SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

Who’s exempt from taking a German citizenship test for naturalisation?

Most people need to sit the citizenship exam if they want to naturalise as German citizens - but not everyone has to. These are the lucky groups who can skip that part of the process.

A woman holds German citizenship test.
A woman holds German citizenship test. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lino Mirgeler

When reeling off a list of things you need to become a naturalised German, some things are treated as standard: the birth certificate, proof of residency, B1 German and a completed citizenship test. 

But while it’s often the case that applicants need all these things, the rules are actually less clear-cut than they first appear. 

In the case of language, for instance, there are more ways to prove your skills than a classic B1 test at a language school.

Studying German at university, or studying in German at university, will often be more than enough to prove you have the language skills needed to integrate, so if you’ve got this kind of degree, you’re unlikely to need a formal certificate.

READ ALSO: What do I need to apply for German citizenship under the new law?

It’s a similar story with the citizenship test, or Einbürgerungstest in German. 

It goes without saying that anyone who automatically qualifies for German citizenship – i.e. a German by descent – doesn’t need to take the test.

But though most people do need to book and take this test if they want to naturalise as Germans, there are several instances where you can get your hands on a passport without it.

Why can some people avoid the citizenship test?

That’s a very good question, and to understand it, we need to go back to what German citizenship law actually sets out as requirements for naturalisation. 

Rather than specifying the need for a citizenship test in particular, the law states that applicants need “proof of knowledge of the German legal and social system”, immigration lawyer Sven Hasse told The Local.

The citizenship test, or Einbürgerungstest, is one of the ways to prove this – and may well be one of the easiest – but there are other routes applicants can take.

What do I need instead of a citizenship test? 

According to Hasse, the following would count as proof of knowledge of Germany’s legal and social system without the need to take a citizenship test:

  • The Leben in Deutschland (“Life in Germany”) test.

Aside from the name, the test is almost identical to the Einbürgerungstest, with 33 questions covering aspects of German politics, history, and society. The only difference is that the test at the end of an integration course is called Leben in Deutschland, while the citizenship test functions more as a standalone test for citizenship applicants. 

Citizenship test Germany

An applicant for German citizenship takes the citizenship test in Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lino Mirgeler

That means that, if you have passed a Leben in Deutschland test, you don’t need to take a citizenship test as well.

  • Degree in politics, law or social science from a German university 

If you studied for a Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate at a German university, you may well be eligible to skip the citizenship test – depending on what subject you took.

According to Hasse, subjects that fall under the umbrella of law, social, political or administrative sciences will likely be accepted as proof of your knowledge of German society, though you will usually need to have completed your degree in German. 

READ ALSO: When and how can I apply for German citizenship?

  • Vocational training in politics or social sciences

A so-called Berufsschulabschluss (vocational school leaving certificate) will also count as proof of your knowledge of the German legal and social system, provided either politics or social studies were listed among your courses. 

  • German school leavers’ certificate

If you attended a German school as an older student and have either a vocational training certificate (Berufsbildungsreife), middle-school leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss) or A-Levels (Abitur), you’ll also be exempt from the test. 

That’s because pupils at German schools are also taught the basics of the constitution and the political and social system, so they’re assumed to have enough knowledge to naturalise as Germans. 

If you’re unsure if your situation counts, the best thing to do is to contact your local citizenship office with details of your qualifications and ask whether you would need to submit the test. Different regions may apply slightly different rules, so the easiest way to be certain is to ask.

Unsure of what the citizenship test is or whether you’d stand a chance of passing it? Then check out our explainers below: 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

German conservatives vow to overturn dual citizenship if re-elected

Foreigners in Germany are waiting on tenterhooks for the introduction of the new dual nationality law on Thursday - but the centre-right CDU and CSU say they would overturn the reform if re-elected next year.

German conservatives vow to overturn dual citizenship if re-elected

“The CDU and CSU will reverse this unsuccessful reform,” Alexander Throm (CDU), spokesperson on domestic policy for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told DPA on Tuesday.

“Dual citizenship must remain the exception and be limited to countries that share our values.”

Throm also criticised the new citizenship law for reducing the amount of time foreigners need to live in the country before naturalising as Germans, describing the new residence requirements as “far too short”.

“After five or even three years, it is not yet possible to determine with certainty whether integration has been successful in the long term,” he stated.

“The recent caliphate demonstrations and the rampant Islamist extremism, often by people with German passports, must be a wake-up call for us all.”

READ ALSO: Which foreign residents are likely to become German after citizenship law change?

Despite vociferous opposition, the alliance between the Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party (CSU) was powerless to stop the traffic-light coalition’s citizenship reform passing in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat earlier this year. 

The reform, which permits the holding of multiple passports, lowers residence requirements and removes language hurdles for certain groups, is set to come into force on June 27th. 

But with the CDU and CSU emerging as clear winners in the recent EU parliamentary elections and regularly landing on 30 percent or above in the polls, it’s possible that the party could be on course to re-enter government next year. 

In this situation, the centre-right parties have pledged to try and undo what senior CDU politicians have described as a “dangerous” reform.

“It is not unusual for successive governments to reverse decisions made by the previous government,” Andrea Lindholz, the head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group said in a recent response to a question

“We will maintain our position on this and will continue to strive for a corresponding change.”

READ ALSO: What are citizenship offices around Germany doing to prepare for the new law?

Whether the CDU and CSU can secure enough votes at both state and federal elections to change the law in the future remains to be seen.

The parties may also have to compromise on their plans with any future coalition partner, such as the Greens, Social Democrats (SPD) or Free Democrats (FDP), all of whom support liberal immigration laws and the holding of multiple nationalities. 

‘Citizenship devaluation law’

The CDU and CSU parties, which form a centre-right alliance nicknamed the Union, have long been opposed to dual nationality in Germany.

During their years of governing in a so-called grand coalition with the centre-right Social Democrats (SPD), the parties had regularly made reforms of citizenship one of their red lines, citing the danger of hostile nations influencing Germany from within. 

In a recent parliamentary speech back in January, Throm had slammed the bill as a “citizenship devaluation law” and accused the government of trying to generate a new electorate to win votes.

CDU politician Alexander Throm speaks in a debate in the German Bundestag

CDU politician Alexander Throm speaks in a debate in the German Bundestag. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

In comments aimed primarily at Germany’s large Turkish diaspora, the CDU politician claimed that people who had lived in Germany for decades but not taken German citizenship had already chosen their old country over Germany.

The majority of Turks in Germany are also supporters of the authoritarian president Recep Erdogan, he argued.

Responding to the claims, FDP migration expert Ann-Veruschka Jurisch said the opposition was fuelling resentments against migrants by claiming the government was “squandering German citizenship”.

In fact, she argued, the reform has tightened up requirements by ensuring that people who claim benefits and cannot support themselves are unable to become German citizens.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany’s citizenship law reform

In addition, the B1 language requirements have only been softened in a few exceptional cases, for example to honour the lifetime achievements of the guest worker generation who had few opportunities when they arrived, Jurisch said. 

If foreigners have committed crimes, the authorities will be able to investigate whether these involved racist or anti-Semitic motives before citizenship is granted, she added. 

With reporting by DPA

SHOW COMMENTS