How your eligibility for German citizenship can be affected by unemployment

Among the basic requirements to naturalise as German is demonstrating financial independence, or the ability to financially support yourself and any dependents you may have with your own income or assets.

As The Local has reported, this makes navigating Germany's social welfare benefits a bit complicated for would-be applicants for citizenship. Certain benefits – like long-term unemployment (Bürgergeld)– are seen as signifying a lack of financial independence and are therefore disqualifying.

Generally speaking, receiving other benefits like those meant to support parents, students or renters with living expenses isn't usually an issue. Also receiving short-term unemployment pay (Arbeitslosengeld) is not supposed to be a barrier to citizenship by itself.

But the rules around receiving Arbeitslosengeld in particular get tricky, because a perceived reliance on said benefit may be seen as evidence of a lack of financial independence.

So, are you still eligible to naturalise as German even if you receive unemployment benefits following a layoff? The Local put the question to immigration authorities in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich to find out.

You cannot be eligible for Bürgergeld

All three naturalisation authorities contacted by The Local confirmed that SGB II benefits (Bürgergeld or social assistance called Sozialhilfe) would disqualify applicants for naturalisation in accordance with Germany's Nationality Act.

A spokesperson for Berlin's Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) added that it does not matter if an applicant actually claimed these befits or not.

"The only decisive factor is whether the entitlement objectively exists due to insufficient income," they told The Local.

Generally, anyone who has worked long enough to qualify for Bürgergeld in Germany would be eligible for it if they do not have sufficient income or savings to support themselves. So in effect, this is just another way of saying you need to be financially independent to gain German citizenship.

READ ALSO: How much do you need to earn to qualify for citizenship in Germany?

But its worth noting that approval depends on eligibility rather than receival of the benefit. People entitled to the benefit should not avoid claiming it in the belief that this will improve their chances of securing citizenship.

If you have previously qualified for Bürgergeld, you may become eligible for citizenship again if you take up and maintain employment.

A spokesperson for Munich's Kreisverwaltungsreferat (KVR) told The Local that applicants who previously received an SGB II benefit would again be considered financially independent after working full-time for 20 of the past 24 months.

The rules for Arbeitslosengeld are more complicated

As opposed to Bürgergeld, the short-term unemployment benefit known as Arbeitslosengeld (ALG) is temporary by definition. Also it is effectively paid for by your own social contributions while you are working, so it's not seen as an automatic disqualifier in citizenship cases.

That said, it does muddy the waters when it comes to determining an applicant's perceived financial independence.

Basically, if you are receiving ALG, the immigration authorities will consider how long you have been receiving the benefit along with your work history and related factors to make a judgement call about your ability to support yourself going forward.

"This assessment takes into account the applicant's previous employment history and current professional and financial situation," said a spokesperson for the Darmstadt Regional Council, which is the naturalisation authority for the city of Frankfurt and state of Hesse.

In this case, having access to some other social benefits may actually work in your favour, because all forms of income and assets are considered, and some state benefits – like the child benefit, housing benefit, parental allowance or others – would be seen as improving your ability to support yourself.

READ ALSO: Which social benefits exclude you from German citizenship?

Is there a time limit on unemployment?

Each of the authorities that shared comments with The Local suggested that financial independence was a factor that needed to be considered on an individual basis. Therefore there is no specified cut-off for how long someone can receive Arbeitslosengeld before it threatens their eligibility for citizenship.

The spokesperson for the LEA in Berlin said that "previous employment history and other empirical data taken as a whole in the individual case must allow the assumption of a stable income..."

They added that education and qualifications, previous professional experience, the duration of previous employment relationships, and the duration of periods of unemployment are all factors that are considered.

Reading between the lines a bit, a person who had been employed for years, works in a high-demand role and has only just begun receiving unemployment benefits might expect to be considered financially secure despite receiving temporary benefits at the time they submit their application.

On the other hand, anyone without a really solid work history can expect problems here.  

The spokesperson for the KVR in Munich added, "For applicants who have received Arbeitslosengeld and have taken up employment again, there will generally be no evidence that speaks against a positive decision".

However, on that topic, the LEA spokesperson added that the "probation period must generally be passed".