Applying is simple and costs one appointment or ten minutes online. What needs planning is not the application but the time: the certificate takes about two weeks, and the apostille variant considerably longer.
Applying and how long it takes
You apply at the registration office where you live, or online with an electronic ID. The fee is 13 €, and processing usually takes around two weeks.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Bürgeramt / Bürgerbüro
Municipal authorityEvery town runs its own Bürgeramt. Enter your postcode and we will show yours.
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› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
The online application took ten minutes, though only on the second attempt: the first time reading the ID card by phone failed.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
If the certificate is needed by a deadline, allow three weeks rather than two. Postal delivery adds days, and those are exactly the ones you end up missing.
Useful Tools
- Lingoking documents
Certified translations for German authorities: upload a scan, the translation arrives by post.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does it cost? ▾
The fee is 13 €, payable when you apply. Exemption is possible in certain cases, for example voluntary work with appropriate confirmation; ask about that at the point of application.
How long does it take? ▾
Usually about two weeks from application, depending on workload and delivery route. Variants with an apostille or for use abroad take noticeably longer and belong early in your planning.
Can I apply online? ▾
Yes, with an ID card whose online function is activated and a suitable reader or app. Without that function the application is made in person at the registration office where you live.
Where does the finished certificate go? ▾
The standard certificate arrives by post at your registered address. The type intended for an authority goes there directly and is not handed to the applicant — worth remembering when choosing the type.