Naturalisation (Einbürgerung) is the step of becoming a German citizen. The rules changed in 2024 and again in late 2025, so it is worth going by the current position.
Can you apply
You can usually apply for citizenship when:
You have lived in Germany legally for at least five years.
You can support yourself and your family without social assistance (Bürgergeld).
You speak German at B1 level.
You pass the citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest), a civics test about life and the legal order in Germany.
You have no serious criminal record.
You commit to the free democratic order, including a commitment against antisemitism and racism.
There is one shorter path: the spouse of a German citizen can apply after three years of marriage and two years of residence.
Two things worth knowing
You can now keep your old citizenship. Since June 2024, Germany allows dual citizenship in naturalisation cases, so you no longer have to give up your original nationality.
The old three-year fast track is gone. The earlier option to naturalise after three years for strong integration was ended on 30 October 2025. The standard timeline is now five years.
Children born in Germany
A child born in Germany can become German at birth if a parent has lived in Germany legally for a set number of years. This runs alongside naturalisation and has its own conditions.
The citizenship test
Most applicants take the citizenship test. If you want to prepare, see our guide to the German naturalisation test, which links to the official practice questions.
Not sure where you stand
Whether your years of residence count, whether your income and record meet the bar, and which path fits you are the parts that depend on your own case. An immigration lawyer can look at your situation and tell you where you stand.
This is general information based on publicly available sources. It is not legal advice and it does not assess your individual case. Under German law, advice on your specific situation may only be given by a qualified lawyer.
Sources:
Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG) — gesetze-im-internet.de/rustag
Federal information on naturalisation — bamf.de and bmi.bund.de