Why naturalisation applications from abroad often take so long

Length of procedure, reasons, typical stumbling blocks — and what you can do if your application gets stuck at the BVA

Note: This article is for general information only and does not replace individual legal advice. The regulations presented can change at any time. For an assessment of your specific situation, please contact a lawyer specialising in immigration law.

You've gathered all the documents, carefully completed the application, and submitted it through the German foreign mission. Since then, silence. No reply, no decision, just an acknowledgement of receipt with a case number. Months pass. Then a year. Perhaps two.

This is not an unusual course of events. Naturalisation procedures from abroad are among the longest administrative procedures in Germany. Anyone living outside Germany and who German nationality wants to acquire – whether after § 13 Nationality Act, § 14 StAG, § 5 of the Nationality Act (StAG), Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law or Section 15 of the Citizenship Act —, it has to do with a procedure that functions structurally differently from naturalisation in one's home country.

This article explains why this is the case, what specific factors extend processing times, and when you should no longer rely on patience.

One authority for all: The BVA as a bottleneck

For naturalisations within Germany, the citizenship authority responsible is the one in your place of residence — usually the town hall or district office. There are hundreds of such authorities in Germany, and the workload is distributed among them.

For all naturalisation applications from abroad, however, a single office is responsible: the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) in Cologne. Around 1,000 new applications for determining German citizenship are received there monthly alone – in addition to naturalisation applications under §§ 13, 14 StAG, acquisitions by declaration under § 5 StAG and Reparation naturalisations pursuant to Art. 116 para. 2 of the Basic Law and § 15 of the Nationality Act.

The BVA processes applications in the order in which they are received. According to the BVA's own statement, a processing time of two years is not uncommon. In complex cases – incomplete genealogical chains, missing documents, inquiries with German civil registration offices – it can take significantly longer.

What this actually means: Even if your application is complete and error-free, you are in a queue with thousands of other applicants. And every flawed application before yours ties up capacity that is then missing for your case.

The double detour: Message — BVA — and back

In the UK, you submit your application to the relevant authority - it is also processed there. Abroad, it works differently.

Most naturalisation applications from abroad must be submitted via the responsible German mission abroad (embassy or consulate-general). The mission abroad will check your documents, conduct an interview with you, write a statement, and then forward the application to the BVA.

This intermediate step takes time — often several weeks to months, depending on how busy the embassy is and how many cases they are processing simultaneously.

Later, when the BVA processes the application, additional demands may arise. These are often handled again through the foreign representation. Every query means: The BVA writes to the embassy, the embassy contacts you, you gather the documents, send them back, and the embassy forwards them. Each of these steps requires postal transit time, processing time, and sometimes just patience.

Anyone who sends their application directly to the BVA, without going through the foreign representation, risks delays. The BVA expressly points out that the involvement of the foreign representation is necessary and that direct dispatch does not speed up the process, but rather slows it down.

Seven reasons why your application is delayed

The processing time is rarely determined by a single factor. In practice, several causes of delay accumulate. The most important:

• High application volume at the BVA. The reform of the Nationality Act 2024, the introduction of § 5 StAG (acquisition by declaration), and the general acceptance of dual nationality have led to a significant increase in applications. The BVA's staffing levels have not grown to the same extent.
• Involvement of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The involvement of the intelligence services is mandatory in every naturalisation procedure. The BVA has no influence on the processing time of this security check.
• Investigations with German authorities. The BVA frequently requests documents from registry offices, resident registration offices, or archives in Germany. These bodies also have their own processing times — and their own backlogs.
• Incomplete applications. Every demand for further information creates an additional loop: the BVA requests further information, the applicant gathers it, sends it again, and the case goes back into the queue. A single missing piece of evidence can extend the process by months.
• Delivery times. Anyone living outside of Europe will know the problem: certified copies have to be sent by post. The BVA does not accept applications by email or fax. Every exchange of letters costs days or weeks.
• Discretionary decision instead of entitlement. Sections 13 and 14 of the StAG (Nationality Act) relate to discretionary naturalisations. The BVA (Federal Office of Administration) not only checks whether you meet the requirements but also weighs up whether naturalisation is in the public interest. This check is more complex than the check for entitlement.
• Complexity of the ancestry chain. For determination procedures and naturalisations by restitution, the BVA must uninterrupted transmission of nationality across every generation check. Loss events, cut-off dates, changes in legal status — this requires an individual legal assessment for each individual ancestor.

Naturalisation within the country and naturalisation from abroad in comparison

The differences between naturalisation within the country and naturalisation from abroad are not just formal. They concern the responsible authority, the legal basis, the procedure, and the typical duration.

Important: Anyone who moves their residence to Germany during an ongoing procedure with the BVA not only loses the BVA's jurisdiction – the entire application will then be re-examined under domestic law. Any previously granted assurance of naturalisation also loses its validity. In the worst-case scenario, this can mean that an application which had prospects of success under foreign law is rejected under domestic law.

What you can do to make it go faster

You cannot change the staffing situation at the BVA. However, you can ensure that your application does not go through unnecessary loops.

Submit the application completely and without errors

This sounds obvious, but it is the most common reason for delays. The BVA only accepts applications in German. All documents must be submitted as officially or notarially certified copies. Foreign certificates require an apostille or legalisation, depending on the country of origin.

The twelve most common mistakes We have compiled this in a separate article during the application process.

Choose the correct procedure

Acquisition by declaration (§ 30 StAG), Naturalisation (§§ 13, 14 StAG), Acquisition by notification (§ 5 StAGAnd restitution naturalisation (Art. 116(2) of the Basic Law, § 15 of the Nationality Act) are fundamentally different procedures with different prerequisites. Anyone who submits the wrong form will have it returned unprocessed.

Check ancestry chain in advance

In determination proceedings and naturalisations by way of restitution, an unbroken chain of descent is crucial. Beforehand, check whether proof of nationality exists for each generation – and whether any grounds for loss (such as by acquiring a foreign nationality or by the marriage of a German woman to a foreigner before 1 April 1953) are present in the chain. Missing links can often be [addressed] in advance through Close archive search.

Respond quickly to subsequent demands

When the BVA requests additional documents, speed is of the essence. The longer you take to provide them, the further back your case will be moved in the queue. Therefore, keep copies of all submitted documents to hand and inform the BVA, quoting your reference number, of any changes to your personal details.

If nothing happens: The action for failure to act under § 75 VwGO

The Code of Administrative Court Procedure provides you with a tool if an authority does not decide on your application within a reasonable period of time: the Action for failure to act under Section 75 of the Administrative Court Rules of Procedure (VwGO).

The prerequisites:

• At least three months have passed since the application was submitted.
• Your application has not been substantively decided upon without sufficient reason.
• There are no objective circumstances that justify a longer processing time (e.g., missing documents that you still need to submit).

An important point: administrative courts have clarified in recent case law that the chronic overload of an immigration authority no sufficient reason in the sense of § 75 VwGO if it is based on a structural organisational deficit. The authority cannot therefore defend itself solely by stating that it has too few staff.

For the BVA naturalisation process, the Cologne Administrative Court responsible.

The three-month period of § 75 VwGO is a minimum period. In practice, most applicants file the action only after a significantly longer waiting period. However, there are cases in which a shorter period may be offered – for example, in cases of advanced age or serious illness of the applicant. § 75 Section 2 of the VwGO expressly provides for this.

What the lawsuit costs — and who pays

A particular aspect of the action for failure to act concerns costs. If the authority decides after the legal action has been filed – which is often the case in practice – and the claimant then declares the proceedings to be settled, the authority shall, as a rule, bear the costs according to § 161 para. 3 VwGO. This is because the claimant was entitled to expect a decision before the legal action was initiated. This applies regardless of whether the decision is ultimately positive or negative.

So the cost risk of a legal action for failure to act is manageable. It only becomes risky if the authority actually makes a decision after the legal action has been initiated, the application is rejected, and the plaintiff nevertheless wishes to continue the proceedings.

Realistic Expectations: How Long Does It Really Take?

The following overview shows the typical processing times for different types of procedures. The information is based on data from the BVA, the Federal Foreign Office, and experience from legal practice. Individual cases may vary significantly.

Experience shows that a single measure is most effective in shortening processing times: a complete, error-free application upon initial submission. Every request for additional information not only costs pure processing time but often also one's position in the queue.

When legal assistance is advisable

Not every naturalisation application requires a solicitor. If the chain of descent is clearly documented and the conditions are unequivocally met, the procedure can also be carried out independently.

The situation looks different if:

• the chain of provenance could be broken by potential loss events,
• The requested documents could not be found in the archive.,
• that the BVA has made additional demands that you cannot understand,
• an unfavourable decision has been made and an objection or appeal is being considered,
• the proceedings have been ongoing for over a year with no discernible progress and that an action for unreasonable delay is being contemplated,
• You are unsure which procedure – declaration, naturalisation, or acquisition through declaration – applies to your situation.

As a law firm specialising in nationality law, we examine the chain of descent, identify potential grounds for loss in advance, and assist with the compilation of evidence. If the BVA (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) rejects an application, we represent clients in objection and legal proceedings. For a no-obligation initial assessment, you can use our online check.