German citizenship means you’ll be able to live in Germany indefinitely. This will give you the right to vote, consular protection, free movement and unrestricted access to the German jobs market. For foreigners in Germany, nationality offers much more stability.

Are you a German citizen if you have a German passport?

German citizenship is mainly acquired and passed on through descent from a German parent. The parent has to be German citizen at the time of the birth of the child. Children who are born to former German citizens do not acquire German citizenship.

How long do you have to live in Germany to get a German passport?

eight years
To be eligible for naturalization, a person has to have lived legally in Germany for at least eight years and possess the appropriate residence permit. Foreigners who have successfully completed an integration course are eligible for naturalization after seven years.

Does Germany have dual nationality?

In certain cases, German nationality law allows its citizens to have or acquire an additional citizenship. As a rule, children born to a German and a non-German parent, or to parents with dual nationality, acquire the nationalities of both parents at birth, according to the principle of descent.

How do you qualify for a German passport?

German Citizenship Requirements for Naturalization You must prove German language proficiency of at least B1. You must be financially able to support yourself and your family without any help from the state. You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record. You must pass a citizenship test.

Since 28 August 2007, Germany has allowed its nationals to acquire the citizenship of another EU country (or Switzerland) without requiring any form of permission or forfeiting their German nationality. This is one of the few exemptions that will allow German nationals to hold dual citizenship.

Can a permanent resident of Germany become a German citizen?

When you are living in Germany only as a permanent resident, you do not qualify as a citizen of Germany. This puts some restrictions in your status, and that is why so many permanent residents of Germany seek to get citizenship. Having German citizenship gives you rights and freedoms that non-citizens do not have.

Is the German passport the only recognised document in Germany?

A German passport is, besides the German ID card and the German Emergency Travel Document (called “Reiseausweis als Passersatz”), the only other officially recognised document that German authorities will routinely accept as proof of identity from German citizens.

Do you have to have a German passport to travel in Germany?

If you have German citizenship, you might consider applying for a German passport ( deutscher Reisepass ). For German nationals, having a passport is necessary for travelling to most countries outside of the European Union.

What are the advantages of having a German passport?

This is usually the case when you are accepted for dual German citizenship. The German passport enables you to travel to 170 countries without needing a visa. You also gain freedom of movement within the EU. The other advantages are detailed on our page on German citizenship.