German citizenship (Einbürgerung): requirements, costs and how to apply
You have lived in Germany for five years or more? What naturalisation needs today, what changed in 2024 and 2025, what it costs, and when a lawyer helps.
Last checked: November 10, 2026
The short version
Most people can apply for German citizenship after five years of lawful residence in Germany. Since 27 June 2024 Germany no longer asks you to give up your other citizenship. Whether your other country allows two citizenships depends on its own law.
The faster way after three years for people with special integration achievements no longer exists. It was removed on 30 October 2025.
What you need
- Five years of lawful residence in Germany, with your home here.
- A residence status that counts: a permanent right of residence, an EU Blue Card, or most residence permits for work or family. Permits for study, training, job search (also the Opportunity Card), temporary protection and some humanitarian permits do not count.
- Your identity and your citizenship are clear, usually shown with a passport.
- You support yourself and your family without Grundsicherungsgeld (called Bürgergeld until June 2026) or social assistance. There are exceptions, for example if you worked full-time for at least 20 of the last 24 months.
- German at level B1.
- A passed naturalisation test (Einbürgerungstest). People who finished school in Germany do not need it.
- No serious convictions. Small penalties, such as a fine of up to 90 daily rates, are usually not counted. This does not hold for antisemitic, racist or other inhumane acts.
- You commit yourself to the free democratic order of the German constitution and to Germany's historical responsibility, especially for the protection of Jewish life.
Spouses and children
- Married to a German citizen, or in a registered partnership with one: naturalisation is usually possible after three years in Germany if the marriage has lasted two years. The other requirements still apply.
- Children under 18 can be naturalised together with a parent, even if they have been in Germany for less than five years.
- A child born in Germany is German from birth if one parent has lived here lawfully for five years and has a permanent right of residence.
Time abroad
Stays abroad of up to six months do not interrupt your five years. Longer stays can. If you were away for a long time, find out before you apply how much of your earlier time still counts.
How to apply and what it costs
- Apply at the naturalisation office (Einbürgerungsbehörde) for the place where you live. Some offices, for example in Berlin, take the application online.
- The fee is 255 euros per person. For a child without own income who is naturalised with a parent it is 51 euros. The naturalisation test costs 25 euros.
- Plan for a long wait. The federal naturalisation website says to expect 18 months or longer.
Where people get stuck
- The current residence permit is one that does not count, for example a permit for study.
- Times with Grundsicherungsgeld, or an income that is too low for the family.
- Gaps in the residence time: a permit extended too late, or long stays abroad.
- Earlier convictions or an open investigation. The office waits until an investigation is closed.
- No answer for many months. If the office does not decide within three months without a good reason, an action for failure to act (Untätigkeitsklage) at the administrative court is possible.
- Wrong or incomplete statements in the application. Since December 2025, fraud blocks naturalisation for ten years.
How a lawyer in Germany helps
A lawyer can check before you apply whether your permit, your time and your income are enough, prepare the application so that nothing is missing, answer questions from the office, and go to court if the office does not decide or refuses.
Questions people ask
Do I have to give up my other passport?
Not for Germany: since 27 June 2024 you can keep it. Check the law of your other country, because some countries take away their citizenship when you take another one.
Can I still apply after three years?
No. The way after three years for special integration achievements was removed on 30 October 2025. Spouses of German citizens can still apply after three years in Germany and two years of marriage.
How long does naturalisation take?
It depends on the office. The federal naturalisation website says to expect 18 months or longer. A complete application helps, and a lawyer can act if the office stays silent.
Official information
General information, not legal advice. Rules change and every case is different: a lawyer checks yours.