Conditions applicable to the naturalisation of nationals from another Member State

According to § 10 paragraph 1 of the Nationality Act (StAG), there is a right to naturalization if the following conditions are met:

Entitlement to naturalisation exists, if the following conditions are met:

• legal and usual place of residence in Germany for eight years
• unlimited or permanent right of residence at the time of naturalisation
• clarified identity and nationality
• commitment to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law
• oral and written German language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• evidence of knowledge of the legal and social order and the living conditions in Germany (naturalisation test)
• independent means of securing a living for the person concerned and any dependent relatives
• guarantee of integration into German living conditions
• no criminal convictions

The naturalisation fee is EUR 255; for children naturalised with their parents: EUR 51.

The application must be submitted to the naturalisation authority responsible for the naturalisation candidates place of residence.

After successful participation in an integration course, the residence period is reduced to seven years. In the case of special integration benefits, the period of residence can be reduced to six years, e.g. if proof of German language skills at level B 2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or higher is required.

Naturalisation candidates from an EU Member State are not required to give up their EU citizenship.

In the case of habitual residence outside the Federal Republic of Germany, naturalization is only possible in exceptional cases if there are ties to Germany which justify naturalization. It is at the discretion of the competent authority and requires that a public (state) interest in naturalization can be established in the individual case (§ 14 StAG).

The competent authority for naturalization abroad is the Federal Office of Administration. As a rule, applications are to be submitted via the German mission abroad.

Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (Law on Citizenship)