Applying for German citizenship, step by step
First check that the residence period is met; then gather your documents and apply to the nationality authority where you live.
Earliest application
January 2027
3 months to go, counted from October 2026.
| Deadline (s. 10 StAG: 5 years’ residence) | January 2027 |
| Length of residence | from January 2027 |
| Residence title | met |
| Livelihood | met |
| German B1 | met |
| Citizenship test | met |
| Criminal record | met |
| Fee per person | €255 |
The authority also checks your declaration of commitment to the Basic Law and that your identity and nationality are clear. Naturalisation after three years no longer exists. An estimate from the law, not legal advice.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · BAMF question catalogue of 7 May 2025 · laws checked on 22 October 2026
You apply for naturalisation to the nationality authority where you live: depending on the state, that is the district office (Landratsamt or Kreisverwaltung), the city administration or, in Berlin, the State Office for Immigration (LEA), which takes applications online. The law sets no deadline for a decision, and authorities publish no uniform processing times; long waits are well known in the big cities. It therefore pays to file a complete application as soon as you reach the 5 years. It usually includes the form, a valid passport, your residence permit, your birth certificate and, if married, your marriage certificate with translations, proof of income and housing, the B1 language certificate and the citizenship test certificate. The fee is €255 per person. Once everything has been checked, you sign the commitment to the free democratic basic order, and you become German when the naturalisation certificate is handed to you.
The steps to the certificate
The procedure is similar in every state, even if forms and channels differ. This order saves the most time.
| Step | What you do | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Check the date | Work out the month your residence period is met | Use the calculator on this page |
| 2. Get the proofs | Language certificate and citizenship test | Both can be done before the date |
| 3. Gather documents | Certificates, translations, proof of income | List below |
| 4. Apply | At the nationality authority | Online, by post or in person |
| 5. Pay the fee | €255 per person | The authority sets the timing |
| 6. Review | Authority checks with security agencies and registers | Answer requests quickly |
| 7. Commitment and certificate | Sign, receive the certificate | Only then are you German |
Documents almost every authority asks for
Each authority has its own list, but the core is the same. You need the completed form, a valid passport or other identity document, your current residence permit, your birth certificate and, if married, your marriage certificate, each with a translation. For your livelihood you provide your employment contract, recent payslips and your tenancy agreement, or your latest tax assessment if self-employed. Add the German certificate at level B1 and the citizenship test certificate. You usually do not need to obtain a police certificate yourself; the authority queries the Federal Central Register.
If a document from your country of origin is missing, for instance because it is not issued there, say so openly. Section 10 StAG requires your identity and nationality to be clarified; how you prove them is decided case by case.
Applying online: Berlin, Hamburg and other cities
More and more authorities accept the naturalisation application digitally. In Berlin you file it online with the State Office for Immigration. In Hamburg the Office for Migration offers a digital application, a quick check of the requirements beforehand and a service portal for sending missing documents later. Elsewhere the application still goes by form and post or at an appointment. Your authority’s website says whether it has an online application; search there for “Einbürgerung” and the name of your district or city.
Online does not mean never visiting the office: you appear in person for the declaration of commitment and to receive the certificate. Scan certificates and translations so they are easy to read, and keep the originals to hand, because the authority may ask to see them at any time. Spouses and children naturalising with you belong in the same file.
Waiting and following up
Processing times depend heavily on the authority. Berlin’s State Office for Immigration itself warns of long waits. There are no uniform official figures for Germany as a whole, so we do not quote any. If there is no decision without good reason, section 75 of the Administrative Court Procedure Code allows an action for failure to act, at the earliest three months after you applied; discuss with an advice centre or a lawyer whether that is wise.
Plan so that the test and the language certificate are done when the residence period is met:
Earliest application
Earliest application
January 2027
| Deadline (s. 10 StAG: 5 years’ residence) | January 2027 |
| Length of residence | from January 2027 |
| Residence title | met |
| Livelihood | met |
What you sign at the end
Before the certificate is handed over you make two declarations: a commitment to the free democratic basic order of the Basic Law, and a commitment to Germany’s particular historical responsibility for Nazi injustice, to protecting Jewish life and to the ban on wars of aggression. You also declare that you pursue no efforts against this order, or that you have turned away from earlier ones. A false declaration can lead to the naturalisation being withdrawn years later.
If your spouse or children are to naturalise with you, file together; see citizenship for spouses and citizenship for children.