How to avoid German citizenship and language test scams online

Online scammers posing as official test providers mean internationals are vulnerable to unknowingly submitting fraudulent documents as part of their citizenship applications. These are the red flags you should look out for:

Scammers selling German citizenship and DaF tests

In January 2024, Germany changed its citizenship law, allowing citizenship after five years of residence and dual citizenship for non-EU nationals. This is one reason why Germany is naturalising a record number of new citizens.

Most German citizenship applicants must submit a citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest) or integration course test (Leben in Deutschland Test) certificate and a German language certificate as part of their application. 

As such, there is an increasing number of people looking to take German citizenship and language tests, but there are limited spaces and long waiting times for test results. This situation has created a market for scams online, on social media and messenger apps.

Some of these scams are obviously fraudulent, for example, scammers offer to send someone in your place to take a test at an official institution for a fee. Others are less obvious, for example, a scammer might pose as an official test provider, invite you to take a test and give you a certificate, but the certificate would not be genuine.

While some people knowingly submit fraudulent certificates as part of their citizenship applications, this is only a small number. Most applicants want to take a legitimate citizenship or language test, but might still fall victim to scammers posing as legitimate test providers.

In a worst-case scenario, applicants who thought they were submitting genuine documents could be found to have submitted fraudulent ones, have their new passport revoked and face a 10-year ban on naturalisation. What steps can be taken to ensure you are submitting genuine test results?

Only take tests with official test providers

The first preventive measure is obvious: only take German language or citizenship tests with official test providers, such as the Goethe-Institut, telc, the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) or the Volkshochschule (VHS), and only directly through their official websites.

If you suspect you have booked a test with a scammer posing as an official provider, contact the official provider directly to verify your booking.

The Goethe-Institut advises test-takers to be suspicious of the following promises: a provider sells “original” certificates with or without an exam, you are promised that you are guaranteed to pass the exam, someone offers (for a fee) to take the exam for you, a provider wants to register you (for a fee) for the exam.

Look further than your local VHS

If you are struggling to find a space to take a citizenship test or Leben in Deutschland Test at the VHS, remember that you do not have to take these tests in the same place where you will submit your citizenship application.

For example, if you live in Berlin, you could travel to a VHS in Brandenburg where demand is lower to take a citizenship test, even though you will eventually submit your citizenship application in Berlin. This might be impractical, but it is one solution if you don’t want to wait.

If you do take this route, remember that three of the 33 questions in a citizenship test pertain to the federal state in which you are taking the test. So if you live in Berlin but take the test in Brandenburg, you should revise the Brandenburg-relevant questions beforehand.

Verify your test certificates before submission

If you have already taken a citizenship test, the Leben in Deutschland Test, or a German language test, but you are worried that the certificate you have been issued is not genuine, you can use several platforms to verify your certificate.

The Goethe-Institut, TestDaF and telc all have platforms where you can verify your certificates issued by these organisations. This means you can rest assured that your certificates are genuine before you submit them as part of your citizenship application.