German Citizenship (Einbürgerung) How long does German citizenship take?
Estimated wait
1 year – 2.5 years
Based on published sources
Typically ~632 days
⚠️ This is the processing time after you submit a complete application. It does NOT include the 5+ years of lawful residence required before you can apply, nor the wait to get an appointment.
German citizenship (Einbürgerung) typically takes 12 to 24 months from application to the naturalisation certificate, and up to 30 months in busy cities like Berlin, Hamburg or Cologne. The exact time depends heavily on which authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde) processes your case.
More details
The clock effectively starts once your application is complete and the authority has all documents — missing papers, identity checks or a backlog can add many months. Note: the accelerated naturalisation after 3 years was abolished on 30 October 2025, so five years of lawful residence is again the standard minimum.
How the process works
- 1Live in Germany lawfully for at least 5 years. This is an eligibility requirement — the processing time shown above has not started yet.
- 2Book an appointment and submit your complete application. In big cities the appointment alone can take weeks to months.
- 3The naturalisation authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde) processes your case and checks with the police, federal registry and immigration office. This step is the 12–30 months shown at the top. ↑ the time on this page
- 4Attend the ceremony and receive your naturalisation certificate — you are now a German citizen.
🕒 Last updated: 28 Jun 2026