How to apply for German citizenship: step by step

You apply for German citizenship at the naturalisation authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde or Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde) for the place where you live – in many cities, online. The process is fastest if you already have your language certificate and citizenship test result when you apply and hand in a complete set of documents. The authority then checks your application, normally invites you to a personal interview and runs security checks. You become German only when your naturalisation certificate (Einbürgerungsurkunde) is handed to you.

The process at a glance

1. Check the requirements: five years' residence, a suitable permit, income, no relevant convictions.
2. Get a B1 certificate: unless you already have other proof of your German.
3. Pass the citizenship test: the BAMF sends the result by post.
4. Find the right authority: a city, a district or a central state office, depending on where you live.
5. Collect your documents: passport, certificates, proof of income, test and language certificates.
6. Apply and pay the fee: €255 per adult.
7. Personal appointment: an interview about your commitment and your German.
8. Checks and security screening: usually the longest phase.
9. Solemn declaration and certificate: normally at a naturalisation ceremony.
10. Apply for an ID card and passport: at the Bürgeramt.

Before you apply: language and test first

First check that you meet all the German citizenship requirements. Then deal with the two pieces of proof that take longest: your B1 language certificate and the citizenship test.

You register for the test at a test centre approved by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), usually an adult education centre (Volkshochschule, VHS). Book early in big cities – in Berlin, some centres give out registration appointments around three months ahead. Our guide on how to register for the citizenship test walks you through it. The BAMF marks every test centrally and posts your result. It normally takes six to eight weeks; in late September 2026 it was closer to 11–12 weeks (see when you get your citizenship test certificate).

If both certificates are in your application from day one, the authority can start its checks straight away. A study plan takes you through the 310 questions that apply to your state.

Finding the right authority

The responsible office is the naturalisation authority for your place of residence – usually the city or district administration (Landratsamt), although some states and cities have a central office. If you're unsure, ask the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) or a migration counselling service; you can find counselling near you with BAMF-NAvI.

People who live abroad permanently can be naturalised only in exceptional cases. From the age of 16 you apply yourself; parents apply for younger children. If parents share custody of a child under 16, the authority needs the other parent's consent. In Berlin, for example, children under 16 are included in a parent's online application, while spouses and children aged 16 or over file their own.

Submitting the application and paying the fee

Only submit once your documents for German citizenship are complete. Online applications take scans, but keep the originals to hand. Some authorities offer advice sessions or an online pre-check – Berlin and Munich, for example, have a “Quick-Check” that tells you whether an application is likely to succeed.

The fee is €255 per adult and €51 for each minor child without their own income who is naturalised with you. The authority decides when you pay – for online applications in Berlin and Munich, for example, before you can submit. If your application is refused, or you withdraw it, after processing has started, a fee of €25 up to the full amount is still charged (Section 38(2) StAG). See how much German citizenship costs for every item.

After you apply: interview and checks

The authority reviews your documents and asks for anything missing. It checks certificates and documents for authenticity, and it queries the Federal Central Criminal Register (Bundeszentralregister) and the security authorities – in Munich, the security checks alone currently take four to six months.

Following a circular from the Federal Ministry of the Interior dated 18 August 2025, authorities should normally meet you in person. The point is to check that you genuinely understand the commitment to the free democratic basic order and the loyalty declaration you sign. The authority can also get a sense of whether your German matches your certificate. Prepare by being able to explain these commitments in your own words – see the loyalty declaration explained.

How long all this takes depends heavily on your authority: often many months, and more than a year in big cities. More in how long German citizenship takes.

Solemn declaration, ceremony and certificate

Once everything has been checked, you get an appointment to receive your naturalisation certificate. Since 2024 this should take place at a public naturalisation ceremony (Einbürgerungsfeier). Before the handover, everyone aged 16 or over makes the solemn declaration under Section 16 StAG, in German. In English it means roughly:

You become a German citizen at the moment the certificate is handed to you – not before. Until then your existing residence status applies, so keep it valid.

Afterwards: ID card and passport

From the age of 16, German citizens must hold a valid ID card (Personalausweis) or passport (Reisepass). You apply for both at the Bürgeramt (citizens' office). Since 7 February 2026 the ID card costs €46 (€27.60 under 24), and the passport €70 (€37.50 under 24). Everything else that comes next is in naturalised – what now?

How to avoid delays

• Submit a complete application: every request for missing documents adds time.
• Do the test and B1 first: the test result alone currently takes around 11–12 weeks.
• Keep your documents valid: applying doesn't change your residence status, so renew your passport and permit in good time.
• Reply quickly: answer letters and requests from the authority promptly.
• Report changes: tell the authority if you move, change jobs, marry or have a child. After moving to another city, a different authority may be responsible.
• Only genuine documents: since 24 December 2025, anyone who deceives, threatens, bribes or knowingly gives false information is barred from naturalisation for ten years (Section 35a StAG).