Hessenschau Report Highlights Two-Year Wait for Citizenship

Hessenschau Investigation Uncovers Lengthy Citizenship Processing Delays in Hesse

Citizenship Applicants in Hesse Face Up to 32-Month Waits

A report by regional broadcaster *Hessenschau* reveals that citizenship applicants in the German state of Hesse face significant delays, with some waiting over two years for their applications to be processed. Currently, about 36,000 applications are in the system, with waiting times reaching up to 32 months in certain areas.  

The longest delays are in Darmstadt, where applicants face up to 32 months for processing. In Frankfurt, the wait is approximately 28 months, while in Giessen, it stretches to around two years. Marginally shorter wait times are seen in Offenbach (18–22 months) and Wiesbaden (19–23 months). In Kassel, Hesse’s third-largest city, applicants experience a 16–19 month wait, despite a 56% increase in applications expected in 2024.  

Hesse’s Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) described the current processing times as “unsatisfactory.”  

Factors Behind Extended Citizenship Wait Times

Germany’s citizenship delays stem from two primary factors:  

1. Many refugees, particularly those who arrived from Syria around 2015, have recently become eligible for citizenship.  
2. Reforms to Germany’s citizenship law in June 2024 allow dual citizenship for non-EU nationals after five years of residency, increasing the volume of applications.  

Hesse’s processing system contributes to the delays. Unlike other federal states, where the process often begins with an online application, Hesse requires an in-person interview to initiate the process. Securing these appointments can take months—seven months in Kassel, eight in Frankfurt, and up to 12 months in Darmstadt.  

After documents are submitted, they undergo review by the *Regierungspräsidium* (regional council), which adds weeks or months to the process. Currently, there is a backlog of 5,900 applications in Kassel, 7,100 in Giessen, and 23,000 in Darmstadt.  

Pass[t] Genau Initiative Aims to Reduce Delays

Efforts to streamline citizenship applications are underway in other states. For instance, the *Pass[t] Genau* project, launched by Germany’s Federal Commission for Migration, Refugees, and Integration, is being piloted in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Rhineland-Palatinate.  

This initiative trains volunteers to assist applicants, ensuring their submissions are complete and reducing processing delays. Speaking to *SWR* in September, project manager Susanne Kolb expressed hope that the program could expand to other federal states. However, funding for expansion remains a challenge, as the Federal Commission currently supports the program only in its pilot locations.  

In Berlin, where 40,000 applications are pending, delays are similarly severe. A wait time of 18 months is considered optimistic, and the city’s LEA application center warns applicants of prolonged delays.