Untätigkeitsklage — Flat-Fee Court Action for a Stuck Citizenship or Residence Application

This is a flat-fee court action for people whose German citizenship or residence application has been sitting with the authority for at least three months without a decision. It suits you if your application was complete, you have heard nothing beyond an acknowledgment, and you want the file moved rather than another status e-mail.

Not sure whether you qualify? Run the free check first; it takes two minutes. If you would rather talk it through, book a consultation. If you are ready, request the action directly.

Run the free check Book a consultation Request the Untätigkeitsklage

Who it's for

Your naturalization, residence permit, permanent residence or visa application was filed complete at least three months ago.
The authority has not decided and has not asked you for anything that you have not supplied.
You want a lawyer to file the action and deal with the court and the authority until a decision.

What's included

Review of your file and the chronology of the delay.
Drafting and filing the action at the competent administrative court.
All correspondence with the court and the authority until the authority decides on your application or the court gives judgment.
An objection (Widerspruch) if it becomes necessary in the course of the proceedings.
The cost motion, so that the authority is ordered to bear the costs if the delay was unjustified.

What is not included

The court fee advance, shown separately. It is usually reimbursed by the authority if the delay was unjustified.
Translations and certified copies.

How it works

Request. You send the request through the form with your application date and the last letter you received.
I review and confirm whether the action is available. If a deadline cannot wait, book a consultation.
Onboarding online. You receive a secure link: fee agreement in text form (§ 3a RVG), power of attorney and payment.
I file once I receive the fee agreement, power of attorney and any necessary documents, and keep you apprised of any updates.

Price

€1,500, a flat fee, plus the court fee advance shown separately. The fee covers the whole action until a decision or judgment; there is no hourly billing on top. Technically, a separate appearance fee (Terminsgebühr) can become payable if the court schedules an oral hearing. In the vast majority of these cases that does not happen — the authority decides once the action is served — and I would tell you before any hearing date is fixed.

Questions people ask

Is the action still needed if the authority decides after I file? That is the usual outcome. The action is declared settled, and the court decides who pays what amount.

Can I do it without a lawyer? Yes. There is no lawyer requirement at the administrative court of first instance. In practice, a correctly drafted action with the right cost motion and a clean file is what makes the authority move quickly, and mistakes on admissibility can cost you the fees.

Will it damage my application? No. The authority still has to decide on the merits, and a court action does not become part of the assessment. It only changes the timetable.

Request the Untätigkeitsklage — flat fee €1,500

Last reviewed: August 2026 — RAin Fiona Macdonald

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