Citizenship & integration in Germany

Having made Germany your home, you may be looking for ways to integrate into your local community. Indeed, it may be a requirement of your residence permit, or you may be interested in applying for German citizenship. This page looks at how you can fully integrate into German society. 

Integration courses in Germany

Integration courses have been designed by the German government to enable recent arrivals in Germany to adjust to everyday life and improve their language skills. If you are a non-EU resident, you may be required to participate in one as part of your residency application. EU citizens who want to learn German are also allowed to apply.

The course consists of 660 hours of instruction, including speaking, reading, writing and listening skills in German, and an overview of German politics, culture and customs.

German citizenship

If you have been living and working in Germany for a while, you may be considering applying for German citizenship. The most common ways for expats to get citizenship is by naturalisation, and thanks to new laws implemented in 2024, German citizenship is now open to more people than ever before. Depending on where you were born and the nationality of your parents, you may also qualify by “right of soil” or “right of blood”. 

German naturalisation test

If you are applying for German citizenship by naturalisation, you are usually required to pass the naturalisation test. This multiple-choice examination tests your knowledge of German laws, politics, society and living conditions. Find out what to expect, the costs involved, how to prepare, and where you can take your test, on our German naturalisation test page.

German language certification

There are multiple organisations worldwide that offer internationally-recognised German language certification. Apart from wanting to improve your German language skills in order to be able to participate in everyday life, you might need certification for applying for a visa or residence permit, or as part of your German citizenship application.

The German passport

If you have passed your naturalisation test and been admitted as a full German citizen, you are eligible to apply for a German passport. This travel document is routinely ranked as one of the best in the world, providing visa-free access to nearly 200 countries around the globe. Find out how to apply for a German passport for the first time or renew your old German passport on our dedicated page. 

ID card in Germany

German citizens also have another form of identification: the National Identity Card (ID card). It can be used to prove your identity in multiple different circumstances in everyday life, and even online. Find out more about the German ID card in our guide.