u/AccomplishedYam8550

TL;DR: Indian citizen, married to a German, hitting the 3-year residence mark in October 2026. Recently went freelance. Want to apply for citizenship and would love advice from people who've done this recently.

**My profile:**
- In Germany since 30 Sept 2023
- Married to German-born husband (2-year marriage threshold passed Oct 2025)
- B1 + Einbürgerungstest done
- Was employed until April 2026, freelancer (Freiberufler) since May 2026
- Income well above the Regelbedarf threshold, so I don't think Lebensunterhalt is the issue. More curious about how Freiberufler income gets documented.
- Husband is also freelance
- Residence permit expires Dec 2026

**Specific questions:**

1. Does the Nuremberg Einbürgerungsbehörde require a police clearance from India Anyone done this recently via Indian consulate?is the Bundeszentralregister check enough?
2. Freelance income proof: what exactly do they want (last tax return, BWA, projections)? Any issues with both spouses being self-employed?
3. Should I renew my residence permit in parallel, or does the citizenship application pause that
4. Worth hiring an immigration lawyer for a fairly clean case?

Anything I'm missing that bit people later in the process? Thanks!