Naturalisation / Citizenship
On 02.02.2024, the Federal Council passed the new Naturalization Act. The new law offers much better options to apply for a German passport.
What does this mean and from when onwards will applications under the new law be accepted?
The new law on German Citizenship (Einbürgerungsgesetz) – the decision has been taken
The new Naturalization Act (actually called the Act on the Modernization of Citizenship Law) was already approved by the Federal Council in February 2024. However, in order to come into force, a law still has to go through another formal process and also be signed by the minister, which is why the regulations will not actually come into effect until May or June 2024.
The current status of the legislation process and authority implementation
We have seen that some public order offices and naturalization authorities have already adopted to the new law and are already allowing applications to be submitted in accordance with the new regulations. However, the cases will only be processed once the law has actually come into force.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
When should I file my application?
Estimating a high demand of citizenship applications (including applications from numerous Turkish, Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan nationals), we expect the processing time at the authorities to take a considerable amount of time. The sooner you submit your application, the sooner you will receive your German passport.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
What are the main requirements?
Following the new law, a non-German Citizen will be able to apply for a German passport under the following conditions:
- Permanent right of residence or specific residence permits at the time of naturalisation.
- Habitual and legal residence in Germany for five years (applying from June 2024).
- Good command of the German language, at least at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- Sufficient income (including for family members entitled to maintenance), no need to obtain social welfare and unemployment benefit.
- Proof of knowledge of the legal and social order in Germany (Successful completion of an Einbürgerungstest / citizenship test).
- No criminal convictions.
- Declaration of commitment to the free democratic basic law of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Does the new law allow the applicant to keep his / her foreign passport?
Yes, dual citizenship is one of the the central achievements of the new law:
With the new law, a non-German national, who has lived in Germany for at least 5 years, can apply for a German passport (citizenship) without giving up his home country nationality.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Are certain nationals excluded from the dual citizenship option?
From a German perspective, the is no limitation on specific countries, so from a pure German legal perspective, everybody is welcome to hold both, the German plus the passport form the home country.
However, dual citizenship questions always have to be evaluated from both perspectives, the German citizenship law and the citizenship law of the home country law. If the home country says, that their citizens cannot hold a second passport, then this would restrict the option to hold 2 passports. To give an example: Indian citizens would be forced by their home country to give up their citizenship, should they like to become German nationals.
An overview of the country overview for dual citizenship can be found in our knowlegde base.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Where can I do the Einbürgerungstest?
Citizenship tests are provided by many different private and state owned institutions. Einbürgerungstests are only be accepted if the relevant institution has been recognised by BANF.
The registration of the test can be done directly in the relevant test centres. Once registered, you can then participate with the test on the chosen date. Please note that the participation will require the provision of a valid ID.
The questions asked in a German citizenship or naturalisation test are always the same. Each test questionnaire contains 33 questions, including 30 general and 3 questions that can only be answered for the respective federal state.
The questionnaire is officially published and with some German language skills and a little bit of learning is it possible for everybody to get successfully pass this test. Please also check our Knowledge Base for more information and to see the official list of questions.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Which German language skills are required?
Applicants for naturalization are required to have a good base knowledge of the German language: oral and written German language skills equivalent to level B 1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages.
The ability to speak German is an absolute necessity. Being able to communicate in German is essential for social and economic integration.
For more information on proof of sufficient command of German, please contact your local naturalization authority.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
How can Dwyer Legal help with the Citizenship application process?
To initiate the processing, please fill the below form.
Once done, we will then come back to you and discuss the concrete strategy and the further processing.
After an internal pre-check of your documents by our legal team, we will then provide you with a power of attorney and the fee agreement.
Once the cooperation has formally been set up, we will then guide you with collecting the documents, if required
As soon as we see a good base for filing an application, we will then hand in the documents set with the relevant authorities and will from that point onwards take handle the entire processing. All communication will go exclusively through us and we will specifically instruct you in regards to further steps to be taken and documents to be provided from your end.
Once we have received the approval, we will then also arrange your personal appointment with the Citizenship authorities.
Prepared in the above way, the processing of this appointment will then only be a formality.
At the end of the procedure, you will the receive your new Germany passport from the authorities.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Hope long will the citizenship application take?
As said above, the implementation of the new Einbürgerungsgesetz has led to an enormous interest. As a consequence, we also expect the Citizenship authorities to be confronted with a very high number of Germany Citizenship applications.
This will automatically lead to delays in the processing.
Still, the processing time will also be influenced by the way the relevant application is filed and by handling in everything in a good, well sorted and complete order.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Why shall I hand in my application though a law firm?
As mentioned, a good preparation and clear presentation of the documents is essential for a smooth and fast processing.
With our guidance and support, you will can not only be sure to everything prepared in the correct way when filing the application, but you will also take advantage of our excellent reputation with the citizenship authorities.
Filing the application through us will not only significantly rise the changes of success of your application, but will also help to keep the processing times at the absolute minimum.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
How much does the naturalisation procedure cost?
The lawyer’s fees are divided as follows:
- Preliminary examination and legal categorisation gross € 416,50.
- Mandate for submission of the application gross € 1.950,00. The fees for the preliminary review are offset.
The authority fees for the German passport application are € 255,00.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
What are the advantages of German citizenship?
Obtaining the a German national means that you will get the same rights as any other German national. Once obtained, the German passport can never be taken away from you again.
The following are a few of the rights and entitlements coming with obtaining the German citizenship:
- provision of the fundamental rights granted by the German constitutions
- unrestricted freedom of movement within Germany and Europe
- the opportunity to work and live as an EU citizen throughout the EU
- visa free travelling to many countries worldwide
- participation in local, state, federal and European elections
- Facilitation of family reunification and naturalization of close relatives
- access to social benefits
- provision and right to use a German drivers licence
- permanent right to stay and live in Germany
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Last question: Can I also apply for a German passport from abroad?
In general, citizenship applications do require that the applicant resides in Germany.
However, under certain conditions, German naturalisation can also be processed from abroad. As an example, ancestors of the victims of the NS-regime (who were forced to give up their German citizenship in the period between 30.01.1933 and 08.05.1945) can re-apply today for a German passport from abroad. Should you belong to this group of people, please contact us to learn more about the requirements and the support conditions.
Interested in a German passport? – Sent us a support request:
Please feel free to use our request form for citizenship to receive more information on the topic of Einbürgerung and our citizenship processing services. Working with our legal team, you have the best changes to get your German passport in a timely manner