From passing the test to filing the application

Once you pass, you receive the Zertifikat Einbürgerungstest — it has no expiration date. You then file the citizenship application with your local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' office) or the dedicated Einbürgerungsbehörde (naturalisation office), depending on the city.

• The modernised StAG (citizenship law) in force since 27 June 2024 cut the standard residence requirement to 5 years (down from 8). The 3-year "Turbo-Einbürgerung" for exceptional integration was abolished with effect from 30 October 2025, so 5 years is now the general minimum.
• Typical documents: passport copy, residence registration (Meldebescheinigung), residence permit, proof of income, German B1 certificate, test pass certificate, criminal record check.
• Application fee (as of 2026; subject to change): €255 per adult, €51 per minor.
• Family applications can incur additional fees.

Decision letter and naturalisation ceremony

• Processing times vary widely between Länder and cities and are not published nationally; ask your naturalisation office how long it currently takes.
• On approval you may first receive an Einbürgerungszusicherung (assurance of naturalisation); once any home-country formalities are settled, the Einbürgerungsurkunde (certificate of naturalisation) is issued.
• Some Länder require a public Einbürgerungsfeier with a pledge of allegiance to the Grundgesetz (Basic Law); others handle it administratively.
• You become a German citizen the moment the Einbürgerungsurkunde is handed over.

ID card and passport

You can apply at your Bürgeramt (citizens' office) as soon as the certificate is in hand.

• Personalausweis (ID card): around €37 for adults, delivered in roughly 4–6 weeks (as of 2026; subject to change).
• Reisepass (passport): around €70 for adults; can be applied for in the same appointment. 4–6 weeks for delivery.
• Express passports cost extra.
• Photos must meet biometric specs; many Bürgerämter have on-site photo booths.

Handling your prior citizenship (Mehrstaatigkeit)

This is the single biggest change in the new law: dual citizenship is now broadly allowed. The previous rule generally required giving up non-EU citizenship.

• Germany no longer asks you to renounce your original nationality.
• However, your other country's law decides whether you keep its nationality. Many countries automatically withdraw their nationality when a citizen voluntarily acquires another one, and some require you to declare or register the new citizenship. For example, under Article 15 of South Korea's Nationality Act, a Korean who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Korean nationality automatically, at any age.
• Check the rules with your own country's embassy or consulate before you file, and contact your local Einbürgerungsbehörde if anything is unclear.

Tax and social-security changes

• Citizenship itself does not change your tax status. German tax residency is based on Wohnsitz (residence), not nationality.
• As an EU citizen you gain free movement; if you later move to another EU country, that country's tax and health-insurance rules apply.
• Social security: your German insurance record does not change. Within the EU/EEA and Switzerland, EU coordination rules add up pension, unemployment and health-insurance periods across countries. Germany also has bilateral social security agreements with a number of other countries, under which pension periods can be combined; see the Deutsche Rentenversicherung list of agreements below.
• Foreign assets may still trigger reporting in your country of origin — consider professional tax advice.

Voting and local rights

• On naturalisation you immediately gain the right to vote and stand in federal (Bundestag), state (Landtag), and local (Kommunal) elections.
• You can also vote in European Parliament elections.
• Voter rolls update automatically; you'll receive notifications by post before each election.
• Civil-service jobs and certain political-party functions reserved for citizens also open up.

Effect on children's citizenship

• Children under 18 can be naturalised together with their parents (Mit-Einbürgerung).
• Children born after your naturalisation are German by descent. Children born in Germany to foreign parents also acquire German citizenship at birth if one parent has lived lawfully in Germany for at least 5 years and holds a permanent right of residence (jus soli, § 4(3) StAG).
• Whether the child also keeps or acquires the other parent's nationality depends on that other country's law; ask its embassy or consulate, since some countries require a choice or a registration.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is there a deadline to apply after passing the test? A. The Zertifikat Einbürgerungstest never expires. Other requirements (residence, income, language) are re-checked at the time you file.

Q. Can I keep my original citizenship? A. Germany now allows it. Check your other country separately — many withdraw their nationality when you voluntarily acquire another.

Q. How can I speed up processing? A. Submit a complete file, prove B2 or higher German, and document volunteer or integration activities. Some Länder offer online portals (e.g. Berlin's Einbürgerungsportal).

Q. Can I apply for ID card and passport at the same time? A. Yes — both at the same Bürgeramt visit, with separate 4–6 week delivery windows each.

Useful links

• BAMF citizenship overview: https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/Integration/ZugewanderteTeilnehmende/Einbuergerung/einbuergerung-node.html
• Find your local foreigners' office: https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/
• Germany's social security agreements (Deutsche Rentenversicherung): https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de/DRV/DE/Rente/Ausland/Sozialversicherungsabkommen/sozialversicherungsabkommen_node.html