What's the difference between German citizenship and residency?

Non-resident visitor

This category covers everything from people having a long weekend in Berlin to those exploring the country for up to 90 days to non-resident property owners.

Citizens of a number of non-EU countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, benefit from visa-free travel to the Schengen area, meaning that they don’t need a short-term visa to visit Germany.

However, their stay is limited under the so-called ‘90-day rule’. This states that you can stay in Germany or the Schengen area for up to 90 days within any 180 days (remember: the 90-day period can be in the form of one long stay or several short stays).

READ ALSO: What happens if you overstay your 90-day limit in Germany?

If you wish to stay longer than this, you’ll need to apply for a longer-term residence permit.

Non-EU nationals who don’t enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen area (for example, citizens of India, China and Russia) must apply for a visa for any visit to Germany, even a short holiday.

Finally, if you're a citizen of an EU/Schengen-area country, you’re not constrained by the 90-day limit, but you’ll still need to complete some bureaucratic steps if you decide to move to Germany permanently (more below).

Regardless of your EU/non-EU status, as a non-resident visitor in Germany, you don't have any legal status or right to stay in the country long term.

Visitors from Europe who have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are entitled to medical treatment that can't wait until you return to your home country. 

The EHIC provides the same rights to healthcare as people registered with Germany’s public healthcare system, including free access to emergency or urgent care, and discounted access to specialist consultations and diagnostic exams.

Non-EU visitors also have access to emergency or urgent healthcare treatment in Germany, though any services you use will come at a cost.

READ ALSO: Does my German health insurance cover me if I get sick abroad?

Residency

Having residency means that you’re officially allowed to live in Germany. 

The requirements for becoming a legal resident vary depending on the country that you come from and your personal circumstances.

For EU nationals:

EU nationals benefit from freedom of movement across the EU, which means they can move to Germany to live and work without a residence permit or visa. 

All you need to enter Germany is a valid ID (passport or identity card). In this case, entering and staying in Germany for up to three months is not subject to further conditions or requirements.

EU nationals who move their place of residence to Germany need to register their new address at the registration office. This requirement - colloquially referred to as getting Anmeldung - is the same for German nationals and non-EU residents and must be completed within two weeks of moving into a new address.

German authorities may assume that the requirements for freedom of movement and residence for EU citizens have been met, but they can also ask for supporting documents. These might include documents to prove your employment status or which prove you have sufficient financial means to support yourself and your family (including health insurance coverage).

If you're seeking employment you may also need to provide evidence that you have been seriously pursuing your job search.

For Non-EU nationals:

Non-EU nationals have far more hoops to jump through before they can become residents in Germany – the biggest one is securing a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel).

The specific residence permit you’ll need depends on your personal situation (e.g. whether you're coming to Germany to work, study, retire, or reunite with family.) 

If you’re coming from a country that has a visa-free travel agreement for the Schengen area, then you can apply for your residence permit in Germany after entering the country. You’ll need to move quickly though, because you need to apply within 90 days (and gathering all the documents you’ll need can take quite a bit of time).

If you're coming from a country without a visa-free travel agreement, then you’ll need to apply for the residence permit you require with your local German consulate before departing.

READ ALSO: 11 words you need to know for your German visa appointment

The specific requirements can vary depending on the type of residence permit you want, but it's safe to assume you’ll need a passport which is valid until the end date of your residence permit, a completed application form, and documents confirming your employment or enrollment at a German university, as well as evidence of your financial security (such as a bank statement).

In most cases you’ll also need to have your address registration document, proof of health insurance in Germany, identification photos and the application fee.

EXPLAINED: How to apply for a residency permit online in Berlin

Depending on the residence permit you are issued, you may be granted anywhere from several months to four years of legal residency in Germany. Should your residence permit expire, you’ll need to apply for a new one (or to renew the same permit).

After five years of legal residency in Germany, you may be able to apply for permanent residency. The obvious advantage here is that this option comes with no expiry date, but you'll need to meet certain requirements, which in most cases include; financial self-sufficiency, 60 months of pension contributions, and B1 German language skills.

READ ALSO: Who can get permanent residency the fastest under Germany's skilled worker law?

While EU citizens living in Germany have the right to vote in municipal and European elections (but not national ones), non-EU residents have no voting rights.

Citizenship

Naturalising as German is the ultimate guarantee of your rights in Germany. As a German citizen, you’ll have the same rights as people holding citizenship from birth, and enjoy greater security than residency permit holders. 

Similar to permanent residency, citizenship doesn’t expire and is very hard to lose. But it also confers rights non-citizens don't have.

As of June 27th, 2024, Germany allows dual-citizenship, meaning that you don't need to forfeit citizenship to your home country should you choose to naturalise as German. That is, unless your home country has its own rules against it.

These include full voting rights, encompassing municipal, national and EU elections.

Having a German passport will also allow you to move around and work in the EU without limitations - from Brussels to Barcelona.

For non-EU German residents who can only spend 90 days out of every 180 in another EU country under the 90-day rule, it presents a massive potential benefit.

EXPLAINED: How German citizenship differs from permanent residency

Though there are plenty of advantages to becoming a German national over remaining a foreign resident indefinitely, claiming citizenship can be far from easy.

There are three main routes to acquiring citizenship: ancestry, residency and marriage.

In most cases to gain German citizenship through ancestry, your parents need to have been German citizens, but the rules get a bit complicated depending on the year you were born, and if your parents were married or unmarried.

EXPLAINED: Who is entitled to German citizenship by descent and how to apply for it

You can find an explanation of the rules around gaining citizenship through marriage here.

Otherwise, you may qualify for citizenship if you’ve legally lived in Germany for at least five years, have B1 German language skills, are financially secure and can pass the German citizenship test. Of course, you’ll also need quite a bit of patience for dealing with the bureaucracy and long waits while application is processed. You can find plenty more information about that here.

CHEACKLIST: What do I need to apply for German citizenship under the new law?

With reporting by The Local team.