The Einbürgerungsurkunde and German Citizenship Ceremony: What Happens Next

After months — sometimes years — of waiting for your naturalization application to be processed, the moment of approval arrives. You will receive either a notification to come and collect your Einbürgerungsurkunde (naturalization certificate) or, in some states, an invitation to attend a formal citizenship ceremony. These are not the same thing, and knowing what to expect from each helps you plan what comes immediately after.

What Is the Einbürgerungsurkunde?

The Einbürgerungsurkunde is the official document that legally constitutes your German citizenship. The moment you receive it and formally accept it — typically by signing a receipt in the presence of an official — you become a German citizen. Not when you pass the test. Not when the authority approves your application internally. The citizenship is effective from the moment the certificate is handed to you.

The certificate contains:

• Your full name as it will appear in German documents
• Your date and place of birth
• The legal basis for your naturalization (typically § 10 StAG for standard naturalization, § 9 for marriage-based)
• The date of naturalization
• Official stamps and signatures of the issuing authority

Keep this document permanently. It is the legal proof of your German citizenship. You cannot apply for a passport or ID card without it. Unlike a passport, which expires and is renewed, the Einbürgerungsurkunde never expires — it is a permanent record.

Two Variants: Direct Collection vs. Formal Ceremony

Direct collection: In most German cities, the citizenship certificate is simply issued at the Einbürgerungsbehörde office. You receive a letter or portal notification that your case has been approved, you attend an appointment to collect the certificate, take an oath of allegiance, and leave with your document. The "ceremony" in this context is a brief official act — typically 10–20 minutes — rather than an event.

Formal citizenship ceremony (Einbürgerungsfeier): Some states and municipalities — particularly Berlin, Hamburg, and several large cities — organize collective citizenship ceremonies where multiple new citizens receive their certificates together in a more formal setting. These are often held in city halls or public cultural buildings, sometimes with speeches from local officials and symbolic elements. In Berlin, the LEA periodically holds group ceremonies that new citizens are invited to attend.

Whether you receive an individual appointment or an invitation to a group ceremony depends entirely on the policy of your local authority. Neither is legally superior to the other — the citizenship is equally valid in both cases.

The Oath of Allegiance

All naturalization applicants take an oath of allegiance (Bekenntnis zum Grundgesetz and the formal declaration of loyalty) when collecting their certificate. The updated declaration, in use since the 2024 reform, requires you to affirm:

• Commitment to the principles of the Free Democratic Basic Order (freiheitliche demokratische Grundordnung)
• Acknowledgment of Germany's historical responsibility for the crimes of the National Socialist regime
• Commitment to the protection of Jewish life in Germany
• Rejection of anti-Semitism, racism, and violence

You will be asked to sign this declaration. In group ceremonies, it is sometimes read aloud collectively. The oath is a formal legal act — it is the moment the process is complete.

Immediately After: Applying for Your German Passport and ID Card

With your Einbürgerungsurkunde in hand, you can apply for:

German passport (Reisepass): Applied for at your local Bürgeramt (citizen services office). Bring your Einbürgerungsurkunde, your current foreign passport (which may be retained or voided depending on circumstances and your home country's rules), biometric passport photos, and the passport fee (€70 for those aged 24 and over; €37.50 for those under 24). Processing time is typically 3–6 weeks; urgent passports are available in some offices within a few days at a premium fee (€90 for adults).

National ID card (Personalausweis): German citizens aged 16 and over are required by law to possess either a valid passport or a national ID card. The ID card (€37 for adults, lower for those under 24) is applied for at the same Bürgeramt and is valid for 10 years (6 years for those under 24). Many German residents use the ID card for travel within the EU instead of a passport.

Children: Minor children who were co-naturalized will need their own German passports or ID cards (child passports are issued for those under 12, valid for 6 years; the standard passport is issued from age 12 onward).

If You Need to Handle Your Former Citizenship

Depending on your home country's rules, receiving your Einbürgerungsurkunde may trigger obligations regarding your original nationality:

For Indian nationals: Take your Indian passport to the Indian Embassy in Berlin to begin the surrender and OCI application process. You will surrender your Indian passport and receive an acknowledgment. The OCI card takes approximately 2–4 months to issue.

For Turkish nationals: No action is required — Turkey permits dual citizenship and there is no requirement to surrender or modify your Turkish passport.

For US nationals: No action regarding citizenship is required — the US allows dual citizenship. Keep your US passport. Note your ongoing US tax filing obligations.

For Chinese nationals: Chinese law considers your Chinese citizenship to have automatically terminated upon your German naturalization. If you have a Chinese passport, you should not use it after naturalizing as German. Consult with the Chinese Consulate about the specific administrative steps.

What the Certificate Unlocks

As of the date on your Einbürgerungsurkunde, you have:

• The right to apply for and hold a German passport
• Full EU freedom of movement — the right to live, work, and study in all 27 EU member states
• The right to vote in German federal, state, European, and local elections
• Protection from deportation
• The right to hold civil service positions (Beamte) previously restricted to citizens
• The ability to pass German citizenship on to children born after the naturalization date

The journey from initial application to holding this certificate takes between 6 months and 3 years depending on where you live and how complete your initial application was. The document itself is a single page, but what it represents — full legal belonging in Germany and the European Union — is the outcome of years of life built here.

For the complete step-by-step guide to German naturalization, from eligibility assessment through document preparation to the post-certificate steps, see /de/citizenship/.

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