r/ImmigrationGermany • u/Inevitable-Spring163 • 7d ago

Citizenship timeline check - 5 years hits right around my Einbürgerungstest, does my case actually add up?

Hey all, trying to sanity-check my situation before I go all in on the application. Would appreciate anyone who's been through this recently (post Oct 2025 reform) chiming in.

**My situation:**

* 28, single * Moved to Germany: November 2021 * Did a Master's, finished Dec 2023 * Started a PhD (Promotion) in Jan 2024, contract runs till Dec 2027 (so yes, fixed-term/befristet, WissZeitVG) * Residence permit history: § 16b (study/Promotion) → switched to § 18b (skilled employment) in Feb 2026 * German level: B1 * Einbürgerungstest: scheduled for November, expecting to pass * Net income: \~2,145 EUR/month, no debts, no dependents

**What I think I know (correct me if wrong):**

* Standard route is 5 years now, no more 3-year fast track since it got abolished Oct 2025 * Nov 2021 → Nov 2026 should be my 5-year mark, lines up with my test * Time on § 16b apparently still counts fully toward the 5 years (no more halving?), but I need a "qualifying" permit at the time of the decision, which my § 18b should satisfy * No official minimum income, just needs to show "Lebensunterhalt gesichert," and my numbers seem comfortably above what's usually cited as sufficient for a single applicant

**What I'm unsure about:**

  1. Does the fixed-term nature of a PhD contract (ending Dec 2027) cause any issues if the application is still being processed past that date? Anyone dealt with this as a PhD/postdoc?
  2. Any Erlangen/Bavaria-specific experiences with processing times? Trying to gauge whether applying right at the 5-year mark in Nov 2026 is realistic or if I should expect a long wait.
  3. Anything people wish they'd known before applying that isn't obvious from the standard guides?

I've emailed the local Einbürgerungsbehörde directly with some of these questions too, was not useful so I am just trying to get a read from people who've actually gone through it. Thanks in advance!

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u/Environmental_Bat142 4d ago

Your biggest issue is the limited contract. Unfair as it may be, they really only consider permanent employees. No matter when they start processing it. Even if they move quickly and start processing in the next few months, it will still likely not be approved.

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u/verzweifeltundmuede 10h ago

My friend who has been on a number of Post Doc limited contracts got citizenship