Children: naturalisation alongside a parent or an independent application

We assess naturalisation with a parent and an independent route for your child, and prepare the application accordingly. Which option is appropriate depends, among other things, on their existing citizenship, residence period, age and family circumstances. The first question is therefore not which form the parents should complete, but whether the child is already German and which route to citizenship they actually need.

A child can acquire German citizenship at birth. This applies in particular where one parent is German under § 4 paragraph 1 StAG, although special limitations may need to be considered for births abroad. Birth in Germany to two foreign parents can also result in citizenship if the statutory requirements were met at the time of birth. The law and the residence circumstances at that time are decisive.

The current § 4 paragraph 3 StAG generally requires one parent to have completed five years of lawful habitual residence and to hold a qualifying permanent right of residence. This current rule must not simply be applied retrospectively to children born earlier. Nor does being born in Germany invariably confer German citizenship. The assessment must therefore relate to the birth, rather than relying solely on the parents’ current status.

The later naturalisation of the mother or father does not automatically make an existing foreign child German. The child needs a separate ground for acquiring citizenship, such as valid naturalisation alongside a parent. Conversely, a child who is already German does not need a naturalisation application simply because no German passport has yet been requested. The articles on acquisition by birth explain this preliminary assessment of citizenship status.

For your child, we distinguish three legal levels so that the application, representation and route to citizenship fit together. First: on which statutory basis can the child be naturalised? Second: who may act in the procedure? Third: which age-related requirements apply to language, knowledge and declarations? These questions are connected, but they are not identical.

For example, a ten-year-old child may have an independent entitlement to naturalisation even though their parents must submit the application on their behalf. A seventeen-year-old can generally take procedural steps personally while still belonging to the category of minor children mentioned in § 10 paragraph 2. The fact that a portal requires a separate form from the age of 16 therefore does not, by itself, answer the question of the substantive legal basis for naturalisation.

§ 10 paragraph 2 StAG permits the minor children of a naturalisation applicant to be naturalised alongside them even if the children have not themselves lived lawfully in Germany for five years. The provision recognises the family connection. The decision is at the authority’s discretion. The child does not acquire citizenship automatically because the parent’s application succeeds, nor simply because their name appears in the family details.

For children under 16, the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s application guidance provides, as the normal situation, that the parent being naturalised holds parental responsibility and lives in a family relationship with the child in Germany. It specifies three years as the residence benchmark. For children under six, the guidance generally considers it sufficient if they have spent half their life in Germany immediately before naturalisation. These benchmarks guide the exercise of discretion; they are not rigid figures in the wording of § 10 paragraph 2.

An actual family relationship does not necessarily require a single shared home. Where parents are separated, substantial care may take place across different households. Biological parentage alone, without a relationship maintained in practice, is not a complete description of the circumstances.

For 16- and 17-year-olds, the guidance adopts a narrower standard: naturalisation alongside a parent should normally take place only if the young person could also be naturalised independently. This is a guideline for the exercise of discretion, not a statutory end to naturalisation alongside a parent at 16. Particularly shortly before that birthday, it is therefore necessary to clarify whether only evidence needs updating or whether a discretionary decision departing from the guideline is required. The detailed article on age limits distinguishes these questions from reaching adulthood.

Another situation arises where a foreign parent is to be naturalised under § 9 StAG as the spouse or registered civil partner of a German citizen. § 9 paragraph 1 sentence 3 then permits their minor children to be naturalised alongside them even with less than three years of residence. This may be particularly relevant to children from a previous relationship.

We first check whether your child is already German through a German parent or whether the relationship is with a stepparent only. A German stepfather or stepmother does not confer German citizenship through marriage alone. Nor does parental responsibility automatically pass to the new spouse. Legal parentage and any adoption must therefore be considered separately.

Inclusion under § 9 also remains subject to the child’s personal requirements. It is not a general route for every minor member of the household. The connection to the parent being naturalised and the relevant statutory provision must fit the circumstances. The detailed article on spouses and civil partners of German citizens sets out the corresponding adult route.

A minor child may have an independent entitlement under § 10 paragraph 1 StAG if they have, as a rule, completed five years of lawful habitual residence in Germany and meet the other requirements as applied appropriately to their age. The parents do not have to become German themselves. Nor does the parents’ lack of interest in naturalisation automatically remove the child’s own opportunity.

This is particularly important if the child has grown up in Germany while a parent does not meet certain requirements. A personal obstacle affecting the parent is not automatically a personal obstacle affecting the child. Nevertheless, shared factual circumstances, such as the funding of the family’s livelihood or unresolved civil status details, may matter in both procedures. An independent assessment therefore does not mean complete separation from all family documents.

If five years of residence are missing and joint naturalisation does not fit, we assess discretionary naturalisation under § 8 StAG where applicable. It has its own requirements and is not an automatic alternative entitlement. In particular, finances and family ties must be assessed correctly. Attending a German school does not, by itself, reduce the statutory period for an entitlement.

For the independent discretionary naturalisation of children under 16, the BMI guidance generally requires a family relationship with a German citizen who holds parental responsibility. This administrative restriction must not be applied to the independent statutory entitlement under § 10. Conversely, § 8 is not a route under which a shortfall in residence time can always be waived without further assessment. The guidance also takes particular hardship situations into account, such as certain school pupils receiving benefits. It must therefore be clearly stated which requirement is not met and on which basis an exception is requested. A general application for “naturalisation of the child for family reasons” leaves these crucial distinctions unresolved.

For a child who is not yet 16 at naturalisation, age-appropriate language development is sufficient under § 10 paragraph 4 sentence 2 StAG. This means development in the German language. A general B1 test is therefore not the standard evidence for small children and younger schoolchildren. School reports may be relevant for school-age children, and suitable information on language development for younger children.

When assessing evidence of age-appropriate language development, we take account of the fact that children of the same age need not speak in exactly the same way. An appropriate assessment of the individual child’s development is decisive. In cases of illness or disability, it is also necessary to assess whether the special statutory exceptions apply. We assess developmental differences factually and, where needed, through medical evidence, without equating them with unwillingness to learn.

Children under 16 generally do not have to provide evidence of passing a naturalisation test. From 16, the requirements for language, civic knowledge and personal declarations generally become more extensive. Depending on the type of qualification, a school-leaving certificate may replace tests; simply attending school does not carry the same evidential weight for every requirement. The relevant rules are set out in § 10 StAG and the related application guidance.

A child does not have to work to be naturalised. Their needs may be met in particular by the parents who owe them maintenance. The assessment concerns whether the available funds actually cover the relevant needs. Parents’ income, maintenance payments, housing costs and other resources that can be taken into account all play a part. We present the financial position from the perspective of the child and their support.

A special concession may apply to a child being naturalised alongside a parent. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s application guidance, the livelihood requirement is deemed satisfied if the minor child lives in a family relationship with a parent covered by the spouse exception in § 10 paragraph 1 sentence 1 number 3 letter c. That parent must live in a family relationship with a person who is currently employed full-time and has been so employed for at least 20 of the last 24 months, together with a minor child. The guidance extends this concession to naturalisation alongside a parent under paragraph 2; it does not establish a blanket exception for every independent entitlement of a child.

A different situation arises where a parent can be exempted from the financial requirement on grounds of particular hardship under § 8 paragraph 2. The guidance also provides for a waiver for a minor child being naturalised alongside that parent. Outside such joint naturalisation, an independent hardship case must be assessed for the child, for example in connection with genuine school attendance and the parents’ lack of financial means. The particular legal basis and family circumstances must therefore be described specifically.

For benefit decisions, the statutory type of benefit matters more than everyday terminology. Since July 2026, the benefit under § 19 paragraph 1 SGB II has been called Grundsicherungsgeld; Bürgergeld remains an officially permitted term during the transition. Kindergeld, Kinderzuschlag and other payments must not be equated with SGB II benefits without examination. The overview of income and livelihood leads to the relevant detailed articles.

Children under 16 generally require legal representation in the naturalisation procedure. Where parents share parental responsibility, they generally act jointly. Living separately or undergoing divorce proceedings does not automatically remove the other parent’s shared parental responsibility. Nor does providing most of the child’s actual care by itself establish sole legal authority to represent them.

From their 16th birthday, young people generally have their own procedural capacity under § 34 StAG. The rule has statutory exceptions, particularly where a person lacks legal capacity. However, it is deliberately not tied to the general age of majority of 18. For a birthday during processing, we check the personal declarations now required and the correct recipient of official correspondence.

Where parents with parental responsibility disagree about a child under 16, a family court decision on the specific matter may be necessary. The naturalisation authority cannot simply replace the missing parental agreement. The article on parental responsibility, separated parents and legal representation discusses this in detail.

Naturalisation is generally assessed on the basis of the circumstances at the relevant time of the decision. For the children’s language rule, the law expressly refers to age at naturalisation. An application submitted at 15 therefore does not automatically preserve all the concessions for children under 16. We account for the approaching birthday early in preparation.

The naturalisation fee is generally 255 euros. For a minor child being naturalised alongside a parent who has no income of their own within the meaning of the Income Tax Act, § 38 StAG reduces it to 51 euros. The reduction therefore does not depend on age alone. It does not apply automatically to independent naturalisation; where the child has their own income, its legal classification must be examined. There may also be costs for certificates or translations.

For your child's application, we compile the following documents and check their completeness and consistency:

• Birth and identity: Birth certificate and identity documents;

• Residence: Evidence of previous residence and the current right of residence;

• Representation: Evidence of parental responsibility;

• Language and education: Age-appropriate educational evidence.

In family proceedings, we make clear whether we are seeking joint naturalisation for your child and with which parent. A positive decision on a parent’s application alone does not replace the decision concerning the child.

We develop the appropriate application by considering existing nationality, personal requirements, family basis, age and valid representation together. Examining these points separately helps identify early whether the joint route offers advantages or whether the child’s independent entitlement is more reliable. The overview of naturalisation as a family connects these questions about children with the parents’ procedures.