Citizenship test results: when do you get your certificate?

You receive your citizenship test result by post from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), not on the day of the test. It normally takes around 6–8 weeks. Right now the wait is longer: at the end of September 2026 the BAMF was marking tests taken up to 9 July 2026 – roughly 11–12 weeks. If you passed, this is also how your certificate reaches you.

Why there is a wait

The test centre (for example the local Volkshochschule) does not mark your paper. All answer sheets go to the BAMF, which marks them centrally, issues the certificate and posts it to your home address. That takes time, especially when many people are taking the test at once.

Make sure the address you gave when registering was correct. If you move after the test, set up mail forwarding with Deutsche Post (Nachsendeauftrag) so the letter doesn't go to your old address.

What the certificate is

If you answered at least 17 of the 33 questions correctly, you receive a certificate. The regulation calls it a "certificate on a standard form" (Bescheinigung nach einheitlichem Vordruck); most people call it the "Zertifikat Einbürgerungstest". Standard means it looks the same in every federal state. It shows your personal details and your result – according to the BAMF's exam rules (Prüfungsordnung), your total score and the note "erfolgreich teilgenommen" (successfully completed).

The certificate proves that you know Germany's legal and social order and way of life – one of the requirements under § 10 of the Nationality Act (StAG). For all the other conditions, see German citizenship requirements.

Two things are worth knowing:

• Moving: The certificate stays valid if you move to another federal state – § 1(4) of the Einbürgerungstestverordnung says so explicitly. You don't need to retake the test, even though your state questions were about your old state.
• Validity: The regulation doesn't set an expiry date. If your test was a long time ago and you are unsure, ask your naturalisation authority.

What you need the certificate for

You submit the certificate with your citizenship application to the naturalisation authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde, also called Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde). Whether they want to see the original or accept a copy is up to them – ask if in doubt. For everything else you need to hand in, use the German citizenship documents checklist.

Already applied before your result arrived? Then send the certificate in as soon as you have it, in agreement with your authority. The full process is explained in how to apply for German citizenship.

Our advice: take the test as early as you can – even before you apply. The certificate will then be ready, and waiting for the result won't hold up your application. The application itself often takes many months anyway, as German citizenship processing times shows.

What to do while you wait

You don't have to just sit and wait for the letter:

• Gather documents: Birth certificate, proof of income, registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) and so on. Documents from your home country and certified translations often take a long time.
• Sort out your language proof: No B1 German certificate yet? Book a language exam now. Which certificates count is explained in the German language requirement for citizenship.
• Keep practising if you're unsure: If the test didn't feel good, keep going. If you do need a retake, you'll already be prepared.

"Leben in Deutschland": same questions, same value

If you did an integration course, you took the "Leben in Deutschland" test at the end. It uses the same question catalogue. If you scored at least 17 out of 33, your result counts as equivalent to the citizenship test: you receive the same certificate as after a passed Einbürgerungstest (§ 10(3) Integrationskurstestverordnung) and don't need to sit the test again. A score of 15 or 16 passes the orientation course (Orientierungskurs) but is not enough for naturalisation. The differences are explained in Leben in Deutschland vs. the citizenship test.

If you didn't pass

If you got fewer than 17 correct, the BAMF also sends you a certificate by post. It shows your score and the note "teilgenommen" (took part) instead of "erfolgreich teilgenommen" – it doesn't count for naturalisation. Frustrating, but not a problem: you can retake the test as often as you need, and each attempt costs €25. For a focused plan, read failed the German citizenship test? what to do next, and in the meantime take practice exams under real conditions.

Lost certificate or no letter

• No letter yet: First check whether the usual waiting time has actually passed. If it has, contact your test centre – it has your registration details and can tell you who to ask.
• Lost certificate: Contact the BAMF and ask about a replacement. Under its exam rules, the BAMF only issues a new certificate if you hand in the original or declare in writing that it has been lost. Don't leave it too long: under § 4 of the Einbürgerungstestverordnung your data must be deleted no later than two years after the certificate is issued.
• Be prepared: Scan the certificate as soon as it arrives and keep the original with your important documents.