Leben in Deutschland Test

English Guide · Updated September 2026

German Citizenship
Processing Times by City

How long naturalisation actually takes where you live – and the one delay you can control.

Short answer: German naturalisation currently takes roughly 6 months to over 2 years, and the deciding factor is which city handles your case. Bochum (6–12 months) and Dortmund (6–8 months) are among the faster large authorities; Nuremberg (1–2 years) and Wuppertal (18+ months) are among the slower. The gap comes down to staffing and digital intake – and the backlog after 291,955 naturalisations in 2024.

City comparison 2026

CityReported timeSpeedWhat drives it
Bochum6–12 monthsFasterCut its average from ~20 to ~10 months during 2023 by expanding staff
Dortmund6–8 monthsFasterFully digital application; tripled the size of its naturalisation team
Cologne~5 months to first appointmentAverageThe city contacts you roughly 5 months before a free slot; the case itself takes longer
Duisburgseveral months to over a yearAveragePostal application is the standard route; staff nearly doubled
Nuremberg1–2 yearsSlowerAmong the longer procedures; the authority contacts you when an appointment is needed
Wuppertaloften more than 18 monthsSlowerTwo-stage process: documents are checked first, then you are invited

Figures are the cities' own statements and publicly reported averages as of September 2026. They describe typical cases, not a guarantee – your own case depends on its complexity and on how complete your application is. For Berlin, Hamburg and Munich see the detailed German pages on Bearbeitungszeiten.

Staffing

Dortmund tripled its team, Leipzig increased staff fivefold, Bremen, Duisburg and Karlsruhe nearly doubled theirs. Those investments show up directly in the waiting times.

Digital intake

Cities with a full online application (Dortmund, Bochum) route cases faster than those where paper is still the standard channel (Duisburg).

The 2024 surge

The reform of 27 June 2024 cut the residence requirement to 5 years and allowed dual citizenship. Applications jumped; 291,955 people were naturalised in 2024 and the backlog is still being worked off.

The delay you can actually control

You cannot jump the queue. You can avoid the most common self-inflicted delay: an incomplete application that bounces between you and the authority for months.

  • Do the citizenship test early. Book 4–6 weeks ahead (up to 3 months in Nuremberg) and allow 3–6 weeks for the BAMF to return the result. Practice free here — all 460 questions are public.
  • Get the B1 certificate before applying, not after the authority asks for it.
  • Collect certified translations in advance — birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, proof of income.
  • Use the online portal if your city has one; it is both faster and traceable.
  • Answer follow-up requests immediately. Each round trip can add weeks.

Frequently asked questions

How long does German citizenship take in 2026?
Between roughly 6 months and over 2 years, depending entirely on the city. Bochum reports 6–12 months and Dortmund 6–8 months, while Nuremberg averages 1–2 years and Wuppertal frequently exceeds 18 months. North Rhine-Westphalia as a whole is commonly reported at 8–18 months. These are averages, not guarantees.
Which German cities process naturalisation fastest?
Among the cities with published figures, Bochum (6–12 months) and Dortmund (6–8 months) are currently among the faster large authorities. Both achieved this by expanding staff — Dortmund tripled its team and Bochum roughly halved its average processing time within a year. Bremen, Duisburg and Karlsruhe also nearly doubled staffing, and Leipzig increased it fivefold.
Why do processing times differ so much between cities?
Three factors: staffing levels relative to application volume, how digital the process is (online applications are faster to route than paper), and the backlog inherited from the surge after the June 2024 reform — 291,955 people were naturalised across Germany in 2024. Cities that invested in staff and digital intake cut their times; those that did not accumulated queues.
Can I speed up my naturalisation application?
You cannot change the queue, but you control the biggest avoidable delay: incomplete documents. Applications missing certificates, translations or proof of income go back and forth for months. Submit everything at once, use the city's online portal where one exists, respond immediately to requests for additional documents, and have your language certificate and citizenship test already done before applying.
Does the citizenship test add to the waiting time?
It can, if you leave it until last. Test appointments at Volkshochschulen should be booked 4–6 weeks ahead — in Nuremberg, up to three months. The BAMF then needs about 3–6 weeks to grade and return the result. Take the test early so the certificate is ready when you apply.
What happens if my application takes unreasonably long?
If an authority does not decide within a reasonable period, German administrative law allows an action for failure to act (Untätigkeitsklage), generally after three months without a decision. This is a legal step — consult a lawyer specialising in immigration law before pursuing it.

Note: General information, not legal advice. Processing times change continuously; the binding statement is always the one from your local naturalisation authority. leben-test.de is independent and not affiliated with the BAMF.

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