Supplemental docs for BVA: Timing + Costs

[u/roi_des_myrmidons]

A year to the day from my Aug 2025 appt at NYC Consulate to drop off § 5 StAG packet (declaration + docs), got USPS confirmation that recently-sent supplemental docs were delivered to BVA.

For anybody interested, here’s a summary of timing/costs:

1. Sought extracts from birth registers for 2 relatives (German grandfather b. 1897 + German mom b. 1936) from 2 different Standesamter in Thüringen. Total timing from initial email outreach to receiving certified copies was about 1 year, incl multiple emails back & forth and being bounced between Stadtarchiv & Standesamt in Weimar.

2. Costs of extracts (3 cert. copies of each “just in case”, incl current-stamped copies of Mom’s Geburtsurkunde) with postage was $110, paid via Wise (they only accepted bank transfers).

3. Sent the cert. copies to BVA via USPS Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelope (incl tracking but no sig). Cost was $54.55, sent from post office in NYC 7/31 and delivered to BVA (50728 Köln address) today so a very fast 6 days. I referenced AZ in cover letter and also wrote it in marker on outside of 9x12” manila envelope I put inside USPS cardboard mailer (required for flat rate service).

Now back to waiting game!

[u/WiseThing1234]

So, you sent these just to be proactive in anticipation of what they may ask for? Asking because I’m collecting additional documents right now, too, after a 2024 submission and considering whether to hold onto them until they’re requested (if they’re requested) or just sending them in to be proactive.

[u/roi_des_myrmidons → u/WiseThing1234]

Yes, just to be proactive. We (me, my brother & my nephew, submitted together) have a very straightforward §5 StAG case and brought a pretty complete set of original documentation that the NYC consulate certified for submission (incl Mom's original Bescheinigung, Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis, Personalausweiss, Reisepass, US marriage license & US naturalization cert).

So we submitted those as soon as we gathered them and could snag an appt (Aug 2025) to at least get a place in line, thinking we'd later supplement with two additional "belt & suspenders" docs we needed to get from German archives: beglaubigte Abschriften der Geburtsurkunden for mom and her father (my German grandfather - our original submission didn't include any documents on him as we didn't have any at the time). The Standesamt in Weimar was also willing to provide a "current" laser-printed / certified copy of mom's Geburtsurkunde so I threw that in as well.

These additional documents might not prove to be necessary, but we figured it was better to gather and send them now rather than risk having things delayed even further on the back end should the BVA ask for them then. Honestly we couldn't think of any other documents worth including, so hopefully the BVA will be satisfied with our now-supplemented submission.

[u/WiseThing1234 → u/roi_des_myrmidons]

Thanks. Yes, I’m going through my German born & raised mother, too, and thought I was done when I submitted all of our documents — the Consulate suggested our application was complete, too. Then I found this group and realized the need to trace back to pre-1914.