[Berlin] From Citizenship Application to Passport in 1.5 months (never would have believed)
Honestly still pinching myself. Married, 6 years in Berlin (5 years working).
Full breakdown below:
The German part first - because it took longer than the citizenship itself. I started from A2 (knew basic A1) and went with Speakeasy [intensive evening]. Five months to B1 - not glamorous, but doable (my motive was citizenship not to learn converse a lot).
For the exam I went with TELC. I booked digital test in Speakeasy - 3 weeks in advance and got a slot fine (East one has more slots). If you need it within 2 weeks they charge extra. Book early.
The application - no appointment, just upload the details (exactly what is asked)No queueing for an appointment slot, no showing up in person. I submitted everything on March 17 and waited.
Timeline:
- March 17 - Online application submitted
- April 15 - First email from the Behörde for Appointment
- April 24 - Naturalization - It's basically nothing: show up, sign the oath, pay the fees, take a photo if you want. No language assessment, no surprise checks. Genuinely 15 minutes.
- April 28 - Passport in hand (took the express process +32 EURs)
Passport tip: Book at Frankfurter Allee 3. Got a slot on the same day as the Naturalization process (keep 2 hour gap) and you just need the certificate and biometric photo (got it from DM ~6EURs) And it's by far the smoothest Bürgeramt in the city.
Happy to answer questions as this group has been a great support!
Viel Erfolg! 🇩🇪