2 Answers

Short answer resident for 8 years, long answer is as follows:

In most cases, you have to fullfill most or all of the following conditions:

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a valid Aufenthaltserlaubnis or Aufenthaltsberechtigung residency permit
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legally resident in Germany for at least 8 years
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a livelihood-guarantee of you and your dependants without recourse to social welfare or unemployment benefits (exceptions are made for people under of 23 years)
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adequate knowledge of the German language
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on oath on the German constitutionein
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you have to give up your former citizenship (although there are exceptions to this)

Spouses and children can often be naturalised even if they have not been living in Germany for 8 years. For spouses of German citizens the couple must be married for two years and the spouse resident in Germany for three years before the application can be made.

A brochure entitled Wie werde ich Deutscher (How can I become a German) gives advice on becoming a German citizen. It is available from the Beauftragten der Bundesregierung f?r Migration, Fl?chtlinge und Integration and at https://www.einbuergerung.de.
Children: German Citizenship by Birth

German citizenship is determined by inheritance from parents and not by place of birth. Children with a German mother or father are automatically citizens at birth. But not all children born in Germany are automatically German, in fact, there are 100.000 non-German children born every year.

If both parents are foreigners then the child only gets German citizenship automatically from birth if one or more of the parents has been legally living in Germany for a period of 8 years and has a valid Aufenthaltsberechtigung or has had an unbefristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis for a period of three years. These children get German citizenship of as well as that of their parents and then have to choose which citizenship they wish to keep at the age of 18.

12 years ago. Rating: 0
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I don't know which is the standard waiting time. But a friend of mine, who was Chinese, applied for German citizenship after over 10 years of living in Germany, and three weeks later held her new passport in hands.

But as I said, I don't know whether it was or not decisive that she had been living in the country for so long already, or that she had done a significant amount of academic study there - she is a doctor in sociology, and had been professionally active, too.

Do keep in mind, though, that Germany does not allow double nationality. If you become german, you lose your original nationality. Meditate well whether you really wanna take such a step, or whether you would be doing just as well simply by applying for a permanent residence permit.

Good luck.
Papitou

12 years ago. Rating: 0
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