Income

An essential requirement for naturalization is that you must be able to support yourself and your dependent family members independently. In principle, this means that you must not receive any benefits from the basic income support for jobseekers (according to SGB II) or from social assistance (according to SGB XII).

The authority not only looks at your current situation. It also makes an assessment for the future. They will check whether you are likely to be able to provide for yourself and your family in the near future.

What is included in the cost of living?

Living expenses include all costs incurred in daily life. These are in particular

• The standard requirement to ensure subsistence
• Any additional requirements
• The costs for accommodation and heating

What income is taken into account?

Your livelihood can be secured from various sources. These include

• Income from work, whether self-employed or employed
• Own assets
• Maintenance payments that you receive from another person

If you live together with your spouse or registered partner, it is sufficient if you can support the family together.

Which state benefits are harmless?

Not all state benefits stand in the way of naturalization. If you receive one of the following benefits, this does not affect your ability to earn a living:

• Child benefit
• Child supplement
• Parental allowance
• Parental allowance
• Benefits under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)
• Housing benefit
• Benefits from unemployment or pension insurance based on own contributions

Exceptions to the rule: When is the receipt of social benefits harmless?

Even if you receive benefits according to SGB II or SGB XII, naturalization may be possible under certain circumstances. This applies to certain groups of people or life situations.

The guest worker generation

An exception applies to persons who entered West Germany as so-called guest workers until June 30, 1974 or who entered the former GDR as contract workers until June 13, 1990. The same applies to spouses who moved to Germany at the same time. If these persons receive social benefits, this is only an obstacle if they are responsible for receiving the benefits themselves.

Full-time employment

If you have worked full-time for at least 20 months in the 24 months prior to submitting your application, receiving additional social benefits is not an obstacle to naturalization.

Family members of full-time employees

If the spouse or partner lives with a person who fulfills the above-mentioned full-time employment requirement and there is also a minor child living in the household, the receipt of social benefits is also harmless in this case.

What does "not to be represented" mean?

In some cases, it depends on whether you are "responsible" for receiving social benefits. This means that it is checked whether you yourself are responsible for the situation that led to the receipt of benefits.

Reasons for which you are not responsible

As a rule, you are not responsible for the receipt of social benefits if, for example:

• have lost their job for health, operational or economic reasons and have made sufficient efforts to find a new job.
• Are in school or vocational training or studying.
• are unable to work or can only work to a limited extent due to illness or disability.

Reasons for which you are responsible

As a rule, you are responsible for the reason for receiving benefits if, for example, you have caused the loss of your job through your own behavior.

Special requirements for discretionary naturalization

In some cases, such as in the case of so-called discretionary naturalization, the requirements for securing a livelihood are stricter.

A broader concept of securing maintenance

It is not enough to simply not receive social benefits. Rather, you must be in a position to provide fully for yourself and your family. This also includes the following points:

• The ability to provide for dependent family members living abroad.
• Sufficient cover against illness, the need for long-term care and for old age.

Discretionary exceptions to naturalization

These stricter requirements can also be waived in special cases. This is possible if there is a public interest in your naturalization or to avoid particular hardship. Such particular hardship may exist, for example, if you have already been granted naturalization and then lose your job through no fault of your own.

Special case: living expenses for spouses of Germans

The less stringent requirements apply to spouses or registered partners of German nationals. This means that it is checked whether their livelihood is secured without benefits according to SGB II or SGB XII and whether they themselves are responsible for any receipt of benefits.