Naturalization grants you German citizenship. This makes you an equal citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany with all the associated rights and obligations.

With German citizenship, you can, among other things

• exercise your right to vote in local elections, state elections, and elections to the German Bundestag and the European Parliament.
• 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.

If you meet the requirements, you and your minor child can be naturalized even if you have not been legally resident in Germany for five years.

Naturalization takes effect upon delivery of the naturalization certificate.

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

• You must have been legally resident in Germany for 5 years. If you have been married or in a registered civil partnership for at least 2 years, the required period of residence can be reduced to 4 years.
• Your minor child can be naturalized with you if you have custody of the child and live with them in a family community. The child to be naturalized must have been residing in Germany for three years.
• Your identity and nationality must be clear.
• You have legal capacity or are legally represented. In the naturalization process, you generally have legal capacity if you are 16 years of age or older.
• You have a permanent right of residence at the time of naturalization, for example:
  • a settlement permit or
  • another permanent residence permit.
  • A residence permit for the purpose of studying, for example, is not suitable for naturalization.
• You can provide for yourself and your dependents without receiving certain public benefits.
• You have not been convicted of a criminal offense. If you are currently under investigation on suspicion of a criminal offense, the citizenship authority will suspend the naturalization process until the proceedings have been concluded.
• You have sufficient knowledge of the German language, at least at level B1. This does not apply, for example,
  • if you are unable to meet this requirement due to a physical, mental, or psychological illness or disability, or due to your age.
  • For minor children who have not yet reached the age of 16, age-appropriate language development is sufficient.
• You have civic knowledge. You do not have to prove civic knowledge if
  • you are unable to do so due to a physical, mental, or psychological illness or disability, or due to your age, or
  • you have a German school, college, or university degree, or
  • you entered the country as a guest worker before June 30, 1974, or you entered the country as the spouse of this person at around the same time, or
  • you entered the country as a contract worker before October 2, 1990, or you followed as the spouse of this person within a reasonable period of time.
• You are not married to more than one person at the same time.
• You are committed to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law and have made a declaration of loyalty. This means that
  • you do not support any anti-constitutional or extremist activities
  • if you have supported such activities in the past, you must have credibly renounced them.
• You are committed to Germany's special historical responsibility for the National Socialist regime of injustice and its consequences, in particular
  • for the protection of Jewish life and
  • the peaceful coexistence of peoples and
  • the prohibition of waging wars of aggression.

• 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
• 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 profits earned, for example, through an informal certificate from the tax office regarding 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 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 minor children to be naturalized
• Administrative fee: EUR 51.
  00 Applies to a minor child who is being naturalized with both parents or one parent