Under certain conditions, you can apply for German citizenship even if you are not eligible for naturalization. Upon naturalization, you will obtain German citizenship and become a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany with equal rights, enjoying all the rights and obligations of a German citizen.

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

Foreign nationals who are not eligible for naturalization because they do not meet the requirements may apply for discretionary naturalization.

If the statutory requirements for this are met, naturalization may be granted at the discretion of the authorities if they determine, on a case-by-case basis, that there is a public interest in your naturalization.

This means that you must first meet the following requirements: You must be legally residing in Germany on a permanent basis; your identity and nationality must be established; you must have legal capacity or be legally represented; you must have no (significant) criminal record; you must be able to provide for your own livelihood and that of your dependents; you must have a residence or place of accommodation in Germany; your integration into German society must be assured; and you must not support or have supported any anti-constitutional activities, unless you have credibly renounced any previous persecution or support.

If you meet these legal requirements, additional criteria will be assessed as part of the discretionary naturalization process. You can find more detailed information on this under the heading “Requirements.”

You have the option of either requesting the application documents from the competent citizenship authority or submitting an application online.

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