How long does a citizenship application take in Germany?

A backlog of German citizenship applications and a shortage of employees to process them means that it can take months or years to find out whether your application has been successful. In which German cities are waiting times the shortest... and the longest?

Where in Germany are citizenship applications processed the quickest?

In June 2024, the German government passed a law allowing dual citizenship for non-EU nationals and lowered the residency requirement for German citizenship from eight years to five years.

As a result, a record-breaking 249.901 international residents in Germany were granted citizenship during 2024, more people than during any single year since 2000. But far more residents are still waiting for their applications to be processed.

The backlog of applications and too few officials to process them means that follow-up emails go unanswered, and it can be challenging to get a straight answer about how much longer you’ll have to wait to know if your application has been successful. 

We spoke to immigration authorities in nine of the largest German cities to find out more about the current average waiting times. Here’s what they said:

Berlin

The Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) in Berlin has over 40.000 citizenship applications waiting to be processed, the oldest of which was submitted in 2005. Waiting times are extremely long.

As of June 2025, when asked how long a citizenship application in Berlin takes from submission to completion, the LEA responded that they “could give no information” because “statistics on the average waiting times are not gathered”. 

The LEA advises applicants who want to have their documents processed as quickly as possible to apply online. Additionally, anyone who applied before January 1, 2024, when the system transitioned entirely online, should also resubmit their application.

The one silver lining is that, unlike other states, Berliners don’t have to attend a citizenship interview as part of the process. 

Hamburg

In Hamburg, as of June 2025, citizenship applicants are waiting an average of 14 months to find out whether their application has been successful. 

According to the Hamburg Immigration Office, applications are processed in the order they are submitted, and applicants are notified in writing about the status of their application.

Unlike in most other states, applicants in Hamburg can inform the immigration office if their existing application needs to be processed urgently. Applicants can request an Eilbedürftigkeit (urgent requirement) process if they can prove that a delayed application could lead to “unreasonable difficulties”, such as losing their job.

Munich

The official city portal of Munich claims that citizenship applicants in the capital of Bavaria can expect to wait up to 18 months for a decision. 

In “exceptional situations”, for example, if someone is likely to be made stateless or is going to become a civil servant, applications can be processed faster. Having a residence permit which is about to become invalid or preparing to buy a house don't count as “exceptional situations”. 

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Cologne

Speaking to IamExpat, Robert Baumanns of the Cologne city office stated that citizenship applicants can currently expect to wait between 11 and 12 months to learn whether their application has been provisionally accepted.

Applicants must then attend an “Antragsklärungsgespräch” where their identity and certificates will be verified, they can sign relevant documents and pay the processing fee. But this isn’t the end.

The application and approved documents are sent away to be processed, which can take “anywhere between a few weeks and eight months”. Considering both waiting periods, citizenship application processing times in Cologne are between 12 and 20 months.

Baumanns added that the most effective way to ensure you’re not waiting for a long time is to triple-check that your application is properly complete before submitting it.

Frankfurt

When residents in Frankfurt submit a citizenship application, they typically receive confirmation of their application within four weeks. Once they have received this confirmation, they can expect to wait an average of 12 months (as of May 2025) until they are invited to an interview.

Applications are then forwarded to the regional council (Regierungspräsidium) in Darmstadt. “The current waiting times at the regional council in Darmstadt are between 17 and 24 months,” an official from the city of Frankfurt told IamExpat.

To minimise waiting times, applicants are advised to read the information on the Frankfurt city homepage, which details the application process, and make sure all submitted documents are complete.

Stuttgart

The average processing time for citizenship applications submitted in Stuttgart is 18 months, with applications being processed in the order they are received.

The secret to a speedy delivery is no different than in any other city. “Swift processing is ensured when all application documents are submitted and completed properly,” Laura Orlik of the Stuttgart city council told IamExpat.

Düsseldorf

Frustratingly for applicants, authorities in Düsseldorf told us that “a blanket statement about the citizenship application processing times is not possible, because waiting times vary greatly from case to case”. The closest to a final figure we were given is “anywhere between a few months and multiple years”. 

Processing times can only be influenced by a “variety of personal factors”, including but not limited to: incomplete applications, the time it takes applicants to submit supplementary documents, changes to personal circumstances during the application process and the “degree of the applicant’s involvement”.

Unlike in other cities and city states, applicants in Düsseldorf are encouraged to actively inform authorities if any relevant personal or financial circumstances change. When their application reaches “a new stage”, authorities will contact them for the updated documents.

Leipzig

From the date they submit their application, Leipzigers can expect to wait between six and nine months to find out if they have been granted German citizenship. 

But don’t be fooled by this comparatively short waiting time. Before you submit your citizenship application in Leipzig, you have to join a waiting list for submitting an application. Kafka couldn’t have organised it better himself. 

The duration of your stay on the waiting list is unclear, but authorities process applications in the order of submission and are currently only processing those submitted in May 2022. The migration authorities are expected to provide a new processing prognosis on July 18, 2025, but the prognosis of the prognosis is, unsurprisingly, further delays.

Singing from the same hymn sheet as every migration authority across the country, authorities in Leipzig told us that the best hope for reducing waiting times is to ensure that your application is complete when you submit it.

Bremen

Last but not least, Bremen. Maybe they are just being honest about what Berlin is too afraid to admit, but “from submitting the application and the start of the examination of naturalisation requirements, [waiting times] can currently elapse 28 months,” city employee Karen Stroink told IamExpat.

Applicants are encouraged to inform migration authorities of any significant, relevant changes to their personal or financial situation; however, they are discouraged from sending emails requesting updates on the processing of their applications. Stronik explained that, like in Hamburg and Munich, applicants can accelerate their cases in “exceptional circumstances”.

The wait continues

Across the country, the wait continues for thousands of citizenship applicants. Have you submitted an application, and if so, how long have you been waiting? We hope you receive a response soon!