Overview

• Joint reporting by Stern and RTL says thousands of forged language and integration certificates are being sold in Germany, often used for naturalization or residence claims.
• Sellers present themselves on TikTok as language schools, shift chats to WhatsApp, advertise certificates “ohne Schule, ohne Prüfung,” and accept payment upon handover.
• Prices typically hover around €1,500 and range from about €750 to €2,700, with fakes commonly imitating telc, Volkshochschule and IHK documents, sometimes with volume discounts.
• Investigators describe a professional operation tied to organized crime and say overburdened immigration offices with inexperienced staff struggle to spot high‑quality forgeries.
• The Federal Office of Administration recorded 1,009 revoked naturalizations from 2020–2024 and 270 so far this year, but authorities do not track whether revocations stem from forged certificates; prior cases include a fine in Elmshorn and prison sentences in Bonn for large‑scale sales.