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IloveGermany_
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Citizenship

Is there a specific time frame for not receiving social benefits before applying for naturalisation in Germany?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some clarification on the requirements for naturalisation in Germany under the German Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz). I understand that if someone meets all the conditions listed in the law, their naturalisation application must be accepted — meaning there is no discretion left to the public authorities if all criteria are fulfilled.

One of the criteria (Section 10, Subsection 3) states that the applicant must be able to support themselves and their dependants without recourse to social benefits according to the German Social Code, Book 2 (SGB II) and Book 12 (SGB XII). However, the law does not specify any particular period during which the applicant should have been free of these benefits.

So, here’s my question: Is there any specific time frame that an applicant should not be receiving social benefits before applying for naturalisation? For example, does the applicant need to be off benefits for a certain number of months or years? Or is it sufficient that they are not receiving any benefits at the time of application?

I’ve tried looking into this myself, but my knowledge of German is limited and I couldn’t find an English translation of the relevant sections of the Social Code. Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

1 Comments

Reply (1)

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Barbara_Community Manager

Hi @IloveGermany_  , thank you for contacting us. You're right, if you meet all the criteria set out in the Nationality Act, your application for naturalisation must be accepted. This includes the requirement that you must be able to support yourself and your dependants without relying on social assistance. §10 3b (https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stag/BJNR005830913.html) of the Nationality Act states that you must have been in full-time employment for at least 20 months out of the last 24 months. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Best Barbara 

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