Apply for naturalisation for foreigners entitled to naturalisation

Prerequisite

• You have been legally resident in Germany for at least five years without interruption. Your residence must be permanent.
• Your identity and nationality have been established.
• You have legal capacity or legal representation.
• You have an unlimited right of residence or a qualified residence permit.
• If you are at least 16 years old at the time of naturalisation: You are committed to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law. This also includes a declaration against anti-constitutional or extremist endeavours, Germany's special historical responsibility for the National Socialist reign of injustice and its consequences, in particular for the protection of Jewish life, for the peaceful coexistence of peoples and for the prohibition of waging a war of aggression.
• You finance the cost of living for yourself and your dependants without recourse to public funds under the Second or Twelfth Book of the German Social Code (e.g. citizens' allowance, basic income support for jobseekers, social assistance). The receipt of child benefit does not prevent naturalisation.
• You are exempt from punishment. This does not apply: Educational measures or disciplinary measures under the Juvenile Courts Act, fines of up to 90 daily rates, prison sentences of up to three months that have been suspended and remitted after the probation period has expired.
  Convictions for unlawful anti-Semitic, racist or other inhuman offences are never disregarded.
• You have sufficient knowledge of the German language. You fulfil the requirements of the language test for the German B1 certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or have acquired sufficient knowledge of German by attending school or obtaining a school-leaving certificate.
• They have knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany. You can prove this either by successfully completing a naturalisation test or by providing a certificate of completion from a German general school (at least Hauptschule). The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees offers further information on the naturalisation test. Addresses and dates of adult education centres in Baden-Württemberg where you can take the naturalisation test can be found on the websites of the adult education centres.
• You accept the basic principles of the social and legal order applicable in Germany. Acts motivated by anti-Semitism, racism or other misanthropic behaviour are incompatible with the guarantee of human dignity in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and violate the free democratic basic order within the meaning of this law.

Note: There are many exceptions and special features to these basic naturalisation requirements that cannot be described here.

Naturalisation is excluded

• if there are factual indications that you are pursuing or supporting anti-constitutional or extremist endeavours or have done so in the past and cannot credibly demonstrate that you have turned away from pursuing or supporting such endeavours in the past,
• if there are factual indications that justify the assumption that your commitment to the free democratic basic order and to Germany's special historical responsibility for the unjust National Socialist regime and its consequences is incorrect in terms of content,
• in the case of an existing polygamous marriage,
• if your behaviour shows that you disregard the equal rights of men and women laid down in the Basic Law.

Responsible department

Is the naturalisation authority,

• if you live in an urban district, the city administration,
• if you live in a rural district, the district administration.

Procedure

Note on the Quick-Check: You can use the Quick-Check to check your chances of success for naturalisation in advance. All you have to do is answer a few questions. The quick check is a non-binding check to see whether you fulfil the requirements for naturalisation. The final decision is made by the naturalisation authority after you have submitted your application and all the necessary documents.

It is possible to apply online.

You are obliged to co-operate in the further procedure. If criminal proceedings are currently underway against you, the naturalisation authority will await their conclusion.

The naturalisation authority will carry out the necessary investigations. It will involve

• the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution
• the police
• the social welfare office
• the Federal Employment Agency and
• other agencies.

Deadlines

None

Required documents

• valid identity document (national passport or other recognised identity document with photograph such as identity card or ID card)
• Proof of marital status
• Proof of income, assets, health and long-term care insurance and pension provision
• For minors: Proof of custody or, in the case of joint parental custody, a declaration of consent from the other parent.

The naturalisation authority may request further documents.

Costs

• per naturalised person: EUR 255.00
• for minors to be naturalised without their own income: EUR 51.00

Additional costs and expenses may be incurred, for example

• for the submission of civil status documents or
• for proof of civic knowledge or language skills

may be incurred.

Miscellaneous

None

Appeal

Objection, complaint

Legal basis

Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG)

• § 10 Einbürgerungsanspruch für Ausländer mit längerem Aufenthalt; Miteinbürgerung ausländischer Ehegatten und minderjähriger Kinder
• § 11 Ausschlussgründe
• § 12a Entscheidung bei Straffälligkeit

Gesetz über den Aufenthalt, die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Integration von Ausländern im Bundesgebiet - Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)

• § 43 Absatz 3 Intergrationskurs

Verordnung zu Einbürgerungstest und Einbürgerungskurs (Einbürgerungstestverordnung - EinbTestV)

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 27.06.2024