Guides: German citizenship and the citizenship test
Clear guides to becoming a German citizen, how the Einbürgerungstest works and every topic the test covers – free and regularly checked.
Ratgeber: Einbürgerung und EinbürgerungstestCitizenship: requirements & application
Who can become German, what it costs and how the application works: everything about the path to German citizenship.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship requirements: the complete overviewResidence period, B1 German, the citizenship test, income and a clean record: every requirement for German citizenship by naturalisation, explained in plain English.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationHow to apply for German citizenship: step by stepFrom your first contact with the authority to the naturalisation certificate: how the German citizenship application works and what to prepare at each step.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationDocuments for German citizenship: the checklistWhich documents do you need for your naturalisation application? Passport, residence permit, language certificate, proof of income and more: the full checklist.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationHow much does German citizenship cost? All fees at a glanceNaturalisation fee, citizenship test, language exam, certificates and your first German passport: the full cost of becoming a German citizen.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationHow long does German citizenship take? Processing times explainedWhy naturalisation in Germany often takes many months, what the processing time depends on, and how a complete application helps you avoid delays.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationDual citizenship in Germany: what the law allows nowSince the 2024 reform you usually no longer have to give up your old nationality to become German. What that means and why your other country's law still matters.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman language requirement for citizenship: how to prove B1You need B1 German to naturalise. Which certificates and proofs are accepted, who is exempt, and how to prepare for the language exam alongside the test.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationSupporting yourself: the income requirement for German citizenshipTo naturalise you must support yourself without Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld) or social assistance. What that means and which exceptions apply.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship with a criminal record: where the line isNot every conviction rules out naturalisation. Which minor penalties are disregarded, when it becomes a problem, and which offences always block citizenship.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship through marriage: what spouses need to knowMarried to a German citizen? Which easier rules apply to spouses and registered partners when naturalising, and which requirements still apply in full.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship for children: birth in Germany and naturalisationWhen children of foreign parents become German at birth, how children are naturalised together with their parents, and what applies from age 16.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship after 3 years: what happened to the fast trackThe fast track to German citizenship after only three years was abolished in 2025. What changed, what applies to pending applications and the fastest route now.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship for EU citizens: what's different and what isn'tEU citizens also need the citizenship test and B1 German to become German. What applies to you, and why naturalising can still be worth it despite free movement.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationGerman citizenship for older people: the easier rules explainedOlder applicants and the guest-worker generation get easier rules for the language requirement and the citizenship test. Who qualifies and what you need to prove.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationThe loyalty declaration for German citizenship explainedWhat you sign when you naturalise, what Germany's free democratic basic order means, and which attitudes and actions rule out German citizenship.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationNaturalised – what now? Certificate, ID card and voting rightsYou've received your naturalisation certificate: when you legally become German, how to get your ID card and passport, and which new rights you have.
- Citizenship: requirements & applicationPermanent residence or German citizenship? A comparisonSettlement permit or German passport? The differences in rights, travel, voting and requirements – and which route makes more sense for you.
The citizenship test
Registration, format, results and the best strategies to pass the German citizenship test with confidence.
- The citizenship testThe German citizenship test: format, questions and pass mark33 questions, 60 minutes, 17 correct answers to pass: how the German citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest) works, from registration to your result.
- The citizenship testHow to register for the German citizenship testWhere to sign up for the Einbürgerungstest, how much it costs, what to bring on the day and how to find a test date near you.
- The citizenship testHow to pass the German citizenship test: 10 tips that workWith the right approach the German citizenship test is very manageable. Ten practical tips for studying, for test day and for avoiding the classic mistakes.
- The citizenship testHow long to study for the German citizenship test: a study planHow much time to plan for the German citizenship test, how to split 310 questions into a realistic plan, and how to tell when you're ready.
- The citizenship testThe "Leben in Deutschland" test vs. the citizenship testSame question pool, different purpose: how the "Leben in Deutschland" test at the end of the integration course differs from the citizenship test.
- The citizenship testWho doesn't have to take the German citizenship test?A German school diploma, illness, disability or age: when you are exempt from the Einbürgerungstest, and what proof the naturalisation office will ask for.
- The citizenship testCitizenship test results: when do you get your certificate?After the Einbürgerungstest your answer sheet is marked centrally. When your result arrives, what the certificate contains and what you need it for.
- The citizenship testFailed the German citizenship test? What to do nextFailed the Einbürgerungstest? You can take it again. How to analyse your mistakes, study the gaps and make sure you pass on your next attempt.
- The citizenship testGerman citizenship test: all picture questions with answersCoats of arms, flags, maps and photos: every question in the German citizenship test that uses images, with the correct answer shown.
- The citizenship testIs the German citizenship test available in English?The Einbürgerungstest is only held in German. How to study with English translations anyway – and why you should switch to German before test day.
Knowledge for the test
Compact background knowledge on politics, history and society – exactly what the test asks about.
- Knowledge for the testGerman history timeline for the citizenship testFrom 1933 through division and the fall of the Wall to today: the dates in German history that come up in the citizenship test, as a compact timeline.
- Knowledge for the testGermany's political system explained simplyBundestag, Bundesrat, federal government, president and constitutional court: who decides what in Germany, explained simply for the citizenship test.
- Knowledge for the testThe Basic Law and fundamental rights: what you need to knowHuman dignity, freedom of expression, equality and freedom of religion: the fundamental rights in Germany's Basic Law and its core principles, explained simply.
- Knowledge for the testElections in Germany: first vote, second vote and the 5% thresholdHow federal elections work in Germany, what the first and second votes mean, who may vote and which electoral principles apply, explained simply.
- Knowledge for the testGermany's 16 federal states and their capitalsAll 16 German states with their capitals, parliaments and heads of government in one table, plus memory aids and classic traps in the citizenship test.
- Knowledge for the testPublic holidays in Germany and what they meanGerman Unity Day, Easter, Christmas and more: which public holidays Germany has, what they commemorate and what the citizenship test asks about them.
- Knowledge for the testFlag, coat of arms, anthem: Germany's national symbolsBlack-red-gold, the federal eagle and the national anthem: where Germany's state symbols come from and what you need to know about them for the test.
- Knowledge for the testCitizenship test glossary: key German terms from A to ZFraktion, Koalition, Rechtsstaat, Sozialversicherung: the key German terms from the citizenship test, explained briefly in plain English.
Test questions by topic
All 300 general questions sorted by topic, with the correct answer and the key facts behind them.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on the Basic Law and fundamental rightsEvery citizenship test question on the Basic Law, fundamental rights and the rule of law, with the correct answer and the key facts behind it.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on the state and its institutionsBundestag, Bundesrat, federal president, chancellor and federalism: every test question on how the German state works, with the correct answer.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on elections and political partiesVoting rights, first and second votes, parties and coalitions: every citizenship test question about elections, with the correct answer.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on law and justiceCourts, police, penalties and public authorities: every citizenship test question on law and justice, with the correct answer and key facts.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on Europe and the EUThe European Union, the euro, the European Parliament and Germany's neighbours: every Europe question in the citizenship test, with answers.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on National Socialism and World War II1933 to 1945: every citizenship test question on the Nazi dictatorship, the Holocaust, resistance and the end of the war, with the correct answer.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on the GDR, the Wall and reunificationDivision, the GDR, the Berlin Wall, 1989 and reunification in 1990: every citizenship test question on divided Germany, with the correct answer.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on history, symbols and remembranceFlag, coat of arms, anthem, Jewish life, Adenauer, Brandt and the economic miracle: every citizenship test question on history and remembrance, with answers.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on family, school and trainingMarriage, parenting, nursery, compulsory schooling and vocational training: every citizenship test question on family and education, with answers.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on work, the economy and social securityEmployment contracts, trade unions, taxes and social insurance: every citizenship test question on work and the welfare state, with the correct answer.
- Test questions by topicCitizenship test questions on religion, culture and communityFreedom of religion, public holidays, volunteering, clubs and neighbours: every citizenship test question on living together in Germany, with answers.
Test questions by federal state
The 10 state questions for each federal state with answers – three of them will be in your test.
Baden-Württemberg
Bavaria
Berlin
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Hesse
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Lower Saxony
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland
Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia