§ 9 StAG: Naturalization of Spouses of Germans
This text was rewritten into plain language (B1 level) automatically and may contain errors. Only the official German statute is authoritative — when in doubt, read the original text below or consult a lawyer.
You are married to a German national. Or you have a registered life partnership with a German national.
Then you can be naturalized. Naturalization means: You get German citizenship.
Requirements for naturalization For this, the requirements from § 10 paragraph 1 must also be met. In addition, you must meet these conditions:
- You have been living lawfully and permanently in Germany for three years.
- The marriage or the registered life partnership has existed for two years.
If all these conditions are met, you shall generally be naturalized. This means: Normally you then get naturalization. In exceptional cases, the authority can decide differently.
Shorter period of residence due to public interest The three-year period for your residence in Germany can be shortened. This is only possible for reasons of public interest. Requirement for this: The marriage or the registered life partnership has already existed for three years. Whether the period is shortened is decided by the authority. This is not a guarantee.
Minor children Do you have minor children from the marriage or the registered life partnership? These children can be naturalized together with you. For this too, the requirements from § 10 paragraph 1 must be met. The authority decides on this.
There is an easier rule for the children: They do not have to meet the three-year residence period. They can also be naturalized together with you even if they have not yet been living lawfully in Germany for three years.
Other rules that apply § 10 paragraphs 4, 4a, 5 and 6 also apply to you. Note: What these paragraphs regulate in detail is set out in § 10 of the Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz).
Naturalization after death or after the end of the marriage or life partnership Has your German spouse or your German registered life partner died? Or was the marriage or the registered life partnership ended by a legally binding decision?
Then the rules from the first part of this text still apply to you. For this, ALL of the following conditions must be met:
- You submit the naturalization application no later than one year after the death. Or you submit the application no later than one year after the decision ending the marriage or life partnership became legally binding.
- You have custody of a minor child from this marriage or life partnership.
- This child already holds German citizenship.
- You live together with this child in a family unit.
(1) Ehegatten oder eingetragene Lebenspartner Deutscher sollen unter den Voraussetzungen des § 10 Absatz 1 eingebürgert werden, wenn sie seit drei Jahren ihren rechtmäßigen gewöhnlichen Aufenthalt im Inland haben und die Ehe oder eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft seit zwei Jahren besteht. Die Aufenthaltsdauer nach Satz 1 kann aus Gründen des öffentlichen Interesses verkürzt werden, wenn die Ehe oder eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft seit drei Jahren besteht. Minderjährige Kinder von Ehegatten oder eingetragenen Lebenspartnern Deutscher können unter den Voraussetzungen des § 10 Absatz 1 mit eingebürgert werden, auch wenn sie sich noch nicht seit drei Jahren rechtmäßig im Inland aufhalten. § 10 Absatz 4, 4a, 5 und 6 gilt entsprechend.
(2) Die Regelung des Absatzes 1 gilt auch, wenn die Einbürgerung bis zum Ablauf eines Jahres nach dem Tod des deutschen Ehegatten oder eingetragenen Lebenspartners oder nach der Rechtskraft des die Ehe oder eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft beendenden Beschlusses beantragt wird und der Antragsteller als sorgeberechtigter Elternteil mit einem minderjährigen Kind aus der Ehe oder eingetragenen Lebenspartnerschaft in einer familiären Gemeinschaft lebt, das bereits die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit besitzt.
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