From German Citizenship Application Preparation to Submission
The documentary preparation for the German citizenship restoration process is finally complete!
It began with a thorough initial consultation, sharing family history and documentation. Once eligibility was confirmed, you committed to the extensive demands of the German citizenship application process. After digesting our bespoke guide to the required documentation, you proceeded to source what may have felt like a ton of paperwork.
Birth and marriage certificates were ordered from the state archive, perhaps along with adoption papers and/or name-change documents, and even death certificates. In certain cases, police certificates of good conduct were sourced. Evidence was certified and, depending on the case, legalised or apostilled. You’ve even visited a notary public with your passports and, possibly, other documentation. Painstaking preparation was undertaken to ensure documentary evidence was presented according to the authorities’ exact requirements. The “English version” application forms were completed and you’ve even managed to remember where you, your parents and, at times, even your grandparents lived and when!
Once the hefty documentary preparation was complete and soft copies had been emailed for our online review, we worked meticulously, checking forms and reviewing certified evidence for any inconsistencies and errors. Once satisfied that the authorities will not find any missing information or discrepancies, we translated the English application forms into German. Subsequently, as the finish line edges closer, we requested your hardcopies for final review and processing. Following our thorough review, we drafted a cover letter to the authorities outlining the grounds for restoration (or your renaturalisation) and specifying the evidence used to substantiate your case.
The application submission is now finally complete and ready to be sent via our courier to the Bundesverwaltungsamt in Germany for processing.
On Your End, You’ve Officially Crossed the Finish Line – What’s Next?
Firstly, all clients will receive confirmation that their applications have been signed for at the authorities, usually within a couple of days.
Subsequently, after an average of eight months, there will be another update when the authorities officially acknowledge the applications and assign file numbers for processing.
If there are any changes to your marital status, address, contact details or other personal information whilst your applications are being processed, please inform us as soon as possible so we can update the authorities accordingly.
There is rarely any further communication from the authorities until the naturalisations are granted. Due to the current backlog, the quoted processing times (as of 2025) for “Article 116 GG” applications are an average of 24-30 months and, for “Section 15 StAG of the Nationality Act” applications, approximately 36 months or more from the date of application submission. However, should queries arise, the German authorities will contact us on your behalf.
We are often asked if these quoted time frames are accurate. Occasionally, applications are approved sooner but, in order to manage expectations, we advise you to expect to wait for the length of time quoted above. Once your applications are in the authorities’ hands, they are under their control, not ours.
We understand clients are keen for updates and we will inform you as soon as we receive any communication regarding the granting of your naturalisations. Clients may also directly receive an email from their local embassy or consulate inviting them to make a convenient appointment to collect their naturalisation certificates. Please remember to take your passport to this meeting to prove your identity. Both parents of minors (under 16) must attend unless there is a sole custody arrangement in place. This must be in person and, upon signing for your naturalisation certificate, you will officially become a German citizen!
And Finally – German Passport Acquisition!
In most cases, but depending on embassy or consulate policy and availability, German passport application forms can be requested on site at the appointment to collect your naturalisation certificates.
For more information, read here:
https://www.germany.info/us-en/service/02-PassportsandIDCards/passport-fees/906634