Ausländerbehörde Köln

Processing times reported by applicants. Located in Nordrhein-Westfalen.

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Foreign residents in the district200,000, 19.5% of the population (2024)

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Official figures

Figures from the office itself, from parliamentary questions and from press reports quoting the office. They are not part of the reported waiting times.

Wait for an appointment · Citizenship
12 months
Wait for an appointment for the naturalisation application interview: about 12 months. In Cologne the appointment request counts as the application (page dated 14 Sep 2026).
as of 14 Sep 2026
Stadt Köln, Ausländeramt
Office
Open applications · Citizenship
8,286 applications
Naturalisation applications in processing in May 2026, as reported by the office to Mediendienst Integration.
as of May 2026
Mediendienst Integration
Survey
Open applications · Citizenship
9,000 applications
Open naturalisation applications in May/June 2025, as reported by the office to Mediendienst Integration.
as of Jun 2025
Mediendienst Integration
Survey
Applications received · Citizenship
6,703 applications
New naturalisation applications filed in 2025, as reported by the city to Mediendienst Integration.
as of 2025
Mediendienst Integration
Survey

Nordrhein-Westfalen compared

Applicant numbers and reported waiting times of the offices in this state.

Estimated foreign residentsNo reports yet

10,00015,00025,00040,000

Foreign residents: estimate from the 2024 share of foreign nationals (Regionalatlas, Federal and State Statistical Offices) and population. Boundaries: © GeoBasis-DE / BKG 2024.

#	Office	Foreign residents	Median waitCitizenship (Einbürgerung)
1	Kölnthis office	200,000	–
2	Düsseldorf	146,800	–
3	Dortmund	124,400	–
4	Duisburg	118,700	–
5	Essen	109,000	–
6	Städteregion Aachen	105,600	–
7	Kreis Recklinghausen	88,000	–
8	Wuppertal	81,800	–
9	Kreis Mettmann	73,000	–
10	Rhein-Erft-Kreis	72,900	–
11	Rhein-Sieg-Kreis	72,000	–
12	Rhein-Kreis Neuss	66,400	–
13	Gelsenkirchen	66,300	–
14	Bonn	62,800	–
15	Märkischer Kreis	62,400	–
16	Bielefeld	58,700	–
17	Kreis Kleve	58,200	–
18	Bochum	56,300	–
19	Mönchengladbach	55,300	–
20	Kreis Gütersloh	55,300	–
21	Kreis Steinfurt	53,300	–
22	Kreis Wesel	51,700	–
23	Kreis Unna	49,900	–
24	Krefeld	46,400	–
25	Hagen	43,100	–
26	Kreis Borken	41,900	–
27	Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis	41,300	–
28	Oberhausen	38,800	–
29	Kreis Viersen	37,300	–
30	Münster	36,800	–
31	Kreis Lippe	36,800	–
32	Kreis Siegen-Wittgenstein	36,400	–
33	Kreis Heinsberg	35,900	–
34	Kreis Warendorf	35,800	–
35	Kreis Düren	35,700	–
36	Kreis Paderborn	35,500	–
37	Kreis Soest	35,200	–
38	Kreis Minden-Lübbecke	35,100	–
39	Hamm	32,200	–
40	Leverkusen	32,000	–
41	Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis	32,000	–
42	Herne	31,900	–
43	Mülheim an der Ruhr	31,100	–
44	Oberbergischer Kreis	31,100	–
45	Kreis Herford	29,800	–
46	Hochsauerlandkreis	29,800	–
47	Solingen	29,600	–
48	Remscheid	22,300	–
49	Kreis Coesfeld	20,400	–
50	Kreis Euskirchen	19,700	–
51	Kreis Olpe	15,300	–
52	Bottrop	14,800	–
53	Kreis Höxter	12,900	–

All of Germany, for comparison

Citizenship
257 days
1 report

Frequently asked questions

How long does citizenship (Einbürgerung) take at the Ausländerbehörde Köln?

There are not enough reports for this application type in Köln yet. Across Germany the median is 257 days.

How many applications are open at the Ausländerbehörde Köln?

8,286 open applications (Citizenship), as of 2026-05, according to Mediendienst Integration.

What can I do if the Ausländerbehörde Köln has not decided after three months?

Under § 75 VwGO you can file an action for failure to act (Untätigkeitsklage) if an authority does not decide within three months without sufficient reason. Whether this makes sense in your case is a question for an immigration lawyer.

How many foreign residents does the Ausländerbehörde Köln serve?

About 200,000 people, 19.5% of the population (2024 share of foreign nationals, Federal and State Statistical Offices).

No decision after more than 3 months?

More about the Untätigkeitsklage