German citizenship: when you can apply and what it takes
Facts as of 09/2026 · re-checked at least every 6 months · by Benjamin Farmer
The short answer
After five years of lawful residence in Germany, under § 10 of the Nationality Act (StAG) as of September 2026. The three-year fast track was removed with effect from 30 October 2025. You need B1 German, a pass in the 33-question naturalisation test (17 correct answers), an income that does not rely on basic income support or social assistance, and no relevant criminal record. An EU Blue Card or a skilled worker permit under § 18a or § 18b is enough, so you do not need permanent residence first. Germany no longer asks you to give up your old nationality, but your home country may: India does not allow dual citizenship. The fee is 255 euros per adult.
- Residence required
- 5 years lawful habitual residence, § 10 (1) StAG
- Three-year route
- Removed with effect from 30 October 2025
- German level
- B1, § 10 (4) StAG
- Naturalisation test
- 33 questions, 17 to pass, 60 minutes, 25 euros
- Fee
- 255 euros per adult, 51 euros per child naturalised with a parent, § 38 StAG
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted by Germany since 27 June 2024
- Qualifying permits
- Unlimited residence, EU Blue Card, § 18a/18b permit; not § 16b, § 19 or § 20a
- Short criminal record
- Fines up to 90 daily rates disregarded, § 12a StAG
How many years do I have to live in Germany before I can apply?
Five years. § 10 (1) sentence 1 StAG gives a legal claim to naturalisation after five years of lawful habitual residence in Germany, provided the other conditions are met. The shorter route after three years for special integration achievements no longer exists: § 10 (3) now reads weggefallen, and asyl.net reported in October 2025 that the change took effect on 30 October 2025.
Do I need permanent residence before I can apply?
No, not with the usual work permits. § 10 (1) no. 2 StAG accepts an unlimited right of residence, an EU Blue Card, or a residence permit for any purpose not on its exclusion list. That list names §§ 16a, 16b, 16d, 16e, 16f, 17, 18f, 19, 19b, 19e, 20, 20a and a few humanitarian permits of the Residence Act, but not § 18a or § 18b. A skilled worker permit therefore qualifies as it is.
Which permits do not qualify at the moment I apply?
A student permit under § 16b, the intra-corporate transfer permit under § 19, the Opportunity Card under § 20a and the permit to look for work after studies or training under § 20 AufenthG all sit on the exclusion list of § 10 (1) no. 2 StAG. The list governs the permit you hold when you are naturalised. If you are still on one of these, the step before citizenship is a change to a work permit, not waiting longer.
Do my years as a student count towards the five years?
The law does not say they are excluded. The five years in § 10 (1) sentence 1 StAG are worded as lawful habitual residence, while the exclusion list in no. 2 concerns the permit you hold at the time of naturalisation, not the permits you held before. How your earlier years are counted in your own case is decided by the naturalisation authority; ask them before you rely on a date.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship?
Not for Germany. Berlin's immigration office states in its FAQ (as of 01.08.2025) that since 27 June 2024 applicants no longer have to give up their previous citizenship, and the old rule in § 12 StAG now reads weggefallen. Whether you keep your first passport is decided by the law of the other country, and that is where people get caught out.
What happens to my Indian citizenship if I become German?
You lose it. The Consulate General of India in Hamburg states that the Government of India does not allow dual citizenship, and the Munich consulate's checklist describes Indian citizenship as ceasing under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 once another nationality is acquired voluntarily. The Indian passport then has to be surrendered; the Munich consulate lists a fee of 22 euros for that step.
How good does my German have to be?
B1 of the Common European Framework, under § 10 (4) sentence 1 StAG. Children under 16 only need age-appropriate German. § 10 (4a) allows a lower bar, oral everyday communication, if you prove that serious and sustained efforts to reach B1 have failed or are permanently much harder for you. The BAMF accepts the integration course certificate if you reached B1 in the German test for immigrants (DTZ).
What is the naturalisation test?
A supervised multiple-choice test of 33 questions in 60 minutes, which you pass with at least 17 correct answers, under § 1 (2) and (3) EinbTestV. Three questions concern the state you live in. They are drawn from a public catalogue of 310 questions, 300 general and 10 per state. The BAMF charges 25 euros per attempt, and you can resit it if you fail.
Who does not have to take the test?
Anyone with a German school-leaving certificate, and anyone who cannot meet the requirement because of illness, disability or age, according to the BAMF and § 10 (6) StAG. People who finished an integration course can use the certificate instead, if they answered at least 17 of 33 questions correctly in the Leben in Deutschland test at the end of it.
When should I take the test and the B1 exam?
Early, well before your fifth year is up. On its page dated 14 September 2026 the BAMF said it was evaluating tests taken up to 1 July 2026, so results were arriving roughly ten weeks after the exam. Berlin's immigration office says its documents must not be older than six months, but that rule does not apply to the naturalisation test, the Leben in Deutschland test or language certificates. A result you already hold cannot delay you.
Can I be naturalised if I have received benefits?
Only with one of the exceptions in the law. § 10 (1) no. 3 StAG requires that you support yourself and your dependants without benefits under Book II or Book XII of the Social Code, which the BAMF describes as Bürgergeld or other benefits under those two books. For skilled workers the relevant exception is no. 3 (b): you work full time and have done so for at least 20 of the last 24 months. Under (c), the same covers a spouse living with that person and a minor child.
Does a criminal conviction rule me out?
Not a small one. § 12a (1) StAG disregards fines of up to 90 daily rates and suspended prison sentences of up to three months once the probation is over; several convictions are added together. That leniency does not apply to antisemitic, racist or other inhuman motives. Foreign convictions count under § 12a (2) and must be listed in the application, and an open investigation suspends the decision until it ends.
What do I have to declare in the application?
Two commitments. Under § 10 (1) nos. 1 and 1a StAG you commit to the free democratic basic order and to Germany's historical responsibility for the Nazi regime, including the protection of Jewish life and the ban on wars of aggression. § 11 no. 1a excludes naturalisation where facts suggest the commitment is untrue, and § 37 has the authority send applicants' data from age 16 to the domestic intelligence services for checking.
How much does naturalisation cost?
255 euros per adult under § 38 (2) StAG, and 51 euros for a minor child without income who is naturalised together with a parent. A child naturalised alone pays the full 255 euros, according to the BAMF. If the application is refused or withdrawn after processing began, the fee is 25 euros up to the full amount. The BAMF says the fee can be reduced or paid in instalments on a low income; the 25-euro test comes on top.
Can my spouse and children be naturalised with me?
Yes, even if they have lived here for less than five years. § 10 (2) StAG lets the spouse or registered partner and minor children be naturalised together with you, as long as they meet the other conditions of § 10 (1). A different rule applies if your spouse is already German: § 9 (1) StAG asks for three years of residence and a marriage that has lasted two years.
Will my child born in Germany be German automatically?
Only if one parent has an unlimited right of residence. § 4 (3) StAG requires five years of lawful habitual residence and an unlimited right, such as a settlement permit. An EU Blue Card is time-limited, so a parent can qualify for their own naturalisation with it but cannot pass on citizenship by birth. In that case the child can be naturalised with the parent under § 10 (2) for 51 euros.
Can I spend time abroad without resetting the clock?
Up to six months per stay. § 12b (1) StAG says stays abroad of up to six months do not interrupt your residence; longer ones only do not if you return within a period the immigration authority set beforehand. Residence normally ends if time abroad adds up to more than half of the required period. If it is interrupted, up to three years of earlier residence can still be credited under § 12b (2).
How long does the procedure take, and where do I apply?
No law sets a processing time, and the offices do not promise one. You apply to the naturalisation authority of your city or district; the BAMF says the local Ausländerbehörde can tell you which office that is. In Berlin, applications go online only. The office there reports up to 1,000 applications a week and almost 22,000 naturalisations in 2024, against about 9,000 in 2023, and gives no forecast for individual cases.
When exactly do I become German?
On the day you receive the naturalisation certificate. § 16 StAG makes naturalisation effective when the certificate is handed over, after you make a solemn declaration to respect the Basic Law. Until then you are not German, even with a positive decision. Nothing here is legal advice; for a refusal or a criminal record, a specialist lawyer is the right address. Our placement work is free for you because the employer pays, and it ends with the job.
Common mistakes
- Applying for a German passport before checking your home country's law. India ends your Indian citizenship when you become German, and the Indian passport has to be surrendered.
- Waiting for a settlement permit first. An EU Blue Card or a § 18a/18b permit already counts under § 10 (1) no. 2 StAG.
- Planning with the three-year route. It was removed with effect from 30 October 2025; five years is the rule.
- Booking the naturalisation test late. The BAMF was evaluating tests about ten weeks after the exam date in September 2026.
- Leaving foreign convictions out of the application. § 12a (4) StAG requires them to be listed.
- Assuming a child born here is German because the parent holds a Blue Card. § 4 (3) StAG needs an unlimited right of residence.
- Staying abroad for more than six months without a return period set by the immigration authority in advance.
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Benjamin Farmer
Executive German coach and licensed § 34d insurance broker in Bavaria. I coach international professionals on exactly these steps every week, and run a placement service that introduces them directly to German employers.
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This guide is general information for orientation — not legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; the facts above were last verified 09/2026 against the sources listed below and are re-checked at least every six months — monthly where the figures move. For decisions about your specific case, rely on the responsible authority or on qualified professionals. We do not give legal or tax advice — where your case needs it, we will arrange a review by an immigration lawyer or a tax adviser on request.
Sources: § 10 StAG — Einbürgerung · § 4 StAG — Erwerb durch Geburt · § 9 StAG — Ehegatten Deutscher · § 11 StAG — Ausschlussgründe · § 12a StAG — Verurteilungen · § 12b StAG — Auslandsaufenthalte · § 16 StAG — Einbürgerungsurkunde · § 37 StAG — Datenübermittlung · § 38 StAG — Gebühren · Einbürgerungstestverordnung (EinbTestV) · BAMF — Einbürgerung in Deutschland (14.09.2026) · Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin — Einbürgerung, FAQ (Stand 01.08.2025) · Service Berlin — Einbürgerung beantragen · asyl.net — Änderungen des Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetzes am 30.10.2025 in Kraft getreten · Deutscher Bundestag — Einbürgerung nach drei Jahren soll abgeschafft werden (2025) · Consulate General of India, Hamburg — Citizenship information · Consulate General of India, Munich — Surrender of Indian passport, checklist