Einbuergerungstest 2026: Registration, Test Centres and Test Day

The Einbuergerungstest is a standardised BAMF test, but registration is handled by authorised local test centres. Dates, available places, registration method, payment method, and local deadlines therefore vary by centre.

This guide explains the official chain:

authorised test centre -> binding registration -> paper test -> BAMF evaluation -> result notice by post

Last reviewed: June 7, 2026. Check BAMF, the authorised test centre, and your naturalisation authority before relying on a date or document requirement.

How This Six-Part Series Fits Together

1. Introduction to the Einbuergerungstest - test purpose, format, pass mark, alternatives, and naturalisation context.
2. How to Prepare for the Einbuergerungstest - official practice tools and study strategy.
3. Where to Register for the Einbuergerungstest - authorised centres, registration, fee, test day, and results.
4. Theory Part 1: Democracy and Fundamental Rights.
5. Theory Part 2: German History and National Symbols.
6. Theory Part 3: Everyday Life and State Questions.

Step 1: Confirm Whether You Need This Test

The successful Einbuergerungstest is a common way to prove knowledge of Germany's legal and social order and living conditions for naturalisation. It is not the only possible evidence in every case.

BAMF identifies exceptions including:

• a German school-leaving qualification; and
• inability to meet the requirement because of physical, mental, or psychological illness, disability, or age.

BAMF also states that a Test Leben in Deutschland result with at least 17 of 33 points can provide the civic-knowledge evidence when issued through the integration-course route.

Your naturalisation authority decides which evidence applies to your case. Ask it before booking another test if you already have:

• a German school qualification;
• a Zertifikat Integrationskurs;
• a Leben in Deutschland result;
• previous civic-knowledge evidence; or
• health, disability, or age circumstances relevant to an exception.

Use the BAMF naturalisation and test overview as the official starting point.

Step 2: Find an Authorised Test Centre

BAMF commissions test centres from approved integration-course providers and can also conclude arrangements with state associations of Volkshochschulen. A centre must be authorised for the Einbuergerungstest; offering language or integration courses alone is not enough.

Use BAMF's state lists

On the BAMF naturalisation page, open the download titled Pruefstellen for your Bundesland. These state-specific lists are the authoritative starting point.

The list can include Volkshochschulen and other approved providers. Do not assume:

• every VHS offers the test;
• every integration-course provider is an Einbuergerungstest centre;
• BAMF offices administer public test sessions;
• the immigration or naturalisation authority itself runs tests; or
• a centre shown in an old search result still has current dates.

Contact the listed centre through independently verified details and confirm that it is currently accepting registrations.

Ask the naturalisation authority

BAMF advises applicants to contact the responsible naturalisation authority with test questions. It can also advise on nearby authorised centres and whether you already have acceptable evidence.

Search beyond your municipality

Ask centres whether they accept people who live outside their city or district. Do not assume that every centre limits registration to local residents, or that every centre accepts registrations from anywhere.

Step 3: Ask the Centre the Right Questions

Before travelling or sending personal data, ask:

• What is the next date with an available place?
• What is the centre's registration deadline?
• Is registration in person, by post, by email, or through a local online form?
• Which identity document must be shown at registration?
• Does the centre request address or naturalisation-authority information?
• How is the EUR 25 fee paid?
• When is registration binding?
• What happens if I cancel, arrive late, or cannot attend?
• Which original document must I bring on test day?
• Can the centre arrange disability-related conditions?
• How will local changes or cancellation be communicated?

Registration and cancellation procedures are centre-specific. Do not rely on a universal two-to-four-week lead time or three-to-five-day cancellation window.

Step 4: Complete the Binding Registration

The current BAMF participant form collects information including:

• family name and given name;
• date, country, and place of birth;
• current street address and postal code;
• whether a naturalisation application has already been filed;
• the named naturalisation authority, where applicable; and
• whether the participant attended a naturalisation course.

The form records the test location, date, time, and payment of the EUR 25 charge. The participant signs to register bindingly and consent to BAMF processing the data for test administration.

See the current BAMF participant registration form.

Check every personal detail

BAMF generates a personalised questionnaire from the registration data. Use your legal name and accurate birth and address details. Tell the centre immediately if:

• your name is misspelled;
• your address changes;
• the registered Bundesland is wrong;
• your identity document changes; or
• other personal data on the confirmation is incorrect.

Keep:

• the completed or confirmed registration;
• fee receipt;
• date, time, room, and centre address;
• centre contact details; and
• any written cancellation or test-day instructions.

Step 5: Pay the Correct Test Charge

The BAMF test charge is EUR 25 per participant. The authorised test centre receives it as part of registration.

Payment methods differ by centre. Use only the centre's verified instructions and retain the receipt.

Do not assume:

• a social-benefit recipient automatically receives a test-fee waiver;
• a third party can reserve an official place without the centre's process;
• a preparation-course fee includes the test; or
• a higher payment can produce faster BAMF evaluation.

Ask the centre to itemise any amount above the official EUR 25 test charge. A separate preparation course can have its own fee.

Step 6: Study the Correct Question Set

BAMF's full national catalogue currently contains:

• 300 nationwide questions; and
• 160 state-specific questions, ten for each of the 16 Bundeslaender.

For personal preparation, you study the 300 nationwide questions plus the ten questions for your own Bundesland: 310 questions in total.

The actual test questionnaire contains:

• 30 nationwide questions; and
• three questions for the Bundesland where you are registered with your primary residence.

Use BAMF's current:

• full question catalogue;
• sample questionnaire; and
• online test centre linked from the BAMF page.

If you move to another Bundesland between registration and the test, contact the test centre. Do not silently prepare or sit the wrong state set.

Step 7: Prepare for Test Day

Follow the test centre's arrival instructions. Leave enough time for transport and identity checks, but do not rely on a universal required arrival margin.

Bring:

• a valid official identity document with photograph;
• the test confirmation if the centre requests it; and
• a black or blue ballpoint pen.

BAMF's official information sheet states that identity is established using an official photo identity document such as an identity card or passport.

The current BAMF rules describe a paper-and-pencil test. Do not expect a computer-based option merely because preparation is available online.

Step 8: Follow the Examination Rules

The test has:

• 33 questions;
• four answer choices per question;
• one correct answer per question; and
• 60 minutes of working time.

Before starting:

1. verify the personal information on the questionnaire cover;
2. correct it where instructed;
3. sign to confirm the data; and
4. follow the invigilator's directions.

Only the identity document, questionnaire, and permitted black or blue ballpoint pen may remain on the desk under the BAMF information sheet.

Unauthorised aids include:

• notes;
• books or dictionaries;
• mobile phones;
• smartwatches;
• tablets; and
• devices that store or transmit information.

Cheating, attempted cheating, prohibited aids, or disrupting the examination can lead to immediate exclusion and the performance not being evaluated.

Read the current BAMF test-day information sheet before attending.

Step 9: Understand Evaluation and Results

BAMF's regional office, not the local test centre, evaluates the returned questionnaires using a standardised process.

The result categories are:

• erfolgreich teilgenommen - successful participation; or
• teilgenommen - participated without achieving the pass result.

At least 17 correct answers are required to pass. The result notice states the total points and result category.

The responsible BAMF regional office signs, seals, and sends the result notice directly to the participant by post. The test-centre staff cannot give a valid unofficial score after the session.

Do not plan around a fixed result time

BAMF's examination rules do not promise the two-to-six-week period stated by many local guides. Processing includes return of papers, standardised evaluation, production of the notice, and postal delivery.

Ask the centre for current practical guidance, ensure your postal address and mailbox name are correct, and leave sufficient time before a naturalisation-authority deadline.

There is no official fast-result surcharge in the BAMF process described by the examination rules.

Step 10: If the Result Does Not Arrive

First confirm:

• enough processing and postal time has passed;
• the address used at registration was correct;
• your name is visible on the mailbox; and
• the notice was not returned or held by the postal service.

Then contact the test centre with:

• full registered name;
• date and place of birth;
• test centre;
• test date;
• current and previous address; and
• registration or payment evidence.

The centre can identify the responsible BAMF regional office or advise on the correct enquiry route. Do not pay a private intermediary to obtain a result.

Step 11: Lost or Incorrect Result Notice

The original article incorrectly treated the test centre as the issuing body. BAMF's regional office issues the official result notice.

Under the BAMF examination rules, a new certificate may be issued only when the regional office receives either:

• the original document for replacement; or
• a written declaration that the original was lost.

Contact the test centre or BAMF citizen service for routing to the responsible regional office. Provide identifying details and follow its current written procedure. Keep a scan of the result notice, but preserve the original for the naturalisation application.

Step 12: If You Do Not Pass

BAMF states that a person with fewer than 17 correct answers can repeat the test. A new attempt requires a new centre registration and payment.

Ask the centre about the next available date and current registration process. Do not rely on claims of an unlimited immediate retake or a nationally guaranteed zero waiting period; practical availability and registration cut-offs still apply.

Use the score to direct your study:

• review the three BAMF topic areas;
• practise your own state questions;
• complete timed official sample questionnaires; and
• resolve German reading difficulties that caused mistakes.

Step 13: Disability, Illness, and Age

Contact the naturalisation authority before booking if illness, disability, or age may support an exception from the civic-knowledge requirement.

If you will take the test but need modified conditions:

1. contact an authorised centre before registration;
2. describe the functional need, not unnecessary medical detail;
3. ask what documentation and lead time are required;
4. obtain the arrangement in writing; and
5. verify it again before test day.

Do not assume every centre can provide every adjustment on every date.

Step 14: Use the Result in the Naturalisation Process

Passing the test proves only the relevant civic-knowledge requirement. It does not itself establish:

• residence duration;
• identity and nationality;
• qualifying residence status;
• German-language ability;
• livelihood conditions;
• criminal-record conditions;
• constitutional declarations; or
• entitlement to naturalisation.

Submit the BAMF result notice as instructed by the responsible naturalisation authority. Requirements and exceptions must be assessed in the complete case.

For broader administrative context, see the German bureaucracy guide.

Registration Control Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I register directly with BAMF?

Registration is accepted by an authorised local test centre. BAMF administers the system, supplies personalised questionnaires, evaluates them through its regional office, and sends the result.

Is BAMF-Navi the official test-centre list?

Use the state-specific Pruefstellen downloads on BAMF's naturalisation page. A general course-provider search does not prove current authorisation for the Einbuergerungstest.

Can I register online?

Some centres may offer digital enquiries or local online forms, but there is no universal national online-registration procedure. Follow the authorised centre's instructions.

Which documents are required for registration?

The BAMF participant form requires personal and address data, but the identity and supporting documents requested at registration vary by centre. Test day requires a valid official photo identity document.

Is the test digital?

The current BAMF examination rules and information sheet describe a paper questionnaire completed with a black or blue ballpoint pen.

How long does the result take?

There is no universal BAMF delivery promise in the examination rules. Allow for paper return, evaluation, certificate production, and post.

Does the result expire?

The BAMF material reviewed does not state a routine expiry date for a successful result notice. The naturalisation authority determines whether the submitted evidence is valid and applicable in the case. Do not invent a five-year safety rule.

What if I already passed Leben in Deutschland?

A Leben in Deutschland result of at least 17 points can prove the civic-knowledge requirement under BAMF guidance. Ask the naturalisation authority whether your existing evidence is sufficient.

Complete Einbuergerungstest Series

• Introduction to the Einbuergerungstest
• How to Prepare for the Einbuergerungstest
• Where to Register for the Einbuergerungstest
• Theory Part 1: Democracy and Fundamental Rights
• Theory Part 2: German History and National Symbols
• Theory Part 3: Everyday Life and State Questions

Bottom Line

Use the current BAMF state list, not an old directory or a generic course search. Register through an authorised centre, verify your personal data and Bundesland, pay the EUR 25 charge through the centre, bring an official photo ID, and follow the paper-test rules.

After the session, BAMF's regional office evaluates the questionnaire and posts the result notice. Keep your address current and preserve the original notice. Passing the test proves one naturalisation condition; the naturalisation authority assesses the complete application.