Check your application status: Sachstandsanfrage template

Many offices do not offer an online status check. You usually ask in writing, quoting your Aktenzeichen (case number). One clear, polite request is better than many, and some offices ask applicants not to send status requests at all.

A Sachstandsanfrage is a written request to the authority asking how far it has got with your application. A template follows below.

Read your office's page first

Before you write, open the website of your naturalisation office. Is there a contact form or email address for citizenship? Does it state a processing time, or say when you should start asking? Some offices say they process applications in order of receipt and will contact you themselves.

This differs a lot. As of 23 October 2026, for example:

• The Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin states on its citizenship page that it cannot answer status requests about open applications (FAQ section marked "Stand 01.08.2025").
• The city of Bochum asks applicants not to send status requests, including through other city departments. Erfurt asks the same.
• The Migrationsamt Bremen says it works through applications by date of receipt and will contact you when yours is reached. It also states which application quarters it is currently finalising (page updated 7 October 2026).

Search for your office and read what it says:

When it makes sense to ask

• The time your office itself states has passed.
• Something in your life depends on it: a job, a trip, a residence permit that is about to expire.
• You never received a confirmation of receipt and are not sure your application arrived.

If your office asks applicants not to send requests and you have no concrete reason, waiting is the usual route. If you do have a concrete reason or a deadline, you can still ask politely and name it.

If your residence permit expires

This is a separate procedure at the Ausländerbehörde. Under § 81 (4) AufenthG, if you apply for an extension or another permit before your current one expires, the current permit is treated as continuing until the authority decides. Under § 81 (5) AufenthG you are issued a certificate for this, the Fiktionsbescheinigung. So apply for the extension in time, and ask your office how this works alongside your citizenship application. More in the FAQ.

What to include

• Your name and date of birth
• Your Aktenzeichen (some offices call it Geschäftszeichen)
• The date you applied
• What you are asking: the current status
• If you have one: a concrete reason or deadline
• Your address, email and phone number

Keep it short. Write in German unless your office says otherwise.

Template for a neutral Sachstandsanfrage

Send the letter in German. The English version below is only so you understand what you are sending.

What happens next

Replies vary:

• An acknowledgement, or a short note that your application has not been processed yet.
• A request for missing documents.
• Information on the status or an appointment.
• No answer. This happens, especially at offices that state they do not answer status requests.

If there is still no decision after a very long time, German procedural law provides for an action for failure to act (Untätigkeitsklage). Under § 75 VwGO it is generally possible if the authority has not decided within a reasonable time without sufficient reason. A lawsuit before three months have passed since the application is only allowed in special circumstances. A long wait alone is not yet a reason to sue. The Untätigkeitsklage page explains what this means. For your own case, talk to an immigration lawyer from the law firms page.

How long others wait

Waiting times differ a lot between offices. The table shows the current medians from reports. Compare your wait with others at your office.

You can find all offices on the offices page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I call instead of writing?

It depends on the office. Some publish a phone number with set hours, others answer only in writing or not at all. The Migrationsamt Bremen, for example, lists phone hours (as of 7 October 2026). Read your office's citizenship page first. A written request has the advantage that you can later show when you asked.

How often should I ask?

One clear request is enough in most cases. If you have heard nothing after the time your office states, you can follow up once. Several messages in a row give you no extra information.

Does asking slow my case down?

There is no evidence either way. Some offices do say that enquiries tie up staff time. So keep it to one clear request and use the template above.

What if my residence permit expires while I wait?

Apply for the extension at the Ausländerbehörde before the permit expires. Under § 81 (4) AufenthG the current permit is then treated as continuing until the decision, and under § 81 (5) AufenthG the office issues a Fiktionsbescheinigung. Ask your office how this fits with your citizenship application.

Sources

• § 75 VwGO, gesetze-im-internet.de, checked 23 Oct 2026: action for failure to act, three-month period, special circumstances.
• § 81 AufenthG, gesetze-im-internet.de, checked 23 Oct 2026: continued validity of the permit (para. 4) and Fiktionsbescheinigung (para. 5).
• Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin, citizenship, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• City of Bochum, citizenship, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• City of Erfurt, processing of citizenship applications, checked 23 Oct 2026.
• Migrationsamt Bremen, citizenship, checked 23 Oct 2026.