When can I apply for the German passport?

The 2026 reality: 5 years of lawful residence (the 3-year fast-track is gone), a qualifying residence title, B1 German, the Einbürgerungstest, and a secure livelihood. This calculator turns your situation into an earliest application date and an honest checklist — including what your student years actually count for.

Earliest application (§10)

August 2026

Residence clock done — 2 requirements still open (fixable in parallel).

§10 · 5 Jahre
5 J.

Deine Eingabenyour scenario

In Deutschland seitlawful residence began

Monat

Jahr

Aktueller Aufenthaltstitel

Deutsch-Niveaucertified level

Einbürgerungstest bestanden?

Lebensunterhalt gesichert?no Bürgergeld / Sozialhilfe

Keine relevanten Vorstrafen?clean record

Requirement checklist (§10 StAG)

5 years lawful residence (§10)

erfüllt

Residence clock complete: 5 yrs 1 mo counted.

Qualifying residence title at application (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 2)

erfüllt

EU Blue Card (§18g) qualifies.

German B1 in all four skills (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 6)

offen

B1 certificate still missing — accepted: Goethe-Zertifikat B1, telc Deutsch B1, ÖSD B1, or DTZ with B1 in all four skills. You can prepare while the residence clock runs.

Prepare for B1

Einbürgerungstest — 33 questions, pass at 17

offen

Not passed yet (fee 25 €). With practice the pass rate is very high — train with the real questions here.

Train with real questions

Secure livelihood without Bürgergeld/Sozialhilfe (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 3)

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Self-assessed as secure. Kindergeld, Elterngeld, Wohngeld, BAföG and ALG I are generally harmless; Bürgergeld/Sozialhilfe block the standard route.

Clean criminal record (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 5, §12a)

erfüllt

No relevant convictions declared. Minor penalties are disregarded up to 90 Tagessätze / 3 months suspended.

Fees: 255 € application (per adult) + 25 € test — plus a B1 exam (~150–230 €) if you still need the certificate.

Rules may tighten (an 8-year residence requirement is under political discussion) — current law applies to applications decided now, so apply as soon as you are eligible.
Processing after filing typically takes months to over a year (national average ≈ 14 months — typical, not guaranteed). Rules dataset last verified 2026-07-19.

Keine Rechtsberatung — general information only, no legal advice. Your Einbürgerungsbehörde decides your case.

Share your scenario — the link restores every input exactly.

Information about German law — not legal advice. This page summarizes publicly available rules from official sources such as Make-it-in-Germany, BAMF, and state portals. Rules change frequently; thresholds, fees, and documents may differ by embassy, state, or case. This is not individualized legal advice within the meaning of the German Rechtsdienstleistungsgesetz (RDG). For advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed Rechtsanwalt or an authorized Migrationsberatung service. GermanDost accepts no liability for decisions you make based on this content.

Last updated: 2026-07-19