Einbürgerung Verleihung der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit für Ehegatten, Lebenspartner oder minderjährige Kinder ohne Einbürgerungsanspruch (Miteinbürgerung)

If your spouse or registered partner becomes a naturalized citizen, you and/or your minor child can be naturalized prematurely under certain conditions. Upon naturalization, you and, if applicable, your minor children will receive German citizenship and become equal citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany with all the rights and obligations of German citizens.

Among other things, you can exercise your right to vote, enjoy freedom of movement in Europe and can also travel to many countries outside Europe.

If your spouse or registered partner is naturalized, you and/or your minor children have the option of being naturalized as well. This option is also available even if you have not yet been legally resident in Germany for eight years as part of the naturalization process.

Co-naturalization of spouses/life partners and/or your underage children is possible both in the case of naturalization by right and in the case of discretionary naturalization.

The competent authority is the citizenship authority in your place of residence.

• Valid passport or identity card
• Valid residence permit
• Civil status documents (birth/marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate of spouse)
• if applicable with translation, legalization or apostille
• Proof of income (e.g. employment contract and the last three salary statements)
• if under 16 years of age: Proof of personal care

Further documents may be required depending on the individual case.

When submitting foreign documents, please refer to the information on the homepage of the Federal Foreign Office (www.auswaertiges-amt.de) under the heading International document traffic.

Foreign certificates or documents must be submitted with a translation by an authorized translator.

You can find out which translators are authorized on the following website:

www.justiz-dolmetscher.de/suche.jsp

The translation must be firmly attached to a copy of the document and sealed.

I. You can be naturalized together with your spouse/registered partner if you submit an application.

You must have legal capacity or be legally represented. Anyone over the age of 16 has the capacity to act (unless they are legally incapable or, if they are of legal age, would have to be looked after in this matter and subject to a reservation of consent).

Furthermore, your identity and nationality must be clarified and you must have

• have been legally resident in Germany for a continuous period of four years (
• have been married or in a registered civil partnership for at least two years
• be committed to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• normally have a permanent right of residence or a residence permit suitable for naturalization at the time of naturalization.
• are able to support yourself and your dependent family members (family income), i.e. without receiving social benefits (e.g. job center, social assistance).
• give up or lose your previous nationality (with the exception of EU member states, recognized asylum seekers and refugees, for example)
• be exempt from punishment.

This means

that you have not been convicted of a criminal offense nor have you been ordered to undergo a detention order due to your incapacity for guilt

The following are not taken into account

-educational measures or correctional measures under the Juvenile Courts Act

-convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates

-sentences of up to three months' imprisonment that have been suspended and remitted after the probation period has expired.

If you are currently under investigation on suspicion of a criminal offense, the naturalization procedure must be suspended until the proceedings have been concluded.

• have sufficient language skills (proof of B1 language certificate, for example).

Exception:

This does not apply if you are unable to fulfill this requirement due to a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability or due to age

• have knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany.

Exception:

This does not apply if you are unable to fulfill this requirement due to a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability or due to your age

• ensure your integration into German living conditions. This includes in particular that you are not married to more than one spouse at the same time.

and

• You must not support any anti-constitutional activities or have credibly renounced any previous persecution or support.

II A minor child under the age of 16 should be naturalized if

• an application is submitted by the legal representative
• the parent with whom the child is to be naturalized has custody of the child and lives with the child in a family partnership
• the child has been living in Germany legally for three years (children under the age of 6 should have spent half their lives in Germany immediately prior to naturalization).
• has a residence status suitable for naturalization
• gives up or loses their previous citizenship
• has age-appropriate language development in the German language
• it is exempt from punishment.

This means that

children of criminal age must not have been sentenced to juvenile detention for a criminal offense within the meaning of the Juvenile Courts Act

The following are not taken into account

-educational measures or correctional measures in accordance with the Juvenile Courts Act

If an investigation is currently underway on suspicion of a criminal offence, the naturalization procedure must be suspended until the proceedings have been concluded.

III. the co-naturalization of a minor child who has reached the age of 16 is generally only possible if it could also be naturalized independently.

This means that

Co-naturalization is only possible if the child also fulfils the naturalization requirements themselves and would therefore be entitled to naturalization in their own right.

Co-naturalization therefore only has the advantage of a lower naturalization fee for these children. The required period of residence is not shortened.

• The application for naturalization must be submitted by you or, in the case of co-naturalization of minors before the age of 16, by their legal representative.
• Applications can be submitted online or in writing.
• The naturalization authority will check the requirements and decide on your application.

The further procedure now depends on whether you are allowed to keep your previous citizenship or whether you have to give it up:

a) It is not necessary to give up your foreign nationality

In exceptional cases, multiple citizenship is accepted. If you are allowed to keep your previous nationality, you will be naturalized while accepting multiple nationalities.

b) Renunciation of nationality is required before naturalization

If your previous citizenship must be renounced before naturalization can be completed, you will receive a so-called naturalization assurance from the naturalization authority. This guarantees naturalization in the event that you can prove that you have renounced your previous citizenship. You must then apply to be released from your previous citizenship.

To apply for release from your existing citizenship, please contact the competent representation of the other country.

Please provide your naturalization authority with proof of your or your child's loss of foreign citizenship.

• If the requirements are still met, you will receive a naturalization certificate. You become a German citizen when you receive your naturalization certificate.
• The naturalization certificate for children under the age of 16 will be handed over to their legal representative.

You must make the following solemn declaration before the certificate is issued: I solemnly declare that I will respect the Basic Law and the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and will refrain from doing anything that could harm it.

Exception:

Minors under the age of 16 do not have to make the solemn declaration.

• Naturalization, conferral of German citizenship for spouses, life partners or underage children without naturalization entitlement (co-naturalization)
• Apply for German citizenship.
• Shortened residence periods for co-naturalization
• Naturalization of the whole family possible
• Competent authority: Citizenship authority of the respective place of residence