German Citizenship in Stuttgart
Who handles your application in Stuttgart, how to send it, how long the city says processing takes, where to take the citizenship test, and the city's naturalisation ceremony.
How do I apply for citizenship in Stuttgart and how long does it take?
In Stuttgart the city's "Staatsangehörigkeit, Einbürgerung, Namensrecht" unit at Schmale Straße 13 handles naturalisation. You send the application by post only; personal visits are possible only in exceptional cases and by appointment. The city states: "The processing time is currently at least 21 months." It adds that the number of applications has doubled compared with the previous year. According to the official statistics, 2,492 people living in Stuttgart were naturalised in 2024.
Legal Basis
Law
§38 StAG
Requirement
Naturalisation fee of €255; €51 for a minor child naturalised with a parent
Official Source
View law textStuttgart: Key Facts
| Topic | What applies in Stuttgart |
|---|---|
| Authority | Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, "Staatsangehörigkeit, Einbürgerung, Namensrecht", Schmale Straße 13, 70173 Stuttgart |
| How to apply | By post only. The city asks you not to send documents in folders or plastic sleeves. A personal visit is possible only in exceptional cases and by prior appointment; if your visit is needed, the authority sends you an appointment. |
| Stated time | "At least 21 months" processing time |
| Fee | €255 per adult, €51 for a minor child naturalised with a parent (§38 StAG) |
| Naturalisations 2024 | 2,492 (official statistics, by place of residence). The city itself reported 2,495. |
| Naturalisation rate 2024 | 1.5% of the foreign population at the end of the previous year |
| Applications | About 5,100 in 2025 according to the Baden-Württemberg statistics office (rounded to 100), the most in Baden-Württemberg. The city's own count for 2024 was 5,510; the two sources are not directly comparable. |
| Naturalisations 2025 | No official city total published yet. Part-year figure from the city: 1,302 naturalisations from 1 January to 31 May 2025. |
Source: Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart: apply for naturalisation · City page read 22 October 2026; statistics: data year 2024
Where to Take the Citizenship Test in Stuttgart
BAMF lists one test centre in Stuttgart: the vhs stuttgart. The test costs €25.
| Test centre | Address | Registration and fee |
|---|---|---|
| vhs stuttgart (TREFFPUNKT Rotebühlplatz) | Rotebühlplatz 28 | In person at TREFFPUNKT Rotebühlplatz: Mon–Thu 09:00–13:00, Mon, Tue and Fri 14:00–20:00, Sat 09:00–14:00 (not in school holidays). €25. |
Source: BAMF: citizenship test centres in Baden-Württemberg (Prüfstellen-BW) · Read 22 October 2026
How to Get Naturalised in Stuttgart
Get your B1 certificate
You need German at B1 level, usually proven with a certificate such as telc Deutsch B1 or DTZ. If you do not have one yet, you can take the telc B1 exam at a centre in Stuttgart.
Take the citizenship test at the vhs
The vhs stuttgart is the only BAMF test centre in the city. You register in person at TREFFPUNKT Rotebühlplatz, and the test costs €25. The vhs lists its test dates online.
Check your eligibility
The city links to a Quick-Check approved by the Baden-Württemberg interior ministry, which runs on the Bavarian BayernPortal. For the legal requirements, use the federal law, not the city page: the city page still describes the three-year route that was abolished on 30 October 2025.
Send the application by post
Stuttgart accepts applications by post only. Do not use folders or plastic sleeves. The city states a processing time of at least 21 months.
Wait for the authority to contact you
You only visit in person if the authority needs to see you. In that case it sends you an appointment.
German citizenship also needs proof of B1 German. You can practise for it here:
Free telc B1 Modelltest — practise online with answers
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Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
The city states: "The processing time is currently at least 21 months." It also says the number of applications has doubled compared with the previous year. This is the city's own statement, not a promise for a single case.
No. Stuttgart asks for applications "exclusively by post". Do not send your documents in folders or plastic sleeves.
Only in exceptional cases and by prior appointment. If the authority needs you to come in, it sends you an appointment itself.
At the vhs stuttgart, the only BAMF test centre in the city. You register in person at TREFFPUNKT Rotebühlplatz and the test costs €25. BAMF marks the tests centrally and shows the current marking date on its naturalisation page.
Not as a general fast track. The city page still mentions naturalisation after three years with a C1 certificate, but that route was abolished on 30 October 2025 with no transition period. The general rule is five years of lawful residence. Three years still apply to spouses and registered partners of Germans under §9 StAG, if the marriage has lasted two years; see our requirements guide.
2,492 according to the official statistics, which count people by place of residence. The city reported 2,495. No official total for 2025 has been published for Stuttgart yet.
Yes. On 6 June 2025, 178 people attended a naturalisation ceremony in the town hall with Bürgermeister Clemens Maier, with their families. They were among the 1,302 people naturalised in Stuttgart from 1 January to 31 May 2025.
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- Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart: apply for naturalisation
- Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart: naturalisation ceremony in the town hall (June 2025)
- Baden-Württemberg statistics office: 62,000 naturalisation applications in 2025 (press release)
- vhs stuttgart: naturalisation
- BAMF: citizenship test centres in Baden-Württemberg (Prüfstellen-BW)
- BAMF: naturalisation and the citizenship test
- Regional database of the statistical offices: naturalisations by district, table 12511-04-01-4
- §38 StAG: fees (gesetze-im-internet.de)