Applying for German Citizenship Online
Which authorities take naturalisation applications online, which portal they use, what you need to log in, and where you still apply by post or in person.
Can I apply for German citizenship online?
It depends on where you live. The authority at your place of residence is responsible, and each one decides how it takes applications. A shared online service, published by North Rhine-Westphalia and used by authorities in 11 federal states, listed 117 authorities on 12 October 2026. Bavaria and Berlin run their own online procedures. Some large cities, including Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Bremen, accept applications by post only. The shared online service needs a BundID account, and a username and password are enough. The fee is the same as on paper: €255.
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The Online Routes by Federal State
| Federal state | How online applications work |
|---|---|
| States using the shared online service | Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony and Hamburg. Each authority joins individually, so not every city in these states is included. |
| Bavaria | Its own procedure on the BayernPortal, offered by 89 authorities. |
| Berlin | Its own online application at the Landesamt für Einwanderung, which asks for applications online only. |
| Baden-Württemberg | Online through the state service portal only where the responsible authority has enabled it. Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Mannheim take applications on paper. |
| Hesse | The online form only prepares the application. It does not count as a legally valid application, which you hand in at your town or district. |
| Bremen | No online application. By post only. |
Source: Shared online service Einbürgerung: list of participating authorities · Read on 12 October 2026
How 28 Cities Take Applications
As stated on each authority's own page. Frankfurt am Main and Wuppertal are not listed because we could not read enough detail on their pages.
| City | Route | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Aachen | Appointment or contact first | At an appointment booked online. The online application is currently switched off for technical reasons. |
| Augsburg | Online | Online through the city form server, after a first consultation. |
| Berlin | Online | Online through Berlin's own portal, which the authority asks applicants to use. You pay the fee before you send the application. |
| Bielefeld | Online | Online or on paper. An advance of about 75% of the fee is due when you apply. |
| Bochum | Online | Online through the shared online service. The office then offers appointments. |
| Bonn | Online | Online through the shared online service, which the city asks you to use. |
| Bremen | Paper or post | On paper, by post only. |
| Darmstadt | Appointment or contact first | In person, at a booked appointment. The city receives the application and the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt decides. |
| Dortmund | Online | Online through the shared online service with a BundID account, or on paper. |
| Dresden | Appointment or contact first | A questionnaire by e-mail first. The application itself is handed in in person. |
| Düsseldorf | Paper or post | On paper, by post. |
| Duisburg | Appointment or contact first | A consultation appointment at the authority is required before you can apply. |
| Essen | Online | Online through the city service portal with a BundID account, or at a booked appointment. |
| Freiburg | Paper or post | By e-mail or post. No appointment is needed to apply. |
| Hamburg | Online | Online through the shared online service. Hamburg says other routes can take longer. |
| Hanover | Online | Online through the city service portal, including upload of documents and payment. |
| Heidelberg | Appointment or contact first | Contact the office first, then hand in the application in person at an appointment. |
| Karlsruhe | Paper or post | On paper, by post only. No consultation appointment is needed. |
| Kiel | Online | Online. An advance payment is made when you apply. |
| Cologne | Appointment or contact first | No online application. You request an appointment through the contact form. |
| Leipzig | Appointment or contact first | No online application. A request through the contact form puts you on a waiting list, followed by an interview in person. |
| Mainz | Online | Online application or Quick-Check first. The office then gives you an appointment. |
| Mannheim | Paper or post | In writing, by letter. The fee is due within 14 days of the confirmation of receipt. |
| Munich | Online | Online through the city portal, with a BundID or BayernID account. |
| Münster | Online | Online through the shared online service, or by post. |
| Nuremberg | Online | Online through the city portal, after a positive Quick-Check. |
| Stuttgart | Paper or post | On paper, by post only. |
| Wiesbaden | Appointment or contact first | In person, at a booked appointment. The city receives the application and the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt decides. |
Source: Each authority's own page, listed under Sources. Shared online service for comparison. · City pages read on 12 and 13 October 2026
How to Apply Online
Find the authority for your place of residence
Responsibility follows where you live, not where you are staying. Check that authority's naturalisation page to see which route it uses.
Run the Quick-Check
The online portals put a Quick-Check in front of the application. It tells you, without commitment, whether you are likely to meet the requirements.
Tip: There are several Quick-Checks: the shared online service, the BayernPortal and the federal citizenship portal each have their own.
Create a BundID account
The shared online service requires a BundID login. A username and password are enough. Munich also accepts a BayernID.
Upload your documents
Have your passport, residence title, B1 certificate, citizenship test result and income proofs ready as files.
Pay and submit
Online portals usually collect the fee, or an advance, when you submit. As a rule you still appear in person later in the procedure.
Does Applying Online Cost More?
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalisation fee, adult | €255 | The same online and on paper (§38 StAG) |
| Berlin, Munich | Paid before you submit | The fee is paid in the online application |
| Bielefeld | Advance of about 75% | Collected in the online application |
| Karlsruhe | Paid near the end | On the paper route, as a rule only towards the end of the procedure |
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The shared online service lists the authorities that use it, 117 on 12 October 2026 by our count. Bavaria and Berlin have their own portals, and some authorities offer no online application.
A BundID account. For the shared online service a username and password are enough, and you do not need the online function of an identity card.
Hamburg says that applying by another route can lengthen the processing time. Essen says to expect at least 12 months even for an online application. No authority publishes a comparison.
No. The fee is set by §38 StAG at €255 for adults and €51 for a minor child without income of their own who is naturalised with a parent, whatever the route. What changes is when you pay: online portals usually collect the fee or an advance at submission.
Usually yes. d-NRW, which describes the shared online service, says the digital application usually reduces the visits to two on-site appointments.
Not as a legally valid application. The Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt states that filling in and sending the online form does not yet file an application. You hand it in at your town or district.
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- Shared online service Einbürgerung (antragsservice-einbuergerung.de)
- d-NRW: online service Einbürgerung (login, Quick-Check, on-site appointments)
- BayernPortal: naturalisation online procedure
- Berlin: applying for naturalisation
- Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt: Einbürgerung
- §38 StAG: fees
- Aachen: StädteRegion Aachen, Ausländeramt
- Augsburg: Bürgeramt, Einbürgerungsstelle
- Bielefeld: Kommunale Ausländerbehörde, Staatsangehörigkeitsangelegenheiten
- Bochum: Einbürgerungsbüro der Stadt Bochum
- Bonn: Einbürgerungsbehörde der Bundesstadt Bonn
- Bremen: Migrationsamt Bremen, Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde
- Darmstadt: Staatsangehörigkeitsstelle der Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt
- Dortmund: Stadt Dortmund, Einbürgerung
- Dresden: Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde der Landeshauptstadt Dresden
- Düsseldorf: Amt für Migration und Integration
- Duisburg: Amt für Integration und Einwanderungsservice, Einbürgerungsbehörde
- Essen: Ausländerbehörde der Stadt Essen
- Freiburg: Amt für Migration und Integration, Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht
- Hamburg: Amt für Migration, Einbürgerungsabteilung
- Hannover: Einbürgerungsbehörde der Landeshauptstadt Hannover
- Heidelberg: Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde der Stadt Heidelberg
- Karlsruhe: Ordnungs- und Bürgeramt, Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde
- Kiel: Stadtamt, Einbürgerung und Staatsangehörigkeitsangelegenheiten
- Köln: Ausländeramt der Stadt Köln
- Leipzig: Ordnungsamt, Ausländerbehörde
- Mainz: Sachgebiet Einbürgerung, Staatsangehörigkeits- und Namensrecht
- Mannheim: Fachbereich Bürgerdienste, Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde
- München: Einbürgerungsbehörde der Landeshauptstadt München
- Münster: Amt für Bürger- und Ratsservice
- Nürnberg: Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde der Stadt Nürnberg
- Stuttgart: Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Staatsangehörigkeit und Einbürgerung
- Wiesbaden: Amt für Zuwanderung und Integration