Supporting yourself: the income requirement for German citizenship

To naturalise in Germany you generally have to support yourself and any family members you are responsible for without Grundsicherungsgeld (the basic income benefit under SGB II) or social assistance (Sozialhilfe under SGB XII), as section 10(1) no. 3 of the Nationality Act (StAG) requires. Since 27 June 2024 there have been only three statutory exceptions, the most important being for people who work full time and still need top-up Grundsicherungsgeld. If none applies, you have no legal entitlement to citizenship and can only hope for discretionary naturalisation on a case-by-case basis. Grundsicherungsgeld is simply the new name, since July 2026, for what used to be called Bürgergeld; for naturalisation nothing changes.

What “supporting yourself” means

The naturalisation authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde) checks whether your income and assets cover your household's needs: the standard living allowance, any additional needs, plus rent and heating. There is no fixed income threshold. A family of five in an expensive city needs far more than a single person in a cheap flat.

Your livelihood counts as secure mainly through earnings – employed or self-employed – a pension, or your own savings. If you have no income of your own but are entitled to maintenance, for instance from your spouse, their income counts, and you will need their paperwork too.

The authority also looks ahead. According to the Federal Interior Ministry's application guidelines (AH-StAG), your livelihood must be likely to stay secure without Grundsicherungsgeld or social assistance in future. Your employment history and current job are taken into account. If you can show you've lived on your own income without these benefits for at least five years, you'll usually pass this assessment. Conversely, simply stopping benefits shortly before you apply is not enough.

Grundsicherungsgeld, social assistance and other benefits

Only two types of benefit stand in the way of an entitlement: Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld) under Book II of the Social Code (SGB II) and social assistance under Book XII (SGB XII), which includes basic income support in old age and for reduced earning capacity (Grundsicherung). This also applies if the benefits go not to you but to dependants you are legally obliged to support.

Under the ministry's guidelines, other state benefits generally do no harm, for example:

• child benefit (Kindergeld), child supplement (Kinderzuschlag) and parental allowance (Elterngeld)
• housing benefit (Wohngeld)
• unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) and sickness benefit (Krankengeld)
• statutory pensions
• student finance (BAföG) and long-term care insurance benefits

The authority still checks whether your livelihood is secure over time. With time-limited benefits such as unemployment benefit or BAföG, the assessment can go against you if no reliable income is in sight afterwards. And claiming housing benefit instead of the Grundsicherungsgeld you are actually entitled to, just to protect your application, can also lead to refusal. So clarify your own situation with your authority first.

The three exceptions since 27 June 2024

If you receive Grundsicherungsgeld or social assistance, you can only claim citizenship in these three cases:

Exception b is for people who work full time but need a top-up, for example because of a large family or high rent. According to the guidelines, full time means the normal full working hours in your company or sector; there is no fixed number of hours. Part-time work and mini-jobs don't count. What matters is your situation when the decision is made: if you switch to part time or lose your job shortly before, the exception may no longer apply.

An example: you've worked full time for two years and your family receives top-up Grundsicherungsgeld because of high rent. As a rule, that does not block your naturalisation. If you've only been full time for twelve months, you still need another eight.

Gone: the “not your fault” rule

Until 26 June 2024, receiving Bürgergeld (now Grundsicherungsgeld) or social assistance was generally no obstacle if you were not responsible for it – because of illness, disability or age, for instance. Lawmakers scrapped that general exception. The idea survives only in exception a for the guest-worker and contract-worker generation.

Those most affected are pensioners on basic income support in old age (Grundsicherung im Alter), people with disabilities or serious illness, single parents of children who need care, family carers, and trainees or students receiving SGB II or XII benefits. They no longer have an entitlement, even if their situation is not their fault.

No entitlement? Discretionary naturalisation under section 8

Alongside the entitlement route there is discretionary naturalisation (section 8 StAG). Here the authority can waive the livelihood requirement in the public interest or to avoid particular hardship. The Federal Interior Ministry names exactly the groups above as cases where this may apply.

Expect a thorough individual assessment. The key questions are whether you've done everything objectively possible and reasonable to support yourself, and whether your situation is permanent or temporary. Gather evidence such as medical certificates, care-level decisions (Pflegegrad), job applications or proof that childcare wasn't available. Authorities usually still expect B1 German here. If your situation is clearly temporary – during a degree, say – it may make more sense to apply later with a full entitlement. Older applicants will find more in German citizenship for older people.

Proof the authority usually asks for

Your authority decides exactly what to submit. Typical items are:

• employment contract, recent payslips (often the last six) and a letter from your employer
• if self-employed: your latest tax assessment and a statement from your tax adviser
• pension notice, if you receive a pension
• proof of health insurance
• tenancy agreement showing the rent
• possibly your pension insurance record (Versicherungsverlauf)
• if your spouse supports you: their proof of income

The full list for your application is in the documents checklist, and the process is explained in how to apply for German citizenship.

Supporting yourself is only one of several conditions; all the others are in German citizenship requirements. And while you wait for your appointment, you can already practise for the citizenship test.