Naturalisation in Germany , Engagement: 2018.11.28 , format: Article , expanse: Integration

Tip:

Before submitting your application, information technology will assist to schedule an advice session with the dominance. This will help clarify any questions you may accept in person.

If yous are living in Deutschland permanently, you lot tin can become naturalised under certain circumstances.

To do so, you must submit an awarding. You lot can submit this application yourself once you have turned 16. Parents must make the application on behalf of children and juveniles under the age of sixteen.

You lot can obtain application forms from the responsible naturalisation authorities. The following will also inform you which authorisation is responsible for your naturalisation process:

  • the immigration authority for your boondocks or municipality,
  • the Youth Migration Services (JMD),
  • the Migration Communication Service for Adult Immigrants, and
  • the municipal or district administration.

Costs

Naturalisation costs EUR 255 per person. A fee of EUR 51 applies to minors who are to be naturalised with their parents. Minors who are to be naturalised without their parents must also pay EUR 255.

If you are on a very low wage or take several children who will be naturalised at the same time as you lot, the fee can be reduced, or payment in instalments can exist agreed.

Conditions

Important data

If one of these conditions is not fulfilled, yous are not entitled to be naturalised. It is however possible to obtain "discretionary naturalisation". This means that the naturalisation authority can concur to naturalisation if in that location is a public involvement in your naturalisation and some of the minimum requirements are fulfilled.

You are entitled to become naturalised if you lot fulfil the following conditions:

  • you have an unrestricted correct of residence at the fourth dimension of becoming naturalised, if you concur an EU Blue Bill of fare or a time-limited residence permit which in terms of its purpose may also lead to permanent residence,
  • you take passed the naturalisation examination (knowledge of the legal and social organisation, too as about living weather in Federal republic of germany),
  • you have had your habitual, lawful place of residence in Germany for eight years (this period can be reduced to seven years if you attend an integration course successfully, and can be brought downwards to equally few as half dozen years in the case of special integration measures),
  • you accept independent ways of securing a living (including for family members entitled to maintenance) without resorting to social assitance payments and unemployment benefit II,
  • y'all have adequate German language-language skills,
  • you do not have any convictions on account of a criminal offence,
  • you are committed to the free autonomous constitutional club of the Basic Law of the Deutschland, and
  • you accept lost or given up your former nationality (exceptions apply with regard to this point, depending on the country of origin; delight contact the naturalisation authority).

You lot will detect examples of this in the section on "Paths to naturalisation".

Arrangements applying to children/requirement to choose between two nationalities

Children born in Deutschland to foreign parents accept German nationality, in addition to the nationality of the parents, if one parent has been living in Germany lawfully for eight years when the child is born and has and has unlimited right of residence. Children must decide when they accomplish the age of 21 between German nationality and the nationality of their parents (Optionspflicht - the requirement to cull between two nationalities), unless they have grown up in Federal republic of germany or but have the nationality of another Eu Fellow member State or of Switzerland, as well as German nationality.

The naturalisation examination

By passing the naturalisation examination y'all tin evidence that you have the knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany that you demand in society to be naturalised in Germany.

You can utilize to sit the test at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees' exam centres.

What does the examination consist of?

In the exam you volition be given a exam paper containing 33 questions. You have sixty minutes to answer the questions, and must select the correct answer to each question from 4 possible answers. If you answer a minimum of 17 questions correctly, you have passed the test. You volition then receive a document with your test results from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

You can apply this certificate to provide proof of your borough knowledge to the naturalisation dominance, and may repeat the examination if you answered fewer than 17 questions correctly.

33 questions from unlike areas

30 questions chronicle to the subject areas of "Living in a democracy", "History and responsibility" and "People and society". Three exam questions will exist asked well-nigh the Federal Land in which you lot are registered as having your beginning identify of residence. An overview of all the important topics for the test is provided by the General catalogue of naturalisation test questions and the binding Curriculum framework for the naturalisation course. You will discover the Full general catalogue and the Curriculum framework past clicking on the link below.

Who must take the naturalisation test?

If you lot are applying for German nationality, you must prove that you have knowledge of the legal and social organisation and living atmospheric condition in Germany by taking the examination.

Exceptions:

  • You have acquired a High german school-leaving qualification.
  • Y'all cannot fulfil the requirements because of a physical, psychological or mental disease or disability or on account of your age.

Where can I take the naturalisation examination?

The local naturalisation regime tin help you with whatever questions you may accept well-nigh the naturalisation test. They will also tell you where to find the nearest examination centre at which you lot can register to take the test. Y'all tin can furthermore find a list of the examination centres in your Federal Land by clicking on Downloads at the bottom of this folio. It costs EUR 25 to take the naturalisation test. Delight remember to bring a valid identification certificate with you on the 24-hour interval of the test.

How tin I prepare myself for the naturalisation test?

The best way to set up for the naturalisation examination is by using the interactive list of questions in the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees' online examination centre (see the link below). Afterward yous have attempted each question, the right answer will exist displayed. The test consists of a total of 310 questions, of which 300 are general questions and ten questions relate to the Federal Land in which yous live. Yous tin can likewise complete a sample test paper. Once yous accept answered all the questions, you volition be able to see which questions you answered correctly, and can and then await at the correct answers along with brief background information.

Y'all can of course download the Full general catalogue of naturalisation exam questions and the lists of questions that relate specifically to individual Federal Länder as PDF documents from the Federal Ministry of the Interior's web pages on the naturalisation exam. The sample examination paper is too available here at Downloads. Some Federal Länder besides offering courses to help you ready for the naturalisation exam. You can obtain data about these courses from your local naturalisation dominance.

If you lot have to bear witness that you accept adequate German-language skills in order to become naturalised, you tin attend an integration form and obtain the "Integration course certificate". Part of the integration form as well consists of a 60-lesson orientation course which as well tackles many topics covered by the naturalisation test.

If you have whatever questions well-nigh the tests in the integration courses or on the naturalisation test, the Citizens' Advice Service at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees will be happy to aid you lot.