One of the important conditions for obtaining German citizenship is the successful completion of the Einbürgerungstest. The German citizenship test is a series of questions about the public order, customs and history of the republic, the answers to which every foreigner who wants to become a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany must know.
What is the Einbürgerungstest
The Einbürgerungstest is a mandatory test for all applicants for German citizenship. The only exceptions are those who graduated from a German school and those who cannot come to take the test due to old age or health reasons (disability, physical or mental illness).
The test questions relate to public order, culture and history of the Federal Republic of Germany, the knowledge of which is necessary for the future citizen of this country.
What you need to know to take the test
The German test contains 33 questions. Moreover, the Einbürgerungstest test database contains 300 variants of questions that are the same for the entire territory of the German state. For each federal state, 10 additional unique questions have been developed.
The questions in the test are distributed in such a way that 30 of them relate to general information about the state, and another 3 relate to a specific federal state in which the applicant lives and takes the exam.
There are 4 possible answers to each question, but only one of them is correct.
All questions relate exclusively to the Federal Republic of Germany, therefore, it is not difficult for a person who has been living in this country for a long time to answer them. According to statistics, only 3% of applicants do not pass this test the first time.
The test contains questions on the following topics:
- law basics;
- constitution;
- history;
- politics;
- culture and traditions;
- other facts related to life in Germany.
How is testing done?
You need to register for testing at the regional educational institution Volkshochschule. You can find out the exact address of the exam at the local office of citizenship - Einbürgerungsbehörde. It is imperative to apply for the exam in person; you should take your passport with you from the documents.
Volkshochschule employees notify about the date of the exam, in addition, the applicant receives an invitation by e-mail. On average, from the moment of filing an application to the exam itself, it takes from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the number of applicants.
On the specified date, the applicant must come to the Volkshochschule. After presenting the passport, he is given a questionnaire with a personal number, which will later be used by the inspector to send the test back after verification. The tester will only know the number, but the name and surname of the test taker will not. Thus, he has no way of influencing the results.
Having received the questionnaire, the applicants sit down each at a separate table and, upon a signal, begin to answer questions. The test lasts 60 minutes. During this time, the examiner monitors order in the classroom. Foreigners are prohibited from asking neighbors for help, using mobile phones or cheat sheets.
To obtain the right to become a citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany, a migrant must correctly answer at least 17 questions.
Test results can be received by mail in about a month. If the applicant does not pass the test the first time, then in the future he has the right to take the exam an unlimited number of times.
Conditions for obtaining citizenship
The applicant must pay 25 euros for the exam and must have a passport with him on the day of the test. Successful passing of the exam is the key to obtaining German citizenship. However, in 2021, the applicant must fulfill some other conditions:
- have a Blue Card or a residence permit in the Federal Republic of Germany;
- live continuously in the country for 8 years (6 or 7 - in case of successful completion of the integration course);
- provide for yourself and your family financially without unemployment benefits and social assistance;
- have no criminal record;
- to recognize German laws;
- renounce previous citizenship;
- get tested in German.
Find out more about the conditions for obtaining German citizenship.
Is it possible to have dual citizenship in Germany
Germany does not officially recognize dual citizenship. However, citizens of Russia, Ukraine and some other European countries can retain their previous citizenship when receiving German in the following cases:
- renunciation of the previous citizenship is impossible due to the risk to life (the applicant is a refugee);
- a citizen / citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany receives the second citizenship automatically, on the basis of marriage or for another reason that does not require the expression of will and efforts to obtain it;
- the second citizenship is obtained by a child of foreigners living in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Find out more about which countries allow dual citizenship.
Finally
The German citizenship test is a questionnaire of 33 questions, 30 of which relate to the country as a whole, and 3 to the federal state in which the applicant lives. The test questions cover topics of history, culture, traditions, law and politics of Germany, knowledge of which is mandatory for citizens of the republic. A positive result will be considered correct answers of the applicant to at least 17 questions. The time and place of the exam should be inquired at the regional office for obtaining German citizenship.
