How to get citizenship in Germany

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"Naturalization: To obtain citizenship through naturalization, certain requirements must be met, such as living in Germany for a certain period set by the German government. By right of blood: if your parents are German. By right of soil: if you are born in Germany."

German citizenship means permission to stay permanently in Germany. Anyone can leave Germany under certain conditions. They give you voting rights, consular protection, free movement and unlimited access to the German job market. There are also many advantages of German citizenship worldwide, and there is such freedom to travel from 218 possible countries to 176 without having to fill out a single visa.

There are three main ways to obtain German citizenship.

  • Naturalization: To obtain citizenship through naturalization, certain requirements must be met, such as living in Germany for a certain period set by the German government.
  • By right of blood: if your parents are German.
  • By right of soil: if you are born in Germany.

Getting citizenship by naturalization in Germany

A commonly used method of applying for German citizenship by naturalization.There is various documentation provide that must be met before applying. Includes:

  1. The basic requirement is a minimum of 8 years of living in Germany with a residence permit.
  2. You must reside in Germany with a residence permit of 7 years and participate in integrated courses 
  3. You must pass at least B1 German language proficiency.
  4. You must be financially able to support yourself and your family without any help from the state
  5. You must be a lawless citizen who has no criminal record
  6. You must pass a citizenship test
  7. You must renounce any previous citizenships
  8. ‘Zertifikat’  Deutsch A German language certificate. 
  9. A “DTZ – German test for immigrants” certification.
  10. Passed the citizenship test previous citizenship. should be Renouncing.

Where to Apply for citizenship by naturalization

Applications for citizenship can be made at the City’s Regional Immigration Bureau, Regional District Offices, or the following offices of the town council and city council: For adults and children under 16 years, the cost of the application is EUR 255, EUR 51.

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Additional documents:

If you apply through naturalization, you must provide additional documentation along with the form to prove that you meet the standard requirements.

  • Bank statements 
  • German residence records
  • Certificate of German language skills.
  • fees Receipts to show you’ve paid amount.
  • Naturalization certificate from passing the citizenship test

What is By right of blood and By right of soil citizenship :

If your parents are German, you will automatically acquire German citizenship without any further action, according to your blood rights. Also, if you were born in Germany, you often automatically get German citizenship. This is called “by the right of the soil.”There are also additional ways to get German citizenship

  • How to Getting German citizenship by marriage

Getting German citizenship by marriage is another way, but you need to apply for naturalization. The only difference is that you do not need to fully meet the residence period for naturalization But you must fully meet additional requirements, that is Certificate of passing the naturalization test German written and oral knowledge, etc.

You must have been married for at least two years and have at least three years of legal status in Germany to qualify.
  • German Citizenship by Descent

By right of blood means Citizenship by descent.If your child was born to at least one German parent, in a decent manner, your child is automatically born and then considered a German citizen. This is regardless of whether the child was born in Germany or abroad. In addition, if your parents are divorced, you will be able to obtain German citizenship by descent only if you have determined that you are a legal child according to the rules of German law.

However, if a German parent born abroad on or after January 1, 2000. and who has not returned to Germany has a child outside Germany, the child cannot be made a German citizen by a descendant. If one of your parents is a German citizen, remember that you can only obtain German citizenship by descent.

Only in very special cases can you apply for dual citizenship. German dual citizenship is reserved only for certain categories of people, such as:

  • An EU citizen of any of the former Soviet countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom, a dual citizen of Germany and the United States.
  • Persons who have been granted dual citizenship by German authorities
  • People from countries that do not allow them to give up their nationality
  • Germans with different EU or Swiss nationalities.

If you hold dual citizenship in Germany, you are still considered a German citizen and have the same rights as a German citizen while living in Germany.