Citizenship by naturalisation

You may be entitled to German citizenship through naturalisation (Einbürgerung) after five years of lawful ordinary residence, if your identity is clear and you meet the other conditions in section 10 of the Nationality Act. The former accelerated route under section 10(3) has been repealed. Other routes, such as section 9 for spouses of German citizens, have their own rules.

In short

• Under section 10, you may be entitled to naturalisation after five years of lawful ordinary residence if your identity is clear and you meet the other conditions. The former accelerated route under section 10(3) has been repealed; other routes, such as section 9 for spouses of Germans, have their own rules.
• Your residence right must be accepted under section 10 (1) number 2. This includes an unlimited right, a Swiss free-movement permit of the kind described there, an EU Blue Card, or another title outside the list of excluded purposes. Those exclusions include study under section 16b, an opportunity card under section 20a, vocational training under section 16a, qualification-recognition measures under section 16d, job-seeking after study or training under section 20, intra-corporate transfer under sections 19 and 19b, and temporary humanitarian titles such as sections 24 and 25 (3) to (5). The law lists further excluded purposes.
• You must be able to support yourself and your dependent family without Book II or Book XII benefits. Number 3 sets that test aside in three cases: the guest-worker or contract-worker generation, including a spouse who joined in temporal connection, when drawing those benefits is not their fault; full-time work now and for at least 20 of the last 24 months; and living in a family household with a minor child and a spouse or registered partner who meets that full-time work test. Drawing those benefits does not meet the test by itself.
• B1 meets the language condition, with the exceptions in the section. From 1 November 2026 the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer uses a new B1 score, set out below. Knowledge of the legal and social order is normally shown by the naturalisation test. The preparatory course is not compulsory.
• A Land authority handles your application and provides the form. The fee is 255 euros, or 51 euros for a minor child naturalised with the applicant who has no income of their own under the Income Tax Act. Section 38 also lists fee-free cases and allows a reduction or waiver for equity or the public interest.

What you need to know

Section 10 (1) says a foreigner who has had a lawful ordinary residence in Germany for five years, and who has legal capacity or a legal representative, is naturalised on application when identity and nationality are clarified and the numbered conditions are met.

Those conditions include a commitment to the free democratic basic order, and, under number 1a, a commitment to Germany’s special historical responsibility for the National Socialist tyranny and its consequences, in particular the protection of Jewish life, to the peaceful coexistence of peoples, and to the prohibition on waging a war of aggression (Verbot der Führung eines Angriffskrieges).

The residence right in number 2 must be an unlimited right, a Swiss free-movement permit of the kind the section describes, an EU Blue Card, or another residence title for a purpose that is not in the excluded list.

Besides the study title in section 16b of the Residence Act and the opportunity card in section 20a, that list does not accept vocational training under section 16a, qualification-recognition measures under section 16d, job-seeking after study or training under section 20, intra-corporate transfer under sections 19 and 19b (the ICT card and the mobile ICT card), or temporary humanitarian titles such as sections 24 and 25 (3) to (5). The statute names further excluded purposes. A study title alone does not meet number 2.

Number 3 requires you to support yourself and your dependent family without benefits under Book II or Book XII of the Social Code. There are three exceptions.

• The first is for the guest-worker and contract-worker generation: entry under a recruitment agreement by 30 June 1974 into the Federal Republic as its territory stood on 2 October 1990, or entry as a contract worker by 13 June 1990 into the territory named in Article 3 of the Unification Treaty, or joining as that person’s spouse in temporal connection, when the person is not at fault for receiving those benefits.

• The second is for someone in full-time work now who has worked full-time for at least 20 of the last 24 months.

• The third is for someone living in a family household with a minor child and a spouse or registered partner who meets that full-time work test.

Number 4 of the former list has been repealed. Number 5 concerns convictions. Section 12a disregards juvenile educational measures (Erziehungsmaßregeln) and disciplinary measures (Zuchtmittel). The latter include warnings, conditions and youth detention, and are different from a youth sentence (Jugendstrafe). It also disregards fines of up to 90 day-rates and prison sentences of up to three months that were suspended and remitted after probation.

Multiple fines or prison sentences are added unless a lower aggregate sentence is formed; one day-rate equals one day of imprisonment. The motive exception applies where a person is convicted to imprisonment, a fine or a Jugendstrafe for an antisemitic, racist or otherwise inhuman offence and that motive is established in the judgment. Standalone Erziehungsmaßregeln and Zuchtmittel remain disregarded under this rule.

Language at level B1 of the Common European Framework meets number 6, with the exceptions in subsections 4, 4a, and 6. From 1 November 2026, the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer meets B1 when Speaking is at B1, at least one of Listening/Reading or Writing is at B1, and the remaining part is at least A2 (section 10 of the Integration Course Test Ordinance, BGBl. 2026 I No. 306). Other B1 certificates are outside that scoring rule.

Knowledge of the legal and social order is normally shown by the naturalisation test. The test course is not compulsory.

A spouse or registered partner and minor children can be naturalised with the applicant even if they do not yet have five years. The former accelerated section 10(3) route is repealed.

Section 9 remains a separate route for spouses or registered partners of Germans: normally three years of lawful ordinary residence and two years of marriage/partnership, with its further conditions. Ask the citizenship authority which route fits; this page’s main checklist describes ordinary section 10 naturalisation.

Section 17 lists loss of German citizenship by renunciation, by joining foreign armed forces or comparable service or by taking part in fighting for a terrorist organisation abroad, and by withdrawal of an unlawful act. Section 25 is marked repealed. Acquiring another citizenship is not listed there as a ground of loss. Another country’s law may still forbid dual nationality.

What to do

1. Count five years of lawful ordinary residence, and read section 12b if you spent long periods abroad. This page does not recalculate interrupted residence.
2. Check that your current title is one section 10 (1) number 2 accepts. The excluded list includes a study permit, an opportunity card, vocational training, a qualification-recognition measure, job-seeking after study or training, an intra-corporate transfer title under sections 19 and 19b, and temporary humanitarian titles such as sections 24 and 25 (3) to (5). The statute names further excluded purposes.
3. Gather proof of livelihood, B1 language, and the naturalisation test, unless an exception in section 10 applies. The office that receives the application is a Land authority, and it sets the form. The statutory fee is in section 38: 255 euros, or 51 euros for a minor child naturalised together who has no income of their own. Ask whether an exemption or an equity reduction applies.
4. Read section 12a before you assume a minor fine blocks you, and before you assume every fine is ignored. The motive exception depends on the type of conviction and the motive established in the judgment. If you already hold another citizenship, read that country’s rule as well as sections 17 and 25.

Common mistakes

• Reusing the repealed accelerated section 10(3) route. Do not confuse its repeal with section 9 or other separate statutory routes.
• Promising that Germany always allows a second passport. Section 17 does not list acquisition of another citizenship as loss, and section 25 is repealed, but the other state may refuse.
• Adding up eligible years while drawing Book II benefits and assuming number 3 is met. The livelihood test has three statutory exceptions: the guest-worker or contract-worker generation when they are not at fault, full-time work in at least 20 of the last 24 months, and living in a family household with a minor child and a spouse or registered partner who meets that full-time work test. It is not waived for every worker.