German citizenship for Russian citizens in 2026
Naturalization after 5 years, marriage, the late resettler programme, Jewish immigration and restoration. Which route fits you, what it costs and what to do with your Russian passport.
In short
- Five routes: naturalization, marriage, late resettlers, Jewish immigration and restoration of citizenship.
- Naturalization comes after 5 years in Germany, with German B1 and a test; the 3-year route was abolished from 30 October 2025.
- The Russian passport is kept since 27 June 2024; in 2025, 19,700 Russians became German citizens.
- After receiving the passport you must notify Russia's Interior Ministry within 60 days.
In detail
German citizenship for Russians in 2026 is not one road but five: naturalization after living in the country, marriage to a German citizen, the late resettler programme, Jewish immigration and restoration of citizenship for descendants of the persecuted. None of them lets you buy a passport. But since 27 June 2024 Russian citizenship is kept, and in 2025 19,700 Russian citizens received a German passport - 51% more than a year earlier. The general rules are on our German citizenship page; here is which route fits you.
Five routes to a German passport
| Route | Who | When the passport comes | German |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naturalization | anyone living legally in Germany | after 5 years of residence | B1 and the citizenship test |
| Marriage to a German citizen | spouses of Germans | after 3 years of residence with at least 2 years of marriage | B1 |
| Late resettlers | descendants of Germans from the former USSR | after moving under an admission decision | conversational for the applicant, A1 for family |
| Jewish immigration | people of Jewish descent | first a permanent residence permit, the passport under general rules | A1 for admission |
| Restoration | descendants of those stripped of citizenship in 1933-1945 | on application, without moving | not required |
Naturalization: the main route for most people
A foreigner who has lived in Germany legally and permanently for five years receives citizenship on application if they meet the conditions: German at B1, a 33-question test, supporting themselves and their family without social benefits and no criminal convictions. At the time of filing you need permanent residence, an EU Blue Card or a residence permit that can lead to permanent status. Study, language courses and the opportunity card for job search do not lead to a passport, so the move is best built on work from the start: options are on the German work visa page, and the opportunity card is covered in Germany's opportunity card.
The three-year route for the especially well integrated was abolished from 30 October 2025. Five years is a minimum, not the typical term: Russian citizens have on average 14.1 years of life in Germany behind them when naturalized.
Marriage, roots and restoration
Spouses of German citizens apply after 3 years of living in the country if the marriage has lasted at least 2 years. The other conditions - language, test, income - are the same.
Late resettlers. Descendants of Germans from the former USSR born before 1 January 1993 apply from Russia to Germany's Federal Office of Administration. They must prove German descent and be able to hold a simple conversation in German; a spouse and children included in the decision need A1. Resettlers receive citizenship right after moving, together with the status certificate.
Jewish immigration goes through the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees: you need documents on descent, German A1, confirmation that a Jewish community in Germany is ready to admit the applicant and a positive integration prognosis. After entry a permanent residence permit is issued, and the passport comes through naturalization under general rules.
Restoration. Those deprived of citizenship in 1933-1945 on political, racial or religious grounds, and their descendants, get it back on application - without moving, language or a residence period.
What it costs and how long it takes
The naturalization fee is 255 euros, about $290, per adult and 51 euros, about $60, per child; the test is about $30. The citizenship authority decides in anywhere from a few months to 1-2 years. The main costs are not the fee but five years of visas, residence permits and living in the country - a family calculation is in how much German citizenship costs.
The fee is about $290, a refusal after five years costs far more
The law does not forbid applying for German citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: a residence permit that does not lead to a passport, benefits in your history, trips that break the term, incomplete proof of descent for the late resettler programme and a missed notice to Russia's Interior Ministry. We choose the route for your history, count the term, prepare translations and apostilles of Russian documents and handle the application until the certificate is handed over.
Our manager in the chat will calculate the cost of support.
What a Russian citizen should do
- Order birth and marriage certificates with an apostille and translation in advance: some Russian documents are issued only through a consulate or a representative.
- Do not renounce Russian citizenship: since 2024 Germany does not require it.
- Within 60 days of receiving a German passport, notify Russia's Interior Ministry, from Germany through the consulate. Failure to file carries criminal liability.
More on two passports, children, taxes and the army in German and Russian dual citizenship.
How we help
The law does not forbid applying for German citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: a residence permit that does not lead to a passport, benefits in your history, incomplete proof of descent for the resettler programme, a missed notice to Russia's Interior Ministry. Murblz specialists choose the route for your history, check the term and documents and handle the application until the certificate is handed over. Our manager in the chat will calculate the cost of support.
German citizenship
Requirements, terms, costs and dual citizenship.
Learn more →German work visa
Where the five-year count starts.
Learn more →Permanent residence in Germany
When you can get permanent status.
Learn more →We will find your route to a German passport. Tell us whether you have German or Jewish roots, a marriage to a German citizen or a residence permit. We will show the shortest route and the documents.
FAQ
Can a Russian citizen get German citizenship in 2026?
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Can you get German citizenship through German roots?
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