German Citizenship

Here are the conditions on which you can get German citizenship below:

• You were born to German parents.
• You were born to foreign nationals in Germany for a long time.
• You have held the EU Blue Card, been a permanent resident or held a German residence permit that is a route to citizenship.
• You wrote and passed the naturalization test.
• You have been married to or been a registered partner (in the case of same-sex relationships) of a German citizen for at least 3 years.
• You have lived in Germany lawfully for 6 to 8 years.
• You can take care of your family size in Germany without government support like social assistance and unemployment benefits.
• You have a sufficient knowledge of the German language.
• You have not been convicted of any criminal offense.
• You gave up or lost your previous nationality.
• You are committed to obeying the rules of the Republic of Germany.
• You were a descendant of victims of the Nazi persecution.

Citizenship by naturalization in Germany is usually based on the length of time you have spent in Germany lawfully. To apply for citizenship via this route, you’ll have to show you have been living in Germany for at least 8 years on a residence permit that is a route to citizenship.

It is important to note that studying in Germany for up to 8 years cannot make you eligible for naturalization. Many Canadians who apply for German citizenship through this pathway usually do so through employment-based residence permits like the work visa or the EU Blue Card.

After completing an integration course, you can apply for German citizenship after 7 years.

To naturalize in Germany, you have to:

• Pledge loyalty and allegiance to the German constitution.
• Prove that you have adequate knowledge of the German language.
• Pass the naturalization test, which proves you’re familiar with the German government, law, system of living and society.
• Be able to support you and your family members (if any) without social assistance.
• Be free of any criminal convictions.

You can acquire German nationality automatically if you were born to a German parent.

However, there are caveats.

If you were born to German parents born after December 31st 1999, and are a resident of Canada, you are not automatically a German citizen. You are automatically Canadian because you were born on Canadian soil per the Canadian nationality law. You can only become a German citizen if your parents registered your birth with the German missions in Canada before your first birthday.

If this is not done, you’ll have to apply for German citizenship through other means.

You do not become a German citizen automatically because you were born in Germany. You are automatically a German citizen if you were born in Germany to German parents.

If you were born in Germany to Canadian parents, you can obtain citizenship if you can prove your parents have lived legally in Germany for at least 8 years and have permanent residency there.

You can acquire German nationality if you were adopted into a family with a German parent. However, your adoption must have been recognized by German law. This route is only possible if your adoption occurred in or after 1977.

If your mother was a Canadian and your father was German, and you were born out of wedlock, you can also apply for German citizenship. However, you must prove that your parents got married before July 1998.

Canadians married to or in relationships with German citizens can apply for citizenship. To be eligible for this route to citizenship, you must show that:

• You have been married to a German citizen for at least 3 years. Your marriage must have been held in or registered in Germany to be considered valid.
• You have lived in Germany for at least 3 consecutive years if you are married to a German citizen or 4 years if you are married to a naturalized citizen.
• You have an adequate understanding of the German language up to the B1 level. You are exempt from this if you are old or have a learning disability or illness. You are also exempt from writing this test if you completed primary school in Germany.
• You have not been convicted of any criminal offense or currently under investigation.
• You have adequate knowledge of German society, as evidenced by passing the naturalization test.
• You must pledge to abide by the laws of the Republic of Germany.

As of 2020, the constitution of Germany has made provision for people who were persecuted and stripped of their German nationality during the Nationalsocialist regime to re-acquire German citizenship. This applies not just to the victims but also to their descendants.

Germany does not permit dual or multiple citizenship. The law guiding German citizenship is structured to prevent dual citizenship. If you are a German citizen and willingly apply for another nationality, you automatically lose your Canadian citizenship.

To be exempt from this, you must have obtained your other nationality by law. If your parents are German and you were born in Canada, you do not have to lose your German nationality because Canadian nationality was conferred on you by law.

You are also exempt from losing your German nationality if you acquired the citizenship of an EU member state.

If you were born in Germany to Canadian parents who are permanent residents in Germany, you can have dual nationality. However, upon turning 21, you must choose between Germany or Canada. You are exempt from this if you grew up in Germany.

Here are the application forms and other documents you need in your application:

• Form F, if you are at least 16.
• Form F_K is for applicants less than 16. Every adult responsible for the applicant must sign this form.
• Appendix V supplies information if you have German ancestry.
• Vollmacht, if you want to give someone else a power of attorney to apply on your behalf.
• Passport that proves your nationality.
• Birth certificate or certificate of adoption.
• Marriage certificate, if it applies.
• German resident permit.
• Proof of passing the naturalization test.
• Result of the German language test.
• Receipt of paying the application fee.
• Criminal history certificate.

Note that you must fill out the forms in German. A sworn translator must translate documents that are not in German.

Below are the recognized sworn translators:

• Public notaries.
• Registrars of civil registry.
• German authorities.

Public foreign documents carry a Hague apostille or be legalized.

You are expected to submit the certified copies of your document and not the original. You will be told if you need to submit original documents.

It could take up to 2 years for you to get a decision on your citizenship application. Processing time is affected by the workload of the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne.

To save time, you must ensure the information and documents you submitted are correct. The Federal Office of Administration in Cologne can contact you anytime to ask for more information regarding your application.

• Applicants 16 years and above will pay €255.
• Applicants under 16 will pay €51 if they apply with their parents.
• Applicants under 16 will pay €255 if they apply alone.

You can pay a reduced fee if you earn a low salary or are applying with many children. You could also reach an agreement with the authorities to pay in installments.

Spouses or registered partners of German citizens are eligible for early naturalization. Naturalization laws typically require the applicant to have spent 8 years on German soil with a valid residence permit.

However, if you are married to or a registered partner of a German citizen, you only need to have lived in Germany for 4 years (if your partner naturalized) and 3 years for a German citizen by birth.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees administers the naturalization test. It proves that you have an adequate knowledge of German law and society life. The exam consists of 33 questions picked from different subject matters.

The areas include:

• Living in a democracy.
• People and society.
• Federal land.
• History and responsibility.

To prepare for the naturalization test, visit the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. On the website, you can download the curriculum for the course and sample test questions that you can use for your practice.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees can also tell you the center closest to you where you can register and take the test. There is also a catalog that shows you all the test centers in Germany.