From the first question to the Certificate.
Naturalization is an administrative procedure — structured, traceable, with clear steps. civitas. guides you through every phase. What you do yourself, what we handle, and what the authority decides.
The eligibility check.
Four questions decide whether you are fundamentally eligible to apply — and which paragraph of StAG applies to you.
Before any effort comes the clarification: Is the application worthwhile at all? The eligibility check examines, based on your duration of residence, your residence title, your German skills and your income situation, whether Einbürgerung (naturalization) under § 10, § 9 or § 8 StAG is an option for you.
At the end, you receive a clear assessment — no marketing copy, no sales pitch. If the requirements are not met, we say so directly and name the obstacles. If you are eligible, we point to the relevant paragraph and you decide whether to proceed.
Residence
How long have you been living in Germany?
Residence permit
What type of Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit) do you hold?
German & naturalization test
Language level, Schulabschluss (school leaving certificate), test passed?
Lebensunterhalt (means of subsistence)
How is your Lebensunterhalt (means of subsistence) secured?
The wizard.
The digital application in your language. No bureaucratic German, no incomprehensible forms, no guesswork.
The civitas. wizard guides you in a structured way through all 83 questions your naturalization authority wants answered — divided into 14 thematic sections. You work in your native language (German, English, Turkish, Arabic, Russian or Ukrainian); the answers are automatically transferred into the authority-ready German form.
Every question is explained: What does "permanent residence permit (unbefristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis)" mean? Which proof counts as "securing one's livelihood (Sicherung des Lebensunterhalts)"? Where do I find my certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis)? You can pause at any time and continue later — your progress is saved automatically.
Basic data & identity
Personal data, birth, citizenship(s), passport information
Residence history
Residence permits, entries and exits, longer stays abroad
Family & marriage
Spouse, children, previous marriages, family ties in Germany
Education & work
School-leaving qualifications, Ausbildung (vocational training), occupation, employer, income
Integrity & declarations of commitment
Vorstrafen (criminal record), FDGO (free democratic basic order) declaration, declaration on multiple citizenship
The documents.
You obtain the documents yourself. We tell you which ones, where, and in what form — specific to your Einbürgerungsbehörde (naturalization authority).
After the wizard, civitas. generates a document checklist tailored to your case and municipality. The authority in Berlin demands different evidence than the one in Munich. Some municipalities accept copies, others insist on originals. Some want certified translations, for others a simple translation is sufficient.
Obtaining the documents themselves — IDs, Führungszeugnis (police clearance certificate), birth certificate, proof of income, language certificate, test certificate — is up to you. This can take several weeks, especially if foreign documents have to be procured with apostille or legalization. The checklist gives you the exact route, the costs, and the typical processing time for each document.
Identity documents
Passport, if applicable German Ausweisersatz (identity card substitute), Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit)
Proof of identity
Birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree if applicable — often with apostille
Integration proofs
Sprachzertifikat B1 (B1 language certificate), Einbürgerungstest-Bescheinigung (naturalization test certificate), or Schulabschluss (school leaving certificate)
Financial evidence
Proof of income (wages, pension, self-employment), Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate)
Police records
Erweitertes Führungszeugnis (extended certificate of conduct) — sent directly to the Einbürgerungsbehörde (naturalization authority)
Submission.
The completed application goes to your naturalization authority. From that moment, the matter is with the administration.
Depending on the package, you submit the application yourself — by post, in person at the appointment, or via your municipality's digital portal, if available. In the Premium package, civitas. handles postal dispatch for you and takes care of follow-up queries from the authority during processing. The statutory administrative fee under § 38 StAG (German Citizenship Act) is 255 euros per adult person and 51 euros per co-applying child. This fee goes directly to the authority, not to civitas.
On receipt you will get an acknowledgement with an Aktenzeichen (case reference number). Use this Aktenzeichen for all further enquiries. For follow-up questions from the authority — missing documents, clarifications on income, proof of marriage duration — you typically have four weeks to respond.
The certificate.
The authority reviews, decides and hands over. This is the only step whose duration we cannot influence.
After submission the Einbürgerungsbehörde (naturalization authority) reviews the requirements, requests additional documents if needed, and finally decides on your application. Processing time varies considerably by municipality and case complexity. In Berlin and other major cities 18–24 months are typical; in less burdened districts it can be 6–12 months.
With a positive Bescheid (decision), you will be invited to the handover of the Einbürgerungsurkunde (naturalization certificate). Many municipalities organize a ceremonial Einbürgerungszeremonie (naturalization ceremony), at which you receive — alongside the certificate — also the Grundgesetz (Basic Law) and an official pledge to the Federal Republic. Upon handover of the certificate, you are a German citizen.
In the unlikely event of rejection, you will receive a written decision with reasoning. Against the rejection you can file an objection (Widerspruch) or sue at the administrative court (Verwaltungsgericht) — this step then lies outside the scope of civitas. services and requires legal representation.
How long does it actually take?
Most of the time is spent waiting for the authority. What you actively do yourself with civitas. accounts for less than 5 percent of the total duration. Still, the quality of your preparation determines how long the authority will take — incomplete applications often extend processing by months.
| Phase 01 | Eligibility check | You clarify whether the path is open to you — before you invest time or money. | 3 min |
| Phase 02 | Application & wizard | You go through the structured wizard, answering 83 questions in your language. | 30–60 min |
| Phase 03 | Obtain documents | You order the Führungszeugnis (police clearance certificate), Geburtsurkunde (birth certificate), translations, and Sprachzertifikat (language certificate). | 2–6 weeks |
| Phase 04 | Submission | The application goes to your naturalization authority together with all documents. | 1 day |
| Phase 05 | Official review | The authority reviews, asks follow-up questions if needed, and decides. | 6–24 mo. |
| Completion | Certificate & ceremony | Handover of the Einbürgerungsurkunde (naturalization certificate), usually in a ceremonial setting. | 1 day |
Three ways to the application — and why we are building one.
You can submit the Antrag (application) on your own, hire an Anwaltskanzlei (law firm), or use civitas. Every path has its justification. Here's our honest assessment of when each makes sense.
Submit the application yourself
- No additional costs beyond the Behörde (authority) fee
- Authority forms — mostly only in German
- Independent research on legal sections, requirements and documentation
- High risk of follow-up queries or incomplete applications
- Extended processing time typical
Digital, multilingual, guided
- Structured wizard in 6 languages
- Every question explained — no bureaucratic German
- Document checklist specific to your Kommune (municipality)
- Authority-ready PDF export
- Progress can be saved and paused at any time
- No human advisor — pure software service
Legal advice
- Individual legal advice on a case-by-case basis
- Representation vis-à-vis the Behörde (authority) in case of complications
- Klage- (lawsuit) and Widerspruch (objection) proceedings possible
- Fee per RVG (German Lawyers' Remuneration Act) or hourly rate
- Sensible in cases of Ablehnung (rejection), Vorstrafen (prior convictions), or complex cases
Ready for the first step?
Three minutes, four questions. At the end, you will know whether your path is open and which legal basis applies to you.