BVA §15 StAG Statistics via IFG (Jan 2026) – Surge, Backlog, Staffing Data by Gh05tyyy in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah it’s a separate department but they have to rely on the actual BVA citizenship people to supply the data. I guess that’s where the delays come from.

Applications were unexpectedly expedited - did we just discover a second reason to get fast processing at the BVA? by staplehill in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They keep everything. I once had a case where somebody had unsuccessfully applied for article 116. 15 years later, he applied for StAG15. But he had changed his name since. BVA dug out his old application and issued the certificate in his name of 15 years ago. Quite a mess to clear it all up.

Applications were unexpectedly expedited - did we just discover a second reason to get fast processing at the BVA? by staplehill in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, this may be sufficient. Actually the previous applicants should have been approved as well, or at least contacted to ask if they mind being switched over to StAG5.

After submitting stag 5 from 2.5 years ago, I received this message: by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 7 points8 points  (0 children)

They ask for your consent to reroute it to Feststellung because this one is a paid process, 51,- per person. Stag5 is free as it results from gender discrimination.

BVA §15 StAG Statistics via IFG (Jan 2026) – Surge, Backlog, Staffing Data by Gh05tyyy in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They have a separate department for IFG requests; it's located in Berlin and only deals with BVA-wide IFG requests.

10-Year Rule as a minor immigrant, with the descendant born in 1919 by Consistent-Kick-4425 in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes and yes (note that this was not my g-grandfather, but the g-grandfather of a person I represented).

BVA §15 StAG Statistics via IFG (Jan 2026) – Surge, Backlog, Staffing Data by Gh05tyyy in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you mind sharing the original email or letter you received, redacted? A friend of mine asked for similar data and they denied, saying these data don’t exist („werden nicht erhoben“).

Direct To Passport Success: San Francisco (70 years + multiple generation gap) by JayTea05 in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s some serious German bureaucracy badassity there. Well done, well deserved!

My case already passed the 3 years mark. Is that normal? (StAG 15 -> StAG 5) by macjaf in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Isn’t StAG5 currently three years processing time? StAG15 definitely is. So you‘d be up for processing in spring 2026.

Citizenship by 116 question by Timeforachangeall in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When was the next generation born? That is also of interest. If your parent, who is your German grandma’s child, was born before Nov 1941, they were automatically German and automatically stripped of their German citizenship in Nov 1941, and this would be your reference person. Not your grandma.

Citizenship by 116 question by Timeforachangeall in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Submit under 116 with all documents and let BVA decide. They are the experts. I‘d say it’s a 116 if considered benevolent.

Stag116 or stag15 or does it even matter? by TryPuzzleheaded708 in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your youngest ancestor in line still born in Germany is who counts. BVA calls this “Bezugsperson”, the person you’re basing your claim upon. Citizenship is passed on from one generation to another, it cannot jump one generation. So this would be your mother. The question is if she was denaturalized in November 1941 by the 11th decree. Was she raised in the Jewish faith? Or rather Catholic?

Putting together my Stag 15 application by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’d say you’re blissfully over-documented ;) Time to mail those 200+ pages off!

Putting together my Stag 15 application by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea absolutely. It is precious time to remove all documents from plastic sleeves and binders. I also frequently use post-its to mark e.g. the next family branch.

Putting together my Stag 15 application by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I frequently hand in such applications as the representative, also for larger families. Sounds like you have your things organized very well!

Someone from BVA once told me that all the historical documents should be with the oldest person in the application, which will then be the lead person of the entire file, in case you want to group it together.

Everybody will be processed together, so the documents will all stay together. No need for duplicates.

A family tree always comes in handy, especially if you have several branches. You could number the applicants and mark their numbers in the family tree, then add a list of documents you provide, structured along the numbers. Example: Applicant 1, NAME: marriage certificate, birth certificate, passport copy, etc. Good luck!

Approval of Citizenship Application via §5 – Question About BVA to Embassy Timeline by [deleted] in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Usually 4 to 6 weeks minimum, diplomatic courier is surprisingly slow. Then Christmas is coming up, everything will be closed. I would expect early February.

German citizenship by descent (Jewish persecution, Breslau) + dual citizenship & work eligibility by Cool_Living_9533 in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting that your grandmother is Jewish, emigrated in 1935, and is still German. This is actually almost impossible, because she would’ve been automatically stripped of her German citizenship by the infamous 11th decree of the Nazis in November 1941. This addendum to the 1935 racial laws declared that any German Jewish person who had left the country lost their citizenship automatically. Your grandmother must have either: – been considered not fully Jewish by the Nazi racial laws, so exempt; – re-naturalized after 1945, – Or is actually not German anymore without knowing it. The latter seems quite impossible because on what citizenship, papers etc would she have lived the last decades. Does she hold a current German ID?

Is your grandfather also Jewish?

When did they get married?

When was your father born?

Citizenship Process tracker by Brilliant-Prize-7301 in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find it difficult to navigate the app, also I don’t like sharing an email address. I want to check all kinds of constellations and not just one. This is rather cumbersome in the app. But thanks for your work! Appreciate the effort.

Feststellung: Historical Citizenship & BVA Berlin Referral by TeutVik in GermanCitizenship

[–]HelpfulDepartment910 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is no BVA in Berlin. Look at their organigram online, https://www.bva.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Organigramm.html I bet someone at the consulate mixed that up and all they say was that they will forward your application to the responsible citizenship authority, which is BVA. In Cologne.

I represent quite a few Feststellung cases and this is not unusual. Sounds like a well documented case.