Please note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with the utmost care, we cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein. Always refer to the official websites for up-to-date information.
The German Cabinet approved the new legislation to allow Dual Citizenship. The new law came into effect on 26 June 2024.
General Information about German Citizenship
Ways of obtaining German citizenship
Please note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with the utmost care, we cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein. Always refer to the official websites for up-to-date information. The German Cabinet approved the new legislation to allow Dual Citizenship. The new law comes into effect
Process of applying
To acquire German citizenship through naturalisation, one must successfully pass the Einbürgerungstest.
We invite you to explore the detailed information on the two pages below for further insights.
Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland
Leben in Deutschland The Leben in Deutschland tests your knowledge of the legal and social order and the living conditions in Germany. If you apply for Permanent residence, you must use the test to demonstrate knowledge of Germany’s legal and social system and living conditions. You do not necessarily need to attend the
German Citizenship through naturalisation
Naturalisation refers to the legal process of attaining citizenship of a foreign country. The requirements for becoming a naturalised German citizen are governed by Section 10, para. 1 of the Nationality Act. On January 19, 2024, the German Bundestag passed the law to modernize nationality law – this came into force from
Shared experiences - Naturalisation
To help others understand the process and requirements more clearly, we have created a 3 pages that allows you to effortlessly share your experiences with us. All these will be shared on the “German Citizenship – Your Stories” page.
German Citizenship via Naturalisation: Share your experience – Retention
Help others to understand the Citizens application process by sharing your experiences. This form deals only with the retention of your South African citizenship process.We will add the submissions to our website on this page
German Citizenship via Naturalisation -Share your experience Application Process in Germany
Help others to understand the Citizens application process by sharing your experiences. This form deals only with the application process in Germany.We will add the submissions to our website on this page
German Citizenship via Naturalisation: Share your experience – Docs from South Africa
Help others to understand the Citizens application process by sharing your experiences.This form deals only with the process of obtaining your documents from South Africa.We will add the submissions to our website on this page
All the submissions from the above pages will be shared on the “Shared Stories” page.
Our admin team is also in the process of applying for German citizenship and will share a detailed experience.
Applying for German Citizenship – Personal experience
I am currently in the process of preparing my application for German Citizenship, and will share my progress to this page. I am applying at my local Bürgeramt, who will send it to the Landkreis Esslingen for further processing. Search online for Einbürgerung + your town or Landkreis Step Action Details
German Citizenship – Your stories
These are shared experiences by people who recently went through a German Citizenship application process. You can share yours with us via an easy-to-fill-in forms found on this page Application for Retention of SA Citizenship Marc shared his application for Retention experience with us on 30.06.2024 Please indicate how you
Infromation on the web
Please refer to the following websites for relevant information
- Federal Foreign Office – Law on Nationality – Still old information
- Federal Foreign Office – German Citizenship
- Federal Ministry of the Interior – Naturalisation – Still old information
- Bundesamt für Justiz Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG) – updated 22 March 2024
- German Mission South Africa
- Consular Section South Africa
- South African Citizen Act
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Homepage of the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Information about the German state pension scheme can be found on their homepage for foreign languages. The German site has a lot more information.
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The intention of this page is to serve as a reminder to make sure your paperwork is in order. It is important to know what laws
Legalising Documents
Depending on the situation, you might need to have documentation authenticated, certified, or make certified copies thereof. Document authentication South Africa and Germany are both
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