It has become harder to find an available appointment to take a citizenship test since Germany relaxed its naturalisation law in June 2024. If you’re really stuck, is it possible to take the test in a different German city or federal state from the one in which you are registered?
Unless you have completed a Leben in Deutschland test, completed a degree or vocational qualification in certain subjects from a German higher education institution or have studied at a German secondary school, you will need to pass a German naturalisation test (Einbürgerungstest) as part of your application for citizenship.
The test is relatively straightforward. Candidates have one hour to answer 33 multiple-choice questions about Germany, concerning the themes “living in a democracy”, “history and responsibility” and “people and society”.
This may seem like a simple step in the application process, but since Germany relaxed its dual citizenship law and many more people are looking to take citizenship tests, it has become harder to find an opening for a test appointment.
The most common place to take a German citizenship test is your local Volkshochschule (VHS), an adult education centre. If there are no appointments available at your nearest VHS it is also possible to take one in another district.
If your search still leaves you at a loose end, you can take the test in a different city or federal state from the one in which you are officially registered (angemeldet). Since Einbürgerungstests fall under federal jurisdiction, rather than state jurisdiction, it is possible to complete a test in any federal state, even though your eventual citizenship application must be processed in the state in which you are officially registered.
However, if you think taking a test in a different German state is the best course of action for you, there are several details you should consider beforehand.
On the website of each VHS, it is possible to reserve a spot to take an Einbürgerungstest. However, once you have reserved this spot you must also attend an in-person appointment at that specific VHS to formalise the registration. This appointment is separate from the test.
You will be given a day and time - likely within the next days or weeks - when you must go to the VHS to complete your registration. At the initial appointment, VHS employees will double-check your personal details, check your passport and take a card payment for the booking, which costs 25 euros.
If you are considering taking an Einbürgerungstest in another city or state, you should factor in that you will have to make two journeys to the VHS where you will take the test. The first journey, at least, may have to be made at short notice.
The 33 multiple-choice questions included in a citizenship test are taken from a bank of 300 questions, which can be found on the Federal Ministry for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) website.
30 of the questions included in the test are about Germany in general and three questions will be about the specific state in which you take the test: For example, selecting the coat of arms of Baden-Wurttemberg from four different images or which title is given to the head of government in the city state of Berlin?
For this reason, it is important to remember that if you live in Bavaria, for example, but are planning to take the test in Thuringia, you should brush up on the Thuringia-specific questions in the question bank.
Alongside proof that you have successfully completed a citizenship test as part of your citizenship application, you must submit a language certificate which shows you have passed a German language test at B1 level or higher.
Since B1 is the minimum level required to apply for German citizenship, there are specific B1 German naturalisation tests which can be taken as part of your application. However, only tests which are regulated by nationally or internationally recognised organisations, such as the Goethe Institute or TELC, can be submitted as proof in any German state.
So if your test was authorised by a language school which is not nationally or internationally recognised, it may be the case that it will only be considered valid if you submit the citizenship application in the same state as you took the language test.
Once you’ve organised the booking admin you can start preparing for your test. Read this article for our five top tips for preparing effectively. Viel Erfolg!
Thumb image credit: gonzagon / Shutterstock.com