notice and pension insurance history, which you receive from the German Pension Insurance
• if you are self-employed:
  • business registration
  • Current income tax assessment
  • Proof of income, for example, an informal certificate from your tax office showing your net income or a business analysis
• Rental agreement
• Proof of health insurance coverage
• Proof of retirement provision, for example:
  • Real estate ownership
  • Private life insurance
  • Pension insurance
• Proof of sufficient German language skills at least at level B1, for example with a B1 certificate
• Proof of civic knowledge, for example with a certificate of participation in the integration course "Living in Germany" or a naturalization test
• At your personal interview, you will submit:
  • Your commitment to the free democratic basic order and
  • your commitment to Germany's special historical responsibility for the National Socialist regime of injustice and its consequences, and
  • your declaration of loyalty
• For minors: proof of custody, for example, in the case of divorced or unmarried parents, by means of a custody order
• in the case of joint parental custody: a declaration of consent from the other parent with custody
• Additional documents may be required depending on the individual case

Notes:

• The competent authority may grant a reduction or exemption from fees for reasons of fairness or public interest.
• Additional costs may be incurred for the procurement of documents, translations, and certifications.
• Additional transfer fees may apply for transfers from a foreign account. 

• Administrative fee: EUR 51.
  00 Applies to a minor child who is naturalized with both parents or one parent
• Administrative fee: EUR 25.00 - EUR 255.
  00 Applies to rejection notices for adults
• Administrative fee: EUR 255.
  00 Applies to naturalization per person, also applies to minors who are naturalized alone
• Administrative fee: EUR 25.00 - EUR 51.
  00 Applies to rejection notices for a minor child to be naturalized