Berlin processes citizenship applications three times faster due to digitalisation
Thanks to newly digitised and streamlined processes implemented at the beginning of this year, Berlin is now processing new citizenship applications up to three times faster, reports Tagesspiegel.
Berlin has already naturalised 6,500 people this year
Previously, applicants for German citizenship in Berlin faced long waits. However, at the start of this year, the State Office for Immigration (LEA) centralised and digitised the application process, significantly speeding things up.
The LEA reported to Tagesspiegel that, as of July 14, 2024, it had already naturalised 6,534 people this year, with 5,900 of those since April 1 alone. This pace is nearly triple the previous rate, processing almost as many applications in three months as it used to in nine. The LEA has also completed the task of digitising 40,000 unprocessed applications, some dating back to 2005.
LEA expects to process 20,000 German citizenship applications in 2024
Since the beginning of the year, the LEA has been the central processing point for citizenship applications submitted in Berlin. Previously, district offices managed these applications but struggled with the volume, leading to a significant backlog.
The new process has come at an opportune time, as the number of new applications surged following the passage of the dual citizenship law in Germany. According to Tagesspiegel, the LEA received over 24,000 naturalisation applications from the start of the year to mid-July and processed an average of 139 applications per day in the second week of July. The LEA aims to process 20,000 applications this year.
The LEA explained that applications submitted since the beginning of the year have been processed faster, while older applications are taking longer. If you are waiting on an old application, you can submit a new digital application for faster processing, though this costs 255 euros.