Naturalisation and Citizenship
The new citizenship law comes into force on 27 June 2024.
The new law offers citizens of foreign origin much better opportunities to apply for a German passport.
Apply for naturalisation now to be ahead of the curve.
We accompany your naturalisation in two steps:
Initial discussion and professional preliminary review of your documents
Preparation and submission of the application – handling all communication until the naturalisation application is finalised.
Below is a description of our services with regard to obtaining a German passport:
Why Hire a Citizenship Lawyer?
You intend to apply for citizenship and may have already found out a lot about the requirements and the process. However, you may still be unsure of the details or you may just want to make sure you don’t make any mistakes when applying.
This is a good point to contact a lawyer.
A good and experienced nationality lawyer will be in a position to not only consult you in detail, but also conduct a full preliminary examination of you and your situation, just as if you were to speak to the competent authority.
The lawyer will give you clear and precise feedback on what is acceptable and what still needs to be changed before submitting your application.
Since the lawyer is bound by a duty of confidentiality, the discussion will also allow you to tell the lawyer about your background in a confidential conversation and discuss exceptional circumstances as well.
After your discussion with the lawyer, you will know what the chances of your application are and what you still need to do to make it successful.
The conversation with the lawyer can take place over the phone or in person. The more documents you provide the lawyer with in advance, the better.
At our law firm, the initial examination including the initial consultation is provided for a fixed fee of EUR 416.00 (which already includes VAT).
In addition to the consultation, we – of course – also offer the option to support you in submitting the application through our law firm. This does not only typically shorten the processing time, but also saves you the effort involved in the procedure. In the case of providing the lawyer with your mandate, the lawyer handles all correspondence in this matter on your behalf, so not only will he or she submit the application, but will also deal with any queries from the authorities. This way of processing also helps to avoid any direct authority questioning of the applicants.
Also this service is provided by us on a fixed fee basis, so to make everything as easy and transparent as possible for you.
Our fixed fee for individuals is € 2,360.00 (including VAT). The consultation fee will – of course – be taken into account.
The authority fee for naturalisation come on top. These fees are € 255.00 for an adult.
We are aware that you might also identify cheaper providers on the market. However, we see it as our obligation to provide all our clients with a high-quality end-to-end service,combined with the additional benefit of our deep inside knowledge into all legal aspects. Our gain is to always provide our clients with a legal support of the highest standards to bring your application to a positive conclusion as quickly as possible.
In short, all the lawyers in our citizenship team are highly specialised and will use all their knowledge to bring your application to a positive conclusion as quickly as possible.
Please note that at the moment we are currently only offering counselling in Germany and English.
Please send us your enquiry to get more information. Please also feel free to ask us about our family rates.
The new Naturalisation Act – the decision has been made
The new Naturalisation Act (actually: Act on the Modernisation 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 procedure and also be signed by the minister, which is why the regulations will not actually come into force until June 2024.
However, you can submit the application before then.
Ready to go for a German passport? Feel free to contact us for more information!
The current status of the legislative process and implementation by the authorities
It has become apparent that some public order offices and naturalisation authorities have already switched to the new law and in some cases are already approving and processing applications in accordance with the new regulations.
Ready to go for a German passport? Feel free to 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
When should I submit my application?
Exact processing times cannot be predicted in view of the expected high number of citizenship applications, but we expect that the processing time at the authorities will take longer, especially at first. It may well take up to a year.
If you involve us in the proceedings, our lawyers will regularly enquire about the status of the proceedings and also use our contacts to finalise the matter as quickly as possible.
Basically, the earlier you submit your application, the further ahead you are and the faster you will probably receive your German passport.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Which are the main requirements to apply for a German passport?
According to the new law, a non-German citizen can 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.
Want to check the chances to get a German passport? Feel free to contact us!
Are all requirements mandatory?
This text on this website is only describing the general options to obtain German citizenship under the new law.
Still, there are also exceptions form the above, which need to be discussed on a case to case basis.
In specific cases, German naturalisation can also be processed in different ways.
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.
Also, the requirement to have spent 5 years in Germany can be reduced to 3 years only, should the applicant be in the position to show that her or she has engaged in an outraging way for the German country. Good school or university grades or voluntary work can be good reasons to apply for naturalisation after just 3 years.
Should you belong to this group of people, please contact us to learn more about the requirements and the support conditions.
Can a German Citizenship applicant keep his/her original passport?
Dual citizenship is one of the key achievements of the new law.
From now on, foreign nationals who have lived in Germany for at least 5 years can apply for a German passport (citizenship) without having to give up the nationality of their home country.
You then have both passports.
Ready to go for a German passport? Feel free to 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 knowledge base.
Interested in a German passport? Please contact us!
Where can I do the Einbürgerungstest?
Where can I take the naturalisation test?
Naturalisation tests are offered by many different private and state institutions. Naturalisation tests are only accepted if the respective institution is recognised by BANF. You can register for the test directly at the respective test centres. Once you have registered, you can then take the test on the chosen date. Please note that a valid ID is required for participation.
The questions asked in a German citizenship or naturalisation test are always the same. Each test questionnaire contains 33 questions, 30 of which are general and 3 of which can only be answered for the respective federal state. The questionnaire is officially published and with some knowledge of German and a willingness to learn, it is possible for anyone to pass this test successfully.
Commitment to the free and democratic basic order of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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 the Dwyer Legal Knowledge Base for more information and to see the official list of questions.
Looking for 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!
Why should I submit my application via a law firm?
As already mentioned, good preparation and clear presentation of the documents is essential for smooth and fast processing.
With our legal advice and support, you can not only be sure that you have prepared everything correctly when submitting your application, but you will also benefit from our excellent reputation with the citizenship authorities.
Submitting the application through us not only significantly increases the chances of success of your application, but also helps to reduce processing times to an absolute minimum.
Interested in a German passport? Feel free to contact us!
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.