How far am I, really?
The Dashboard splits the journey into the part you control and the part you do not. The bar shows how close you are, and below it Belong Germany lists the routes open to you: the uniform five year route and the three year route for the spouse of a German citizen, each carrying its own status. Germany decides naturalisation administratively through your local Einbürgerungsbehörde, so your route reaches a real finish line.
Your fastest eligible route always rises to the top. Routes that don't apply to your situation fold away below.
What stands between me and the decision?
Path opens your route and lays out every requirement in order. A green tick is met and a blue dot is in progress: lawful ordinary residence, a settled residence status, German at B1, the Einbürgerungstest, self-support and a clean record. Each item explains the rule in plain language and links to the official source, the BAMF. The test facts sit here too, and the full Practice tab is one tap away.
A German school-leaving certificate exempts you from the Einbürgerungstest, not from the other requirements. Path knows the difference.
What could set me back?
Standing watches the moving ground, your time abroad and your record. Under German law a single stay abroad of up to six months does not interrupt your residence, so Belong Germany measures your longest stay against the six month line and tells you honestly when a trip could break your continuity. Your record sits here too with a plain read: minor penalties up to 90 day-fines are generally disregarded.
Short stays do not break your residence. Standing is where you keep the count straight.
Could I pass the Einbürgerungstest today?
Practice trains you for the Einbürgerungstest, the real naturalisation knowledge test. Full mock tests in the official shape, 33 questions and 17 to pass, quick rounds, chapter drills across politics and democracy, history and responsibility, and people and society, and a mistakes deck that re-asks what you got wrong. In German, like the real test, with an English study toggle — and the official BAMF test centre one tap away.
Written by Belong Germany from the official catalogue's subject areas, not by BAMF. Practice, not the exam.
What just changed?
News is getting a partner. A collaboration with The Local Germany is in the works: the immigration and citizenship news that actually affects your path, filtered to Germany, in plain language and delivered inside the app. Until it lands, the News tab says exactly that — and nothing pretends to be live before it is.
No fake feeds. What you see in the tab today is the honest state of what is coming.
What drives all of this?
You is where every number comes from. Set the month you became resident and a short list of honest toggles: your settled residence status, marriage to a German citizen, your citizenship background, the language exam, the knowledge test and self-support. Change one and the Dashboard updates right away. The appearance choice lives here too, Midnight or Mediterranean with one tap, and so does the legal disclaimer, because Belong Germany tracks the rules but does not give legal advice.
Start here on day one. The rest of the app is only as honest as what you enter.
