Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

Berlin launches online German citizenship application form

Under a new service launched by the immigration office on Tuesday, foreigners in Berlin can check if they're eligible for German citizenship and submit their applications online.

Published: 2 January 2024 17:18 CET
Ausländerbehörde Berlin
The entrance to the Foreigner's Office (Ausländerbehörde), which has become a symbol of red tape in Germany - in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance / Kay Nietfeld/dpa | Kay Nietfeld

The new online application form, which can be found on the website of the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), marks a major breakthrough in the digitalisation of Berlin’s immigration services.

It allows people to complete a ‘quick check’ to see if they meet the criteria for citizenship, including continued residence in Germany of at least six years, but in most cases eight; the ability to secure your livelihood without relying on benefits and at least B1 level German. 

Once applicants have passed the initial checks, they can fill in their application form on the LEA website and submit it along with relevant documents. 

The application fee of €255 per person can also be paid online via PayPal or using a debit or credit card. 

READ ALSO: The vocabulary you need to understand the German citizenship process

However, the new digital services got off to a rocky start on Tuesday morning after the link to the online application stopped working for a number of hours.

Frustrated foreigners even posted screenshots of the crashed webpage on social media, lamenting that the good news had so quickly marred by technical problems.

In response to a query by The Local, the Berlin LEA press office confirmed that the website had crashed during the day but said the problem had been quick to solve.

“It is correct that the online application and quick check for naturalisation were activated this morning and failed after more than 40 successful applications in the late morning,” a spokesperson explained.

“The error was rectified within a very short time and the online application is available again.”

However, it’s not the only tech issue to hit Berlin public offices this week. 

German media reported that a faulty software update meant Berlin’s Bürgerämter or citizens’ offices had to resort to analog mode on Tuesday, causing major disruption. 

A press statement from the Senate Chancellery sent out on Tuesday morning mentioned a “technical malfunction in a database at the Berlin IT Service Center” (ITDZ).

It meant that appointments for things like getting a new German ID were cancelled or unavailable. 

According to Tagesspiegel, the issue was being worked on, but people still may face problems accessing services this week. 

Centralised authority 

The start of 2024 has brought with it more than one significant change in how citizenship applications are processed in Berlin.

Alongside the new digital form, the Senate has also opened up a new centralised naturalisation authority at the LEA. 

Previously, Berliners had to apply for citizenship in their local borough, or Bezirk, and faced the prospect of restarting the process if they moved to a different area.

With the capital currently handling an estimated backlog of at least 30,000 citizenship applications, there are hopes that the 200 staff members at the centralised authority and the digital processes will help speed things up.

READ ALSO: Why German citizenship applications in Berlin are facing delays

Due to the switch to the new authority, the boroughs stopped handling new applications last year and will forward all the existing paperwork onto the LEA.

According to the authorities, people who were waiting for a decision on their citizenship application when the LEA was opened do not need to submit a new online application.

Instead, they will need to wait until the LEA gets in contact with them and can then forward any additional documents to the authority online. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

BERLIN

Warning of toxic smoke after fire breaks out at Berlin factory

More than 180 firefighters wearing protective suits were on Friday tackling a major blaze at a metal technology firm in Berlin's Lichterfelde area as authorities warned of toxic smoke.

Published: 3 May 2024 16:35 CEST
Updated: 3 May 2024 18:08 CEST
Warning of toxic smoke after fire breaks out at Berlin factory

The blaze broke out in the first floor of metal technology factory ‘Diehl Metal Applications’ on the Stichkanal in Lichterfelde, south-west Berlin around 10:30 am.

On Friday afternoon, a fire brigade spokesperson said an area of over 2,000 square metres was on fire in the four-storey building.

As of 5 pm, the fire was reportedly still not under control.

According to the spokesman, the fire had spread to the roof, with parts of the building collapsing.

As the company also stores and processes chemicals in various quantities, there are concerns over harmful fumes in the smoke. 

“We can confirm that chemicals are also burning in the building,” said the fire service. “Sulphuric acid and copper cyanide were stored there. There is a risk of hydrogen cyanide forming and rising into the air with the smoke.”

Hydrogen cyanide is a highly toxic substance.

The Berlin state government said that residents “in the affected areas of the toxic fumes caused by the fire” were warned through the NINA warning app at midday.

People walk in the area near the fire in Berlin on Friday. Residents have been urged to stay inside and keep their windows closed.

People walk in the area near the fire in Berlin on Friday. Residents have been urged to stay inside and keep their windows closed. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

The Berlin fire department also said on X that people in a large area of Berlin and the outskirts, shown on the map in this tweet, should keep their windows and doors closed, turn off air conditioning and avoid smoky areas. People have also been asked to avoid the area. It includes a large part of the Grunewald forest. 

In the immediate vicinity, hazardous substances had been measured. According to a fire and rescue spokesperson, no injuries have been reported. 

A spokesman for Diehl Metall, to which the plant belongs, said on request that the chemicals mentioned were also only kept in small quantities at the plant.

According to the Diehl spokesman, the location is used for electroplating parts for the automotive industry. The Diehl Group is a large arms company; however, no armaments were produced at the Berlin plant, Nitz said.

Emergency response authorities requested the help of the in-house fire brigade from the firm Bayer, which is familiar with fighting against chemical fires, Berlin newspaper Tagesspeigel reported. 

Which areas are most affected?

Pupils and teachers from nearby schools have been sent home as a precaution, while several shops around the site have closed. 

On Friday afternoon, a warning message popped up on many mobile phones with a shrill sound, according to which there is “extreme danger”.

“After evaluating the weather conditions and the corresponding wind direction, the flue gases move from the scene of the incident in a northerly direction,” the fire department told the German Press Agency (DPA).

Flames seen at the fire in Berlin's Lichterfelde on Friday.

Flames seen at the fire in Berlin’s Lichterfelde on Friday. Shops around the area closed. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

According to the fire department spokesman, however, it was not initially clear at what distance the smoke could still be hazardous to health.

Parents of students at the Fichtenberg-Gymnasium in Steglitz received an e-mail stating that classes had been stopped and all students had been sent home. However, the local Abitur or end of school leaving exams continued with the windows closed.

Surrounding roads were closed while flames leapt into the sky, according to a DPA reporter on site.

A neighbouring supermarket was completely enveloped in white smoke. The surrounding area is a mixture of commercial area, allotments, housing estates and shopping centre. According to eyewitnesses, the smoke appeared to be heading north.

The fire department published a map on which the affected areas are marked. Parts of Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Reinickendorf, among others, can be seen. People should avoid the affected area and drive around it as much as possible, the fire department suggested. Even if no smoke is visible, windows and doors should remain closed and ventilation and air conditioning systems should be switched off, it said.

In the immediate vicinity of the fire, the police made announcements with a megaphone and called on people to leave the streets, go home and keep windows closed.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. 

With reporting by DPA, Paul Krantz and Rachel Loxton.

SHOW COMMENTS