Brexit / Applying for German citizenship

[bristolfan 2]

Hey All,

 

In May I reach the 6 year mark and was wondering if anybody has any experience of qualifying for the shorter 6 year exception for citizenship??

I have German B2 certificate. Is it enough?

My wife is an EU citizen so I presume I qualify to stay.  Not sure what the latest on that is!?

Thanks.

[pappnase 2,654]

Go start the Einbürgerungs process anyway.

They have a lot of leeway, and you may just find a sympathetic person willing to push you through.

If not then you will at least have a concrete set of things you need in order to apply.

 

[dj_jay_smith 3,449]

You need minimum B2 German, so that's good, but normally they want to see that you are contributing actively to German society.  This is where it is a bit vaguein, but is generally taken to mean that you should be part of some group or community or volunteer or something.

 

Maybe they will be more sympathetic to Brits in the current situation, so you can but try.

 

 

[Nerdbloke 36]

So final update guys, here is my timeline:

 

Einbürgerungstest taken on 05.12.2018

Results received of test 12.01.2019 (passed, so took around 5 weeks including the Christmas break)

 

B1 language test date 19.01.2019, results received exactly 5 weeks later

 

Appointment at the Landratsamt to fill all forms in and hand over documents 28.02

 

Today I became a German citizen, picked my certificate up!!!!!

[warsteiner70 292]

1 hour ago, bristolfan said:

Hey All,

 

In May I reach the 6 year mark and was wondering if anybody has any experience of qualifying for the shorter 6 year exception for citizenship??

I have German B2 certificate. Is it enough?

My wife is an EU citizen so I presume I qualify to stay.  Not sure what the latest on that is!?

Thanks.

 

B1 Certificate is what's needed so B2 is fine. You will probably need to pass the Integration exam and for 6 years normally voluntary activities are needed to show you are contributing to the community but as pappnase has mentioned, just go to the place where you need to apply for citizenship and see what they say, Some areas seem to be more stricter than others so asking doesn't do any harm.

[Billybulldog 43]

@Nerdbloke, Congratulations and welcome on board!

 

[dj_jay_smith 3,449]

30 minutes ago, warsteiner70 said:

 

B1 Certificate is what's needed..

 

You need B2 if you apply after just 6 years:

 

https://www.anwalt.de/rechtstipps/einbuergerung-nach-jahren-aufenthalt_125190.html

[sos-the-rope 619]

1 hour ago, bristolfan said:

Hey All,

 

In May I reach the 6 year mark and was wondering if anybody has any experience of qualifying for the shorter 6 year exception for citizenship??

I have German B2 certificate. Is it enough?

My wife is an EU citizen so I presume I qualify to stay.  Not sure what the latest on that is!?

Thanks.

 

Hi @bristolfan - that's my situation exactly and I got my Germanity this Jan. Go for it.

 

I see you're in FFM, great. They're very efficient and friendly, treat them well and you'll be fine.

 

If you fancy a beer and a chat in town sometime send me a PM.

[warsteiner70 292]

20 hours ago, dj_jay_smith said:

 

You need B2 if you apply after just 6 years:

 

https://www.anwalt.de/rechtstipps/einbuergerung-nach-jahren-aufenthalt_125190.html

 

Thanks, I didn't realise there were different levels of German needed if you applied earlier than the 'normal' 8 year period.

[bristolfan 2]

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies.  Good to know Dual citizenship is back in play. I will get a move on and see if I can wrap this up in good time.

 

@sos-the-rope I have moved down past Darmstadt so will need to head to the office there. I'm rarely in FFM These days otherwise beers are always good.

[Chris Marston 61]

I am married to a German but not yet for two years as required according to German citizenship law for being granted citizenship.

 

Could I already apply for for German citizenship and than be granted it after the two years have past?

In other words, what is earliest date I am allowed to submit the Einbürgerungsantrag? Is it really just down to the discretion of the case worker?

 

[dj_jay_smith 3,449]

39 minutes ago, Chris Marston said:

I am married to a German but not yet for two years as required according to German citizenship law for being granted citizenship.

 

Could I already apply for for German citizenship and than be granted it after the two years have past?

In other words, what is earliest date I am allowed to submit the Einbürgerungsantrag? Is it really just down to the discretion of the case worker?

 

 

Some have posted on this thread that they have been successful in applying early, the beamter just puts the details on file and then submits them when the time comes, while others have said that they have been rejected.  So there is no simple answer to that and you might have to just try.  It might also depend on how early you are.

 

Of course you need to have also been in Germany for 3 years as well as married to a German for 2, and meet all the other conditions as well (B1 German, passed citizenship exam etc. etc.)

 

 

[Derek 1,027]

The Government structure questions were troubling me so I thought I'd make a diagram of who controls what and who votes for what. It got real complicated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kiplette 8,802]

That's rather fab. That is the stuff I found pretty confusing, and your diagram is helpful.

 

People who know about citizenship - this is kind of a hypothetical question in our actual case, but I have been mulling over - 

 

5 of us are now dual citizens. Paps is not - he doesn't have his 8 years, because he went back to the UK for 20 months in the middle of it. He is now, however, married to a German, me (which remains a very odd concept in my head, but hey), so does he already have the right to go for citizenship based on more than 3 years (25 this year, in fact) of marriage, or does the clock on that particular route start when I became a citizen (end of January).

 

It is, as I say, basically hypothetical for us, but I do idly wonder how that cake gets cut. Anyone know?

[Derek 1,027]

10 hours ago, kiplette said:

That's rather fab. That is the stuff I found pretty confusing, and your diagram is helpful.

 

Really? I also find that stuff confusing and found the diagram not helpful. It's interesting to visualize the stuff but doesn't help me get the right answers to those questions. Those kind of questions aren't so numerous that they'll make the difference in a pass/fail count though so I'm not too worried. I'm averaging 75-80% each time I practice. Feel free (anyone) to use it, abuse it, fix it, or share it.

[zwiebelfisch 7,067]

2 hours ago, Derek said:

 

Really? I also find that stuff confusing and found the diagram not helpful. It's interesting to visualize the stuff but doesn't help me get the right answers to those questions. Those kind of questions aren't so numerous that they'll make the difference in a pass/fail count though so I'm not too worried. I'm averaging 75-80% each time I practice. Feel free (anyone) to use it, abuse it, fix it, or share it.

 

Depends whether you want ot understand it (then diagram is helpfu) or just pass the test (then diagram is massively over detailed and counter productive).

[Derek 1,027]

58 minutes ago, zwiebelfisch said:

 

Depends whether you want ot understand it (then diagram is helpfu) or just pass the test (then diagram is massively over detailed and counter productive).

 

Exactly!! All that detail does actually come from questions though. There's no bit of text in a box/circle or text on a line that isn't taken from a question. As you say though, it's trying to just memorise the questions/answers that's easier. I'm batting 90% at the moment and still trying to get closer to 100.

[zwiebelfisch 7,067]

4 hours ago, Derek said:

I'm batting 90% at the moment and still trying to get closer to 100.

 

Why?  Its pass or fail, 100% is no better than 60% just do the test and get over the pass mark which you clearly will.

[Chris Marston 61]

On 13.4.2019, 12:48:19, dj_jay_smith said:

 

Some have posted on this thread that they have been successful in applying early, the beamter just puts the details on file and then submits them when the time comes, while others have said that they have been rejected.  So there is no simple answer to that and you might have to just try.  It might also depend on how early you are.

 

Of course you need to have also been in Germany for 3 years as well as married to a German for 2, and meet all the other conditions as well (B1 German, passed citizenship exam etc. etc.)

 

 

I have a C2 certificate but will only be married for the minimum of two years in November 2019. I am not sure if Emmanuel Macron fancies another extension to the extesion of an extension of the original leave date. I therefore sincerely hope to meet a friendly discreationary Beamte. At least online, it was not possible to get official Einbürgerungs-appointments before August 2019. As long as the flextension is not cut short, this should be fine. Fingers crossed.

[Derek 1,027]

52 minutes ago, zwiebelfisch said:

 

Why?  Its pass or fail, 100% is no better than 60% just do the test and get over the pass mark which you clearly will.

 

Because getting 90% right (out of all 310 questions) means there are still 31 questions I'm not getting wrong.

 

It only needs for half of those questions to show up in the selected 33 that I'm tested on and I'm close to failing.