{"id":2848,"date":"2024-12-22T14:35:38","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T13:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/migration-law\/action-for-failure-to-act\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T22:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:10:10","slug":"action-for-failure-to-act","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/migration-law\/action-for-failure-to-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Action for failure to act"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\">[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Action for failure to act &#8211; if the authority does not decide&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Lora%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p>You have submitted an application (e.g. for naturalization or a residence permit) and the authorities have not responded for months?<br \/>In this case, an action for failure to act can help to speed up the procedure.<\/p>\n<h3>What is an action for failure to act?<\/h3>\n<p>If an authority does not decide on your application within a reasonable period of time without sufficient reason, you can file a complaint with the administrative court (\u00a7 75 VwGO).<\/p>\n<p>The court can oblige the authorities to naturalize the person or issue the residence permit.<\/p>\n<h3>When is a lawsuit admissible?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>usually after <strong>3 months<\/strong> without a decision<\/li>\n<li>Prerequisite: a complete application has been submitted<\/li>\n<li>Pure appointment requests or waiting lists are not sufficient<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Staff shortages or high case numbers are generally not sufficient reasons for long delays. The authority must then explain what measures it has taken to reach a decision more quickly. <\/p>\n<h3>When does an action for failure to act make sense?<\/h3>\n<p>A lawsuit can be useful if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the authority does not react for a longer period of time<\/li>\n<li>you have submitted all the required documents<\/li>\n<li>the requirements for naturalization or residence permit are met<\/li>\n<li>there are no comprehensible reasons for the delay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It does not always make sense to file a lawsuit &#8211; for example, if your personal situation can change soon (e.g. change of job or relocation).<\/p>\n<h3>How does the procedure work?<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Filing an action<\/strong><br \/>The court invites the authority to comment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reaction of the authority<\/strong><br \/>The authority can:\n<ul>\n<li>grant the application<\/li>\n<li>Request further documents<\/li>\n<li>reject the application<\/li>\n<li>remain inactive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Court decision<\/strong><br \/>The court obliges the authority to make a decision or decides on the claim itself.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In many cases, the authority reacts as soon as the complaint is filed.<\/p>\n<h3>How long does the procedure take?<\/h3>\n<p>The duration depends heavily on the individual case:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>if the authority reacts quickly: a few months<\/li>\n<li>In the case of a court decision: often 1-2 years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The courts are also very busy. The judges set deadlines for the authorities to respond.  If the authority still does not respond, the court must determine the facts of the case itself and set a hearing date before making a decision.  <\/p>\n<h3>Costs and risk<\/h3>\n<p>An action for failure to act involves costs (legal fees and court fees).<\/p>\n<p>The court will decide at the end of the proceedings whether the authority must reimburse the costs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The court orders the authority to pay the costs if a faster decision should have been made<\/li>\n<li>The court orders the plaintiff to pay the costs if a faster decision was not to be expected or the action is dismissed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The exact costs depend on the individual case.<\/p>\n<p>The costs of an action for failure to act on naturalization are calculated as follows depending on the number of plaintiffs (RVG and GKG , as of June 2025):<\/p>\n&#13;\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">&#13;\n<table class=\"has-fixed-layout\">&#13;\n<tbody>&#13;\n<tr>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"> <\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Legal fees<\/strong> <br\/><sub>legal fee <\/sub><br\/><sub>incl. VAT<\/sub><\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Court costs<\/strong><\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>total<\/strong><\/td>&#13;\n<\/tr>&#13;\n<tr>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1 person<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,032.44 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">849 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,881.44 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<\/tr>&#13;\n<tr>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">2 persons<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,372.78 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,215 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">2,587.72 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<\/tr>&#13;\n<tr>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">3 persons<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,590.91 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,428 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">3,019.91 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<\/tr>&#13;\n<tr>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">4 persons<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,857.00 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">1,671 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-align=\"center\">3,528.00 \u20ac<\/td>&#13;\n<\/tr>&#13;\n<\/tbody>&#13;\n<\/table>&#13;\n<\/figure>&#13;\n&#13;\n<p>The costs for an action for failure to act to obtain a residence permit are somewhat lower.<\/p>&#13;\n&#13;\n<p>Additional costs may be incurred if an oral hearing takes place.<\/p>&#13;\n&#13;\n<h3>Typische Probleme in der Praxis<\/h3>&#13;\n<ul>&#13;\n<li>unvollst\u00e4ndige Antr\u00e4ge<\/li>&#13;\n<li>fehlende Unterlagen<\/li>&#13;\n<li>Ver\u00e4nderungen w\u00e4hrend des Verfahrens (z. B. Jobverlust)<\/li>&#13;\n<li>falscher Zeitpunkt f\u00fcr die Klage<\/li>&#13;\n<\/ul>&#13;\n<p>These points can delay the procedure or cause it to fail.<\/p>&#13;\n<h3>Was wir f\u00fcr Sie tun<\/h3>&#13;\n<ul>&#13;\n<li>Pr\u00fcfung, ob eine Unt\u00e4tigkeitsklage sinnvoll ist<\/li>&#13;\n<li>Strategische Vorbereitung der Klage<\/li>&#13;\n<li>Vertretung vor dem Verwaltungsgericht<\/li>&#13;\n<li>Kommunikation mit Beh\u00f6rden und Gericht<\/li>&#13;\n<\/ul>&#13;\n<h3>Typischer Fall<\/h3>&#13;\n<p>You submitted an application several months ago and have not received any feedback from the authorities.<\/p>&#13;\n<p>We check for you:<\/p>&#13;\n<ul>&#13;\n<li>ob eine Unt\u00e4tigkeitsklage m\u00f6glich ist<\/li>&#13;\n<li>welche Erfolgsaussichten bestehen<\/li>&#13;\n<li>welche Risiken und Kosten entstehen<\/li>&#13;\n<\/ul>&#13;\n<p>This will enable you to make an informed decision as to whether it is worth taking legal action.<\/p>&#13;\n<p><a style=\"display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 10px; padding: 13px 28px; background: transparent; border: 1.5px solid #8b2020; border-radius: 2px; color: #8b2020; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.06em; text-decoration: none; transition: background 0.2s, color 0.2s;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/contact-form\/\">  Request a consultation now  <\/a><\/p>&#13;\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>&#13;\n&#13;\n<p> <\/p>&#13;\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Action for failure to act &#8211; if the authority does not decide&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Lora%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] You have submitted an application (e.g. for naturalization or a residence permit) and the authorities have not responded for months?In this case, an action for failure to act can help to speed up the procedure. What is an action for failure &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/migration-law\/action-for-failure-to-act\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Action for failure to act&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2851,"parent":2831,"menu_order":14,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2848","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2848"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4108,"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2848\/revisions\/4108"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jurati.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}